8-29-18 Today in the Word

Today in the Word
August 2018
Joseph and God’s Plan
THE DAYS TO COME: PART 2
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 | Genesis 49:22–33
“Don’t forget where you came from!” This advice is often given to first-generation college students, people moving to another area of the country, or those who become more financially successful than their parents and grandparents. It is a call to remember that they have not achieved everything simply because of their own effort. Rather, many people have supported them to provide these opportunities.
Our reading today continues to recount Jacob’s blessings for his sons. He now comes to Joseph. Joseph receives the longest and most elaborate blessing. Jacob recounts for Joseph how “With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility” (v. 23). Joseph was now the second-in-command to the Pharaoh of Egypt, but he had experienced opposition and suffering. His brothers betrayed him, Potiphar’s wife lied about him, and the royal cupbearer forgot him. He should not forget this history of oppression and deliverance.
Jacob reminds Joseph that he has overcome these difficulties “because of the hand of the Mighty one of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you” (vv. 24–25). God was with Joseph. He has achieved his position and saved his family because of the Lord’s help. What is true for Joseph will also be true of all who come after him.
God’s presence with Joseph meant that he was blessed by the skies above, the deep waters below, with fruitfulness and new life and children (v. 25). These blessings are things that we might take for granted as the normal process of life. As Jacob reminds Joseph, these are gifts from God, and we must never forget where they come from.
APPLY THE WORD
Where have you come from? Not just your family of origin, but your spiritual journey—where has God delivered and led and blessed you? Reflect on your story today, taking time to thank God for His blessings and praise Him for His guidance. Consider sharing your story with someone as a testimony of encouragement to God’s faithfulness.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more