“现在你们不要害怕，我必养活你们和你们的妇人孩子。于是约瑟用亲爱的话安慰他们。” - 创 50:21

我们都有遗憾。我们对过去所做的事情感到后悔，我们希望我们没有做。比如，我记得在我年轻时，用脏话骂过别人。尽管那是35年前的事了，但我有时还是会想起这件事，对自己的所作所为感到后悔。也许对你来说，在你脑海中挥之不去的是一些你仍然后悔的行为。也许根本没有人知道你做了什么。而当你想起来的时候，你可能对被发现或被指控充满了恐惧。

许多年前，约瑟的哥哥们把他卖为奴隶，并撒谎掩盖此事（见创37-45章）。但最近他们得知，约瑟现在是一个强大的统治者，他也原谅了他们的所作所为。但是在他们的父亲雅各死后，他们害怕约瑟会惩罚他们，让他们为自己所做的事情付出代价。然而约瑟向他们保证，他们没有什么可害怕的。他已经原谅了他们，并将继续照顾他们和他们的家人。

神不希望我们为自己所做的事生活在恐惧之中。在基督里，神已经完全宽恕了我们所做的一切错事。耶稣为我们做出的牺牲为所有这些过去的过错付上了代价。因此，我们已经通过耶稣基督获得了新生。所以我们没有什么好怕的！

祷告

赦免人的神，请赦免我们过去的罪。除去我们的惧怕，使我们确信你的爱和宽恕，直到永远。阿们。

创世记 50:15-21

15约瑟的哥哥们见父亲死了，就说：“或者约瑟怀恨我们，照着我们从前待他一切的恶足足地报复我们。”
16他们就打发人去见约瑟，说：“你父亲未死以先吩咐说：
17‘你们要对约瑟这样说：从前你哥哥们恶待你，求你饶恕他们的过犯和罪恶。’如今求你饶恕你父亲神之仆人的过犯！”他们对约瑟说这话，约瑟就哭了。
18他的哥哥们又来俯伏在他面前，说：“我们是你的仆人。”
19约瑟对他们说：“不要害怕，我岂能代替神呢？
20从前你们的意思是要害我，但神的意思原是好的，要保全许多人的性命，成就今日的光景。
21现在你们不要害怕，我必养活你们和你们的妇人孩子。”于是，约瑟用亲爱的话安慰他们。

Regrets

"'Don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them." - Genesis 50:21

We all have regrets. We regret things we did in the past that we wish we hadn’t done. For example, I remember calling someone a nasty name when I was young. Even though that was more than 35 years ago, I still think about it sometimes and regret what I did. Maybe for you what sticks in your mind is some action that you still regret. Maybe no one else even knows that you did. And when you think about it, maybe you are filled with fear of being found out or accused.

Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery many years earlier and had lied to cover it up (see Genesis 37-45). But recently they had learned that Joseph was now a powerful ruler and that he had also forgiven them for what they had done. But after their father, Jacob, died, they were afraid that Joseph would punish them and make them pay for what they had done to him. But Joseph assured them that they had nothing to be afraid of. He had forgiven them and would keep caring for them and their families.

God doesn’t want us to live in fear for what we have done. In Christ, God has forgiven us completely for all the wrong things we have done. Jesus’ sacrifice for us paid the price for all of those past transgressions. And as a result, we have been made new through Jesus Christ. So we have nothing to fear!

Prayer

Forgiving God, forgive us for our past sins. Replace our fears with the assurance of your love and forgiveness forever. Amen.