A Clean Sweep

How would you feel if someone in authority accused you of being deceitful and stealing when, in fact, you were innocent? Worse still, you knew you had no defense because your innocence could not be proven. This was the dilemma Joseph's brothers faced when they were accused of stealing from an Egyptian official who, unknown to them, was their brother Joseph.

Have you ever struggled with forgiving someone, especially a family member who was supposed to love and protect you but instead betrayed and abandoned you? Can you identify with Joseph’s struggle to seek revenge rather than to forgive his brothers who had sold him into slavery?

As Joseph stood before his brothers, he was overcome with compassion as he listened to them make their defense for Benjamin’s release from custody and explain how their father would react if he lost his youngest son. Forgiveness is necessary for healing the hurt, pain and sorrow of grief. A clean mind and spirit clear the way for a new beginning to become a reality. God delights in forgiving you and helping you achieve this objective. 

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For if you forgive others their shortcomings, your heavenly Father will forgive you, too.

~Matthew 6:14 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

If your brother ever sins, correct him; and if he’s sorry, forgive him.

~Luke 17:3 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today

Be gentle with one another, sensitive; forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

~Ephesians 4:32 The Message