Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon." The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph's house. Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys." So they went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. "Please, sir," they said, "we came down here the first time to buy food. But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in our sacks." "It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them." Genesis 43:15-23
As Jacob’s sons return to Egypt with "the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin", they "presented themselves to Joseph." Notice that Joseph was not interested in the gifts or the doubled sum of money. His sole interest was in seeing his little brother Benjamin. What a joy it must have been for Joseph to see him. In fact, Joseph immediately instructs his steward, ""Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon." The steward obeyed and carried out the instructions.
You would have thought at this point that the sons would have felt blessed. They had feared that they would be accused of being thieves as well as spies upon their return. But instead of a curse, they received a blessing. But there was only one problem. They didn’t recognize it because they had allowed their fears to take over and overcome their trust in God. Just as their father had been reluctant to show faith in God to deliver his sons from harm while in Egypt, now the sons failed to have faith and trust God to deliver them once they were there.
Question: How well do you realize and acknowledge the many ways that God is blessing you every day? Like Jacob’s sons, do you miss the very things he is doing in and around you because you are afraid or fearful of your life circumstances?
Well, I think we all have been guilty of forgetting God’s awesome assurances…that He would never leave us nor forsake us…that He would never give us a burden we couldn’t bear…that if he is with us, who can be against us. And when we forget, it seems that God always seems to place someone in our path to remind us. Maybe this blog will serve that purpose for you today. For the brothers, it came from a very unexpected source.
We read that Joseph’s steward who gets the brothers pointed back toward the true source of their good fortune. After they, in their fear, tell the steward that they don’t understand how the money found its way back into their sacks after they had left Egypt the first time, the steward tells them, "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." He then blesses them further and returns Simeon to them from his imprisonment.
"Do not be afraid." Let those words enter your heart and mind right now. Allow the God that is ready to take away your burdens have them and find a peace that transcends all understanding…a peace that can only be found in Him. Indeed, He takes away our fears and reveals us His blessings and glory. Turn your eyes toward heaven, toward your Father who grants you every good and perfect gift from above.
Over 2,000 years ago, shepherds were standing in their fields and minding their flocks at night. They gazed into heaven and suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared unto them. The glory of the Lord shone around them. And…they were terrified. But the words of the angel, just like the words of the steward, were "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." The shepherds respond by saying, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." And they hurried to the little town of Bethlehem where they found Mary and Joseph, and the baby Jesus, who was lying in the manger. What a wondrous gift that had been given that night…the Gift that never stops giving.
This Advent season, we once wait with eager anticipation for the greatest treasure God has given any of us…the Babe Jesus who will be born in a lowly manger in Bethlehem…the Babe who brings us a hope everlasting. Are you ready to receive Him this year? Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
No comments:
Post a Comment