I wonder if the earlier, less humble Joseph, who drew his brothers’ ire by so boldly sharing his dreams, might have been more likely to slam dunk on them in their moment of surrender? “You sold me into slavery but look at me now!!!”

But the Joseph his brothers encountered was one who had seen the sovereign hand of God over his life, in the cistern, in the prison, and now in the palace. Through years of hardship and waiting, God used those years to mold and shape him into the man and leader he had become. Joseph’s heart was not hardened by hardship; it was strengthened by it. That strength enabled him to see the bigger picture and to forgive his brothers for their betrayal. He had not grown arrogant in his position but understood that God is the ultimate authority and the One who’s in control.

Reflection: Has hardship hardened your heart or drawn you more deeply into surrender to God’s will for your life?