When the Arrows Fly, God Strengthens Our Arms!

For a few days, God helped me to meditate on this particular passage about Joseph in Genesis chapter 49, verses 22 to 24:

“Joseph is a fruitful bough,

A fruitful bough by a wall;

The archers have bitterly grieved him,

Shot at him and hated him.

But his bow remained in strength,

And the arms of his hands were made strong

By the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.”

Joseph was deeply loved by his father, and the father gave him a multicoloured dress, which added to the envy that his brothers had for him. When I watch old Jesus movies or movies about Moses, Jacob, and Abraham, I used to wonder why it wasn’t so colourful. All of them wore plain-coloured dresses. Later, I came to know that the dye which could add colour to clothes was considered a luxury in those days. They treated it as we treat gold now — simply expensive.

The brothers envied the love Joseph received from his father and the vision he received from God. The above-mentioned verses say the archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him, and hated him. It means they attacked him for no reason. I read about an African man who spent almost a lifetime in prison because of a wrong accusation. Joseph went through prison life, a life of slavery for years together. It was so tough that it grieved him. But the beautiful truth behind all these is the hand of God, which was with him, strengthened him, and made him strong.

The Bible says in the story of David, when he lost his wife and his people in a war, he cried bitterly and strengthened himself in the Lord. That is one story. But here, we see God coming to aid, comfort, heal the broken heart, and strengthen Joseph, raising him mightily with His mighty hand. We all know the integrity Joseph showed towards God, and God showed His faithfulness to Joseph.

Hey friend, are you experiencing a similar situation where people hate and attack you for the love you receive or for the vision you are believing? The God of Joseph — the one who never leaves, the one who strengthens your arms, the one who is going to raise you with His mighty hands — is with you.

Dear God, thank You for Your loving presence, which we long to be in always. Thank You for being a God who strengthens Your chosen, the ones You have called. May Your presence be with us. May Your mighty hand strengthen our arms. We praise You because You will help us rise above every challenging situation we are facing. Be with us, dear Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.