And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:17
Some days back, I shared how many people including the brothers of Joseph had to turn to him for grain and food in the time of famine. I said that the sacks of the sons of Jacob were always filled to the brim because they had their brother, Joseph in charge of the storehouse. I would like to reiterate that Jesus our elder brother is in charge and He shall grant us access to the divine treasures and all that we need at this time.
However, there was something more important to Joseph than just filling their sacks with grain and money. There was something that moved him to tears and action even more than the immediate needs of his family. It was the restoration of the lost and broken relationship! God knows about all our needs and in many instances, He will fill our sacks with our desires even without asking! But there is something that tugs at the heart of God continually; it is the restoration of broken relationships. After all, Jesus Christ died for us that we who were once far off would be brought near by the Blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). We see in the scriptures that Joseph ensured the relationship was restored and all members of his family and descendants of Jacob were brought near to him.
This season, Jesus our elder brother seeks to draw our hearts back to Him. He seeks to restore relationship with Him. He seeks men to ‘come to their senses’ and return to Him from where we have strayed. He seeks to have us return to our first love! He seeks us to draw near to Him even in this season. Behold, He stands knocking at the doors of our hearts, desiring that we open and let Him come in and have His way. He seeks to draw His church nearer to His presence; indeed, we must place priority on dwelling continually in His presence in this season.
So, I pray that just as Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, the Lord will yet again reveal Himself to us and bring a restoration of our love for Him and our relationship with Him. I pray that veils of ignorance and darkness covering the hearts of men shall be removed in this season, and many will turn to Him.
I also perceive strongly that the Lord wants to restore broken down relationships between spouses and family members. Yes, there might have been hurt and grievous harm, but I pray that by the hand of the Lord there shall be a restoration. Love, forgiveness, and mercy shall yet spring forth again. I pray for grace and strength to forgive for that brother and sister whose marriage God wants to restore.
May God grant us grace and strength to continually abide in Him. May we not be far from Him this season and beyond. Shalom
