Genesis chapter 44

Just look at the amazing change in Judah here from a man who suggested selling his brother to the Ishmaelites, married a Canaanite woman and then ended up sleeping with his daughter in law thinking she was a prostitute, you now have a man who is prepared to accept responsibility, to take charge and shoulder the blame rather than have someone else suffer and cause his father grief.   A man who stands before his brothers and freely offers his own life as a slave in the place of his younger brother.  He was more concerned about his brother and his father than he was about himself.

It shows how God was at work in Judah all those years.  The changes in him were not something that happened overnight.  After all, Judah had had two of his sons marry and die.  But here he is, willing to accept a life of slavery to save his father's favoured son,  with no thought for himself .  He stepped out to face Joseph, who presumably could have had him killed just for speaking out, and offered himself as a slave instead of Benjamin.

Sometimes, God changes us immediately, and the change is apparent to everyone.  Like the drug taker who on converting to Christianity, immediately stops taking drugs, or the man who swears with every other word whose stops swearing immediately.  Other times, it takes longer, as we are changed over months, years.  We become less hard, less selfish, are more considerate of others.  Gradually, the Holy spirit changes us from within and we become filled with the fruits of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self control.