Genesis 49: Verses 22-24 (NLT Translation)
“Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey, the foal of a wild donkey at a spring –
one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.
Archers attacked him savagely;
they shot at him and harassed him.
But his bow remained taut,
and his arms were strengthened by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the Shepherd, the rock of Israel.”
Jacob gathers his sons together so that he can pronounce final blessings on them before he dies. His blessings are a bit like a review of how his sons have behaved, mixed with a little foresight into what the future holds for them. In Joseph’s case Jacob reiterates how God protected and guided him through all of his difficulties and hardships.
Some of his brothers however must have squirmed when they heard Jacob tell of some of the things they had done, and the consequences that would follow as a result. Perhaps they thought he had been unaware of the things they had done, or at best that he had forgotten due to his advanced age.
We often do a review of the previous year at the beginning of the new one, and it is still January after all. But we can do a review at any time, a bit like the annual appraisal that so many of us are familiar with in the workplace setting. Done well it’s the chance to look back over the previous twelve months at what’s gone well and what’s not, but also to plan ahead for the next year.
God can also remind us of what He has done for us in the past and also what He has promised that has still to happen. He does this to strengthen and encourage us for the months that lie ahead. But we know that He also sees all and doesn’t forget the things we have done that we shouldn’t have.
That is unless we’ve come to Him and asked for His forgiveness which is available to us because of the work of the cross. Because of that we need not fear the exposure of our faults and flaws. We can receive forgiveness for them if we will only ask. But we need to remember not to hide them, or pretend that things have never happened because then God Himself will expose them.
When we allow God to deal with these things and receive His forgiveness because then it really is as if these things have never happened. The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us that God has said, “And I will forgive them their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” (Hebrews Chapter 8 verse 12.)
Surely that’s a promise to keep close to our hearts as we continue into 2023.
Dear Lord,
I sometimes look back over the year with a mixture of pleasure and a tinge of regret for the things I could have done differently. I thank You that because of Jesus I need never dwell on the things that You have forgiven. Thank You for every act of forgiveness and mercy that You have shown me. May I extend the same when needed to those who cross my path in 2023.
I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen