https://odb.org/2023/12/13/overcoming
The story of Anne Sullivan, the subject matter of today’s ODB, bears similarities to Joseph son of Jacob of the Bible. Despite one misfortune after another, they prevailed in the end. In the case of Anne, she developed a method to teach deaf and blind people how to read, especially Helen Keller, a well-known blind activist for the blind. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Sullivan
For Joseph, from being sold to slave traders by his own brothers to being thrown in jail for at least 11 years for a crime he didn’t commit, he rose to interpret dreams for the Pharoah and became the second in command in Egypt. In the process, through God working in him, Joseph saved Egypt from famine and eventually saved his own family. The Jacob household, the remnant of the descendants and family of Abraham then, remained in Egypt for 430 years and became slaves to the Egyptians after Joseph passed on. By the time God raised Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt and bring them to Canaan as the land promised to Abraham (present day Israel), their adult men already numbered 600,000.
I doubt anyone would have suffered the misfortunes of Anne or Joseph (except Job). But even if we did, if we know the Lord, He is able to achieve His plans and purposes for our lives notwithstanding all that we had gone through and are going through. Like Joseph, even though his brothers intended him harm, God brought salvation to the children of Abraham and preserved the line and nation for Jesus to come to the world to save mankind. As many as 6 million Jews were massacred during the Holocaust in WW2, there remained approximately 14 million Jews in the world today. The Jews preserved on despite attempts and professed plans to end their existence.
We are assured of a life in eternity if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through Him. Yet if we hold on to Him, He is able to bring us out of our present day trials and tribulations and sufferings and achieve His plans and purposes for our lives. Perhaps our situation is not like that of Joseph, which led to the survival of a nation. Nevertheless, our response to God will determine the faith and direction of our own family, children, children’s children, and generations down the line.
Ronnie's Thoughts 