Leadership Thought: Stop Fishing

Dear Friends, 

In the last chapter of Genesis following the death of their father Jacob, his sons now fear their brother Joseph will take vengeance on them for what they had done in selling him into slavery. With their father now dead, the brothers assumed their lives would now be in danger and that Joseph would find reason to get even with them.

Joseph is saddened when he realizes that his brothers were afraid that he might cause them harm, and he weeps to think that they had failed to recognize he had truly forgiven them and that he had put the past behind him. His love and acceptance of them was genuine, but they found it hard to accept.

Sometimes, like Joseph's brothers, we find it hard to accept the fact that God could put our past behind us, and that He could love and forgive us for the things we have done.

It was Corrie Ten Boom, who said, "God took our sins and buried them in the deepest part of the ocean and then put up a sign that said no fishing." 

But the truth is that no matter how deep the pit we've dug, or what brother we've sold, our Lord has forgiven our past and washed away our sin with His own blood. 

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation to you who are in Christ. Jesus." (Romans, 8:1).

Thank God our past is behind us and a new future lies ahead of us, and our only response needs to be to accept and be grateful for it.

Who can separate you from God's love? Absolutely nothing. (Romans, 8:35-39)

It has been written that "Forgiveness ought to be like a canceled note- torn in two and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one." Henry Ward Beecher.

Our sins are forgiven, forgotten, and buried in the deepest part of the ocean, so let's stop fishing!

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom