Verse of the day: Genesis
46:1 So Israel took his journey
with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God
of his father Isaac.
Joseph
was sold into slavery as a teenager, and at the age of thirty becomes the
governor of Egypt. His father Jacob, for all those years, was under the
impression, based on the lies of his sons, that Joseph was dead. Jacob is most
likely under the assumption that he will spend the rest of his living days in
Canaan, and from there he will go to the grave. Two things happen in Israel’s
life at this time; first, he receives news that his son Joseph is not only
alive, but he is also second in command in Egypt! For all the years of grief
that he experienced thinking that Joseph had perished, his joy is now hundredfold
in finding out that he is alive and very well. Next, we see that Jacob will now
uproot his family and relocate in Goshen at Joseph’s direction. Like Jacob, we
never know from day to day where God will lead us. We may establish our roots
in one place, but as God’s children, and servants, we must always be ready to
move at a moment’s notice once God shows us that it is time to move on. He may
choose to leave us in one place for an extended time, and may even allow us to
experience tough times; but God is always present, and always working in our
lives. We should make our plans in pencil, and give God the eraser. James
4:13-15 read, Come now, you
who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year
there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know
what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little
time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall
live and do this or that.” We do not know what each day will bring, and we are
not even guaranteed that we will be alive to see one more day. There is no harm
in planning for tomorrow, but we must leave plenty of room for God to direct
where we will go tomorrow, should He tarry, and should He allow us to live one
more day. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us that we are to trust the Lord with all our
heart, and not lean on our own understanding; in all our ways acknowledge Him,
and He will direct our paths. Jacob, as he takes his journey, stops at the
place where God met his Abraham (Gen 21) and Isaac (Gen 26), and there he too
has communion with God. God reassures Jacob that He is with him, and will
accompany him on his journey. The one thing that we, as born again believers,
can be certain of, as we travel the paths God sets us on, is that He is always
with us. Hebrews 13:5-6 reassures us that He will never leave us nor forsake
us. Jacob does what each of us should do, even when we are certain that God is
moving us from one place to another; and that is to seek God all along the way.
He will guide us, and provide everything we need along the way. The bottom line
is that we never know when God is going to summons us to move from the place
where we have currently planted ourselves. We must also keep in mind that if
God has led us to one place, that does not mean that it will be our final
resting place in our service to Him. The Lord will lead us to wherever we are
willing to go, if we make ourselves available to serve Him in whatever manner,
and in whichever location He chooses. Be open to whatever God has planned,
today, tomorrow, and thereafter, if He tarries.
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