Today, as we conclude our look into Joseph’s life, we discover what grace looks like when lived in the trenches. There was God’s grace at work in Joseph, of course, but now we see whether God has made a difference in how Joseph treats others. Because if anyone ever had a reason to hold a grudge, it was Joseph.
Years have passed since his brothers tossed him into that pit and sold him off like a used camel. They assumed he was long gone, probably dead. But Joseph’s story was forged in the pit. It led him to Pharaoh’s palace, where he became governor of Egypt and was placed in charge of the grain supply during a famine.
Imagine the scene when those same brothers show up, hungry and desperate, bowing before the man they betrayed, and not realizing who he is. The dream Joseph once had as a teenager is now playing out in real life. And he holds all the power.
If this were a movie, this is where a scene of dramatic revenge would play out before our eyes. But Joseph does something that flips the script: he forgives.
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20).
There it is—the heartbeat of grace. Joseph looks at the faces of his brothers and chooses mercy over revenge, healing over hatred. He recognizes that God’s hand was weaving redemption through every thread of betrayal, pain, and waiting.
It doesn’t mean what they did was right; it means Joseph refused to let bitterness write this next chapter in his story.
Forgiveness is a hard trench to climb out of. It’s messy, emotional work. It doesn’t always come with neat closure or happy endings. But it’s holy work, because it frees us to live forward instead of reliving the past.
Joseph didn’t excuse his brothers’ actions; he just refused to let it define him. He saw the bigger picture: a faithful God turning pain into purpose.
Sometimes we need that same grace—for others, yes, but also for ourselves. We all have family scars, disappointments, words we can’t take back. Yet Joseph’s story reminds us that God can redeem even the most broken relationships. Faith in the trenches not only reminds us of the strength of our own relationship with God, but it also shows others what faith can do for them.
The brothers, when they found out who Joseph was, didn’t expect to be forgiven. It turns out that even though years had passed, what they had done had followed them every day of every year. That single act had taken Joseph down a path leading from pain to power, from grief to greatness, but it had left his brothers stuck in the past, unable to forget or to forgive themselves. Joseph’s act of forgiveness healed hearts, reunited a family, and lives today as a reminder of the power of grace.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Joseph’s example of grace. Teach me to see your hand even in what others mean for harm. Give me the courage to forgive, the strength to heal, and the faith to believe you can turn every wound into a work of redemption. Amen.
