Genesis 48-50, Faith & Patience

 “Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die,  but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land he swore to give to Abraham,  Isaac,  and Jacob.”  So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.” ”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭50‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Joseph was in Egypt at least 90yrs…the Israelites would be there another 300 before God comes to save them.  That is such a long time to have faith, to trust that God is at work.

Lord, build my faith to trust that You are at work especially when You are slower than I would want.

Genesis 46-47, Supernatural Provision

 “Then Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s family with food for their dependents.  

…Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field since the famine was so severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, and Joseph made the people servants from one end of Egypt to the other.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭47‬:‭11‬-‭12‬, ‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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The stark comparison between how God treated the family of Israel to the people of Egypt is amazing.  Gods hand of provision was on His chosen people even through the most severe drought that literally enslaved the people of Egypt.

Gods protection for His people is incredible but also in an unexpected way.  I can’t help but see similar assistance from God in ways that seem to be trials or at very least confusing situations.  Things that don’t make sense in the moment, but further down the road are obviously Gods handiwork.

God, your protection and provision are obvious and we are blessed by all of it!  Help me to see your fingerprints even in the chaos, or give me faith when your work isn’t so obvious!

Genesis 43-45, Gods Plan

 “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt.  And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.  For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.  Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, Lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭45‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I am so thankful that God is able to work through even sinful situations to bring about His plan.

Genesis 41-42, Myopic Suffering

 “Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me! ” But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left.  If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭42‬:‭36‬, ‭38‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Poor Jacob, dealing with a trial of famine, then feeling like he is being persecuted, targeted, singled out and that his family is being taken from him.

How similar is our tendency to get so self focused when we are plunged into a trial.  Everything becomes about me,  our only thoughts are about fairness, and the impact on the things we care about to the neglect of all the people around us.

Lord, help me to keep my eyes up to see those around me, to understand the impact of the trial on others and to remember that You are still in control!

Genesis 38-40, Humbly Intelligent

“But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him.  He granted him favor with the prison warden.  The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority,  because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful. ”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39‬:‭21‬, ‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I love how the narrator is repeatedly telling us that Joseph was successful because the Lord was with him.  There is no question about where the accomplishments originated…surly Joseph was an intelligent man, but it is always properly assigned to God as the source.

I have always attributed my skill and intelligence to God, but my pride often took credit for the results.  My pride began to dominate my thinking to a point it was finally exposed for what it was…one of the best things that has ever happened to me (and also the most embarrassing and painful).

Lord, help me to give You all the glory for any success or victory I am a part of. Allow me to see when my pride is active and give me the strength to surrender it to You!

Genesis 35-37, Transforming Knowledge

 “God said to Jacob, “Get up! Go to Bethel and settle there.  Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”  So Jacob said to his family and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you.  Purify yourselves and change your clothes.  We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress.  He has been with me everywhere I have gone.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭35‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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It’s interesting that Jacob is transformed by a brief command of God.  This interaction stirs Jacob to lead his family into significant changes like getting rid of idols and living a holy life.  I believe that is the power of knowing God.  It not only impacts the thing He asks of us, but it also spills into all other aspects of life as well…it is not just one little adjustment.  I wonder if this is a hallmark of Gods transformation vs my own efforts to change?

Lord, help me to know you more!  Transform every part of my life to honor You, even areas I am not thinking about…

Genesis 32-34, Reminders of Faithfulness

 “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. Indeed, I crossed over the Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps. Please rescue me from my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children. You have said, ‘I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to be counted.’

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭32‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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These moments come up quite often where people are, in humility, reminding God of His past promises.  It is interesting because God doesn’t need the reminders, it’s almost as if they are reminding themselves (and the reader) to bluster their own faith.

This is actually the same strategy we can use to build our faith in God as well.  Reminding ourselves of what promises are shown for us in scripture as well as remembering Gods past faithfulness in our own life.  These memories demonstrate Gods character and scream to us that He can be trusted!

Lord, help me to purposefully think on Your demonstrated faithfulness in my life and the people I know.  Help me to meditate on scripture so that Your faithfulness is always on the front of my mind.  In these ways, fight against my inclination to forget and start to lean on my own abilities…