Living the Dream: A Devotional for Students Through the Life of JosephSýnishorn

Day 6 - The Mess of Sin

As we read yesterday, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. It was quite a crazy turn of events as Joseph was taken to Egypt, far from his family and his homeland. His brothers were then left to clean up quite the mess that their sin had led them to act on. What we'll learn from our passage today is that our sin, even hidden, can greatly impact others.

All throughout scripture, we read how sin led people to hide. We read of Adam and Eve who hid from God and covered up with fig leaves in the Garden when confronted with their sin. We also read of King David who had his top official murdered so he could hide the affair he was having with the official's wife. Another time we read of how God asked Jonah to go to the wicked city of Nineveh and bring His truth to the people. But instead, Jonah chose to run away and board a ship so that He could flee from the Lord.

Likewise, as we continue in the story of Joseph, we see that his brothers chose to dip his robe in the blood of a goat to create the appearance that Joseph was mauled by an animal. They hid the truth from their father which only caused more of a mess.

Have you found yourself in the same place as one of these people in the Bible? You have sinned and now your first instinct is to hide or cover it up. Just like Joseph's brothers thought, it seems like hiding is the best solution to the mess. Just cover it up and move on..no one will ever have to know what really happened.

But remember- God shows us a better way! Rather than hiding, He instructs us in Scripture to get rid of the mess that sin has created in our hearts with confession. It’s through confessing our sins to Him that we are set free from our sin. Not only do we experience freedom, we experience forgiveness and a clean slate. He keeps no record of our wrongs. We can hold onto this promise in scripture...

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."- 1 John 1:9

Reflect:

What is one way in the past that you’ve covered up sin in your life?

Spend some time today confessing your sin to Jesus and your need for Him to wipe your slate clean. Thank Him for the freedom He gives you through forgiveness.