Saturday, December 13, 2008

TorahBytes: A Wonderful Plan (Va-Yeshev)

Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. (Bereshit / Genesis 37:5; ESV)

Perhaps you have heard the adage "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." In a world of meaninglessness, this is a most profound statement. That there is a personal God, who desires to direct our lives is in sharp contrast to the popular view that we are simply cosmic accidents, products of matter and energy, plus chance. To learn that the events of life are not due to complete randomization, but are actually part of a grand story is wonderful in itself. But to realize that God cares about each and every one of us, inviting us to cooperate with him in fulfilling his good plans for the world, is even more wonderful.

But what does wonderful imply? I would guess that when many of us hear "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life," we think we are being promised fun and excitement. Perhaps God will make us famous or at least successful in the way most of us understand success: health, wealth, ease of living, and at least some level of popularity.

I don't know what the person who first said the words "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life," was trying to say exactly. This statement is not found in the Bible. Presummably it is an attempt to summarize the God of Israel's intentions for people. But how accurate a statement is it?

This week's Torah portion begins the story of Jacob's son Joseph. Joseph had two dreams that seemed to mean that his family would one day bow down to him. His brothers, who were already jealous of him, were incensed by this. Their hatred of him, which led to their selling him into slavery, is what led to the fulfillment of his dreams and his eventual exalted position over them. The process of bringing Joseph to his God-given place and position was a most difficult one. If you have never read the story of Joseph, I encourage you to do so.

Did God love Joseph and have a wonderful plan for his life? He certainly did. Not only did he love Joseph, but the wonderful plan that God had for him was not just an expression of God's love for him alone, but also for his family, the people of Egypt, and the whole region. God had chosen Joseph to help provide sustenance during an extreme famine, thus preserving many lives.

It is a truly wonderful thing to be so used by God. Even in the darkest of times, God was with Joseph, preparing him for the day when he would make such a difference in the world. I don't know if God has this kind of plan for each and every person, though he definitely loves us all. And once we come into right relationship with him through trusting in the Messiah, we have the opportunity to be part of his grand purpose, whatever that part may be.

In order for us to most truly embrace God's wonderful plan for our lives, we need to grasp the nature of what wonderful really means. If we assume that "wonderful" means fun and exciting or that it is a guaranty of personal benefit and convenience, then we are going to be put off by God's plan for us. His plan is indeed wonderful, but it is not necessarily easy and certainly not always fun and exciting. Meaningful, yes. Significant, surely, though that may not always be apparent. God's plans for us, as in the case of Joseph as well as many of the Bible's key characters, also includes great challenges and difficulties. I wonder how our resistance to such challenges and difficulties prevents us from fully participating in God's wonderful plans for our lives.

It seems that the real key to fully embracing both God's love and his wonderful plan for our lives is to allow him to have his way in our lives no matter what. Let's forget about our preconceived notions of what a life with God should include and let him fulfill his wonderful plan.

7 comments:

Wayne said...

"God had chosen Joseph to help provide sustenance during an extreme famine, thus preserving many lives."

While that statement is true, it makes it sound as if G*d was using Joseph in a desperate attempt to save people's lives in a famine which He (G*d) knew about but was unable to prevent. Scripturally speaking, it seems more accurate to say that G*d used the famine to get Joseph (and later, his whole family) down to Egypt, where they were to become a great nation as G*d had promised Avraham.

G*d did indeed have a wonderful plan for Joseph's life, but the far greater truth is that G*d had a wonderful plan for all the nations of the earth. Joseph merely had a bit part in the unfolding drama in which a family of about 70 persons would become the nation through which the Messiah was to come to earth.

Alan Gilman said...

I don't see the need to pit one aspect of what God was doing against another.

Also, I never implied desperation on God's part. It is a truly wonderful thing that God should to use people to accomplish his purposes on earth.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Alan, This is a terrific lesson, one we all too often forget. I just went through a very difficult (for me) trial, but held onto God the whole time, believing in and fully trustin Him, though questioning why He was not answering my prayers the way I wanted Him to. This lesson is profound, and stated exactly the way God wanted you to put it, I am sure, notwithstanding the comment from "Wayne". That I should let God direct my life in whatever way He sees fit, and trust Him for the "wonderful plan" He has for my life, is a lesson I very much needed as I read it tonight. Thank you, Alan, for your always "on-time" lessons. God bless you. Shalom

Wayne said...

Alan,

I certainly was not accusing you of implying desperation on G*d's part. I'm just saying that it sounds that way. If the famine was going to kill people and G*d didn't want them to die, He could have just prevented the famine. Saying that He chose Joseph to help preserve lives makes it sound as though it was His best or even only option. It wasn't of course, but that's what it sounds like. If Joseph helped preserve "many" lives that otherwise would have perished from famine, then presumably, "all" the lives could have been preserved by just preventing the famine. If G*d's primary objective had been to keep as many people as possible from starving, He wouldn't have sent a famine for Joseph to save them from.

Alan Gilman said...

See Genesis 50:20.

Maestro Eric said...

Personally, I've heard the phrase, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life," rattled off so much by wannabe missionaries that it sounds trite.

While it is a wonderful message, especially when related to Yosef -who is also a favorite character of mine- is there any way to convey the sentiment without it sounding canned?

Ruth said...

"While it is a wonderful message, especially when related to Yosef -who is also a favorite character of mine- is there any way to convey the sentiment without it sounding canned?"

While I agree that the phrase like many others has been over used it doesn't negate the truth of the phrase when taken in context with what was written. The truth is God does have a wonderful plan for our lives. That plan reaching fulfillment is not dependant upon circumstances being rosey all the time, or even the grandness of the task or even if others recognize our contribution..it is only dependant upon our yieldedness to God. Yes God is all-powerful but yet he sees fit to allow us to be part of His plan and His answer.