“Come near me.”

[Joseph’s brothers] could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me.” (Genesis 45:3-4)

Imagine being in Joseph’s brothers’ shoes.

One moment, they’re talking to this powerful Egyptian ruler through an interpreter. (Genesis 42:23)

The next thing they know, the interpreter and everyone else is sent out of the room.

Then this Egyptian ruler starts speaking to them in Hebrew. And not only does he speak to them in Hebrew, he says, “I am Joseph.”

Now they’re terrified. This is the brother they had sold as a slave all those years before. They were well aware of their guilt and how deserving they were of Joseph’s wrath.

But Joseph says to them, “Please…come near me.”

It’s the same with us and Jesus.

We stand before him with all our sins and failures laid bare, and we see just how deserving we are of God’s wrath.

But Jesus looks at us and says, “Please…come near me. God sent me ahead of you to save you with a great deliverance. The Father has made me Lord of all. (1 Corinthians 15:27)

And now you can draw near. You can dwell near me, walking with me moment to moment, day to day without fear.

I will sustain you through all the struggles and trials of your life.

Now go, tell your family and all those around you about my glory and all you have seen so that they may draw near me too.”

That is awesome to ponder. The Psalm I was praying today is so apropos.

Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord!

Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we are his,—
his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.

For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever;
his faithfulness, through all generations. (Psalm 100)