“On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.”
Acts 7:13 (NIV)
A famine came, and Jacob’s family ran out of food—but Joseph’s persecution actually led to their saving. God gave Joseph a vision and a plan to store up grain, and the harm that sent him away became the very path that positioned him—by God’s favor—to preserve a whole bloodline. And doesn’t that sound familiar? If Jesus had not been persecuted and whipped, we would not have access to healing. If he had not been crucified on a cross, we would not have eternal life. Joseph’s persecution had a point—not because the evil was good, but because God is sovereign over it, and he can take what was meant to destroy us and turn it into provision that saves us.
Then in verse 13, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers on their second visit. The first time they didn’t recognize him—he looked different, and they assumed he was gone. That’s what happens when God gets ahold of a person and they surrender. We may carry a resume of sin, and then our lifestyle shifts—what we do changes, what we say changes, we start to look different and smell different and act different. Sometimes the people who knew you “before” can’t recognize you now, and you have to tell them: yes, it’s me—but I’m changed.
And another thing the Holy Spirit showed me: Pharaoh didn’t learn about Joseph’s family until years into Joseph’s service. In a world where bloodline and background could determine access and authority, Joseph’s history didn’t matter to Pharaoh—God’s favor did. That should shape how we see other believers—and how we see ourselves.
So ask yourself today: is there someone you’ve been evaluating by their resume instead of recognizing who they are in Christ right now? Is there someone God is asking you to trust, to honor, or to welcome closer—not because their story is perfect, but because the fruit of Jesus is showing up in their life? And what about you—where is God inviting you to surrender so deeply that your old life can’t be mistaken for your new one? I pray today that we would not be worried about the resume, but that we would recognize God’s favor, celebrate what he’s redeemed, and become a beacon of light that helps others see Jesus.