Chapter 45 of this Parasha opens with Yosef (Joseph) revealing himself to his brothers. Now there are many things that I can talk about from this Parasha, but there's one special thing that the L-rd has placed upon my heart.

B'reshit {45:5} Now don't be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for G-D sent me before you to preserve life. {45:6} For these two years has the famine been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. {45:7} G-D sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. {45:8} So now it wasn't you who sent me here, but G-D, and he has made me a 'ab (father) to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Mizrayim (Egypt).

Yosef learned a long, hard lesson in Egypt. He wasn't the same person that was dragged there 20 or so years earlier. The old Yosef had died and a new Yosef had emerged. This Yosef was aware that it was only G-d to whom he owed all the credit. Yeshua taught us the exact same principle, but for some reason most of us seem to find it difficult to apply to our lives.

Yochanan (John) {15:5} Ani Hu (I am) HaGefen (the vine); you are the sarigim (branches). The one remaining in me and I in him, this one bears much p'ri (fruit), because apart from me you are not able to do anything.

There are many believers who are trying to beat the odds, by insisting on being captains of their own ships, master of their own destinies, but it doesn't work.

Believers cannot live under the false notion that "G-d helps those that help themselves."

This statement is not found in the Bible, in fact I don't know where it comes from, but I do know it's a lie from the pit of hell. Yeshua made it very clear to us that apart from Him we can do nothing and that means NOTHING! Through or with Him however, Yeshua said we can do all things.

Yochanah {5:19} In reply, therefore, Yeshua was saying to them, Ameyn, ameyn, I say to you, HaBen (the Son) is not able to do anything from himself except what he sees HaAv (the Father) doing, for what things that One is doing, these things also HaBen likewise is doing.

This is what a believer's life is all about. Allow me to put it into practical terms. You wake up Monday morning knowing you've got a rough week ahead of you; your boss is an impossible person to relate to, you're behind in your work, you've got family problems, financial problems, physical problems and you're besides yourself. What do you do? Well if you're like the renewed Yosef and you understand that G-d is the one who's the author of your life you don't panic. You take time out before you start each day and you recommit your life to the L-rd! Then you proceed with each day in a normal fashion, allowing G-d to direct your path supernaturally. It works, and you'll find out that at the end of the day you won't have to have pity party. You won't have to feel sorry for yourself, because you'll have the assurance that whatever happened during that day, G-d orchestrated. It was the L-rd's day not yours.

G-d wants us to release our minds and our bodies to Him so that we can bear much p'ri (fruit) and have true peace. Yosef had to learn this lesson the hard way, through years of slavery and imprisonment, but we have an advantage over Yosef. First we have his story to learn by and second we have Yeshua's teachings.

As soon as we begin to take control of our own lives and accept glory for ourselves, the power flow from above turns off. We're now left on our own and it becomes every man for himself. Is that the kind of life you want?

A container can not take the credit for what it contains, it can only contain it.

Well the same principle applies for us. We are the Temple of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), we're the containers, G-d is our substance, so all the glory belongs to Him. G-d is not asking us to defend Him, nor does He need us to protect His reputation. All G-d expects from us is to die to self and allow Him to work out the circumstances of our lives. He's the pilot, we're just passengers, and He wants to take us on a trip through life.

Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada.

Copyright 2002