“Come Near to Me”

This morning I found myself reading Genesis 45:4-5, following the Come, Follow Me suggestions for 2026. The invitation was to look for similarities between Joseph and my Savior, Jesus Christ—the Son of God.

Two verses stopped me.

Verse 4:
“And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.”

I paused and asked myself a hard question: Did I sell my brother, Jesus?
Yes. I most definitely did.
For a mess of pottage, even.

I said a simple prayer asking Heavenly Father to forgive the mistakes of my youth. I wondered—will I ever read a verse like this without feeling tripped up by it? Then I kept reading.

Verse 5:
“Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither…”

There is real power in that verse. It felt as though Heavenly Father knew I needed to hear those words today.

Move on, girl.

God turns everything into good. He did it for Joseph, and He has done it for me. God preserved Joseph’s life—and He preserved mine as well, through His Son, Jesus Christ, whom I once “sold.”

Then came verse 10:
“…and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children…”

My thoughts immediately went to the temple. My posterity will be blessed because of my return. That is a miracle I anxiously await.

Other phrases lingered with me:
Verse 18: “Ye shall eat the fat of the land.”
Verse 20: “…for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.”

All these things have been restored to me as well. And it is a beautiful experience I hope and pray for—for each of my wandering children and grandchildren.

Joseph’s story is not just about forgiveness.
It is about nearness.
Restoration.
Posterity.

I trust that the same God who turned Joseph’s story into good is still at work—still preserving, still restoring, still gathering. Nearness will come. Blessings will follow. I see them in quiet moments—in tears, in wonder, in longing. God is not finished with them. — with any of us! The invitation still stands: Come near to me. And I believe, in His time, they will.