Genesis 50

Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him, and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’” And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.” So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering. Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭50:1-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Joseph loved Jacob, and Joseph went through a period of grief after Jacob died.  It is natural to grieve over a lost loved one, even if you know that they loved Jesus and they are in heaven.  God doesn’t want us to cover up our feelings and pretend everything is fine.  He wants us to be honest with ourselves and honest with Him.  He can handle us being sad or angry, but He wants us to be real and honest with Him and with other people about what we are feeling.  That is the quickest and healthiest way to get through the grieving process.  Is there anyone or anything in your life that you have lost, but you never took the time to express your grief to God or others?  Talk to God about it, and ask Him to help you get through the grief and on to the purpose that He has for you in this life.  

The book of Genesis gives details of the lives of numerous great men and women who walked with God.  There are many great heroes in this book, but they all had their faults.  None of these people were perfect, but God still used them to do great things.  Remember that God is walking with you today, and what the Lord said to the apostle Paul applies to us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Whatever your imperfections are, God’s grace and power are all you need to be able to press on and do great things in spite of your faults and weaknesses.