Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," he replied. "I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. He took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring." Genesis 46:1-7
As Genesis, Chapter 46, begins, Jacob sets out for Egypt with "his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring." Much like his ancestor Abraham, he left his home behind to go to a new and unknown territory…Egypt. He also went to be reunited with a son he though had died. Many years had passed since Jacob had laid eyes on his favorite son. He had to wonder if things would be the same now. So much uncertainty…so much anxiety had to be coursing through Jacob’s veins.
Question: How about you? Are you going through uncertain times in your life? Maybe there has been some disruption like an illness or broken relationship? Maybe you are facing having to moving or have lost a job? One thing is certain and that is that we will at on time or another in life face uncertainty.
Well, we read in scripture that Jacob stopped at Beersheeba on his way to Egypt and "offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac." You’ll recall that Beersheba is where a treaty was made between Abraham and King Abimelech and reconfirmed by his father Isaac and Abimelech later. Now Jacob pays tribute to God at Beersheba and God comes to him in a vision saying, ""I am God, the God of your father …Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes."
What an awesome assurance for Jacob in the midst of uncertainty! God words immediately grant comfort as He says to Jacob, "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you and I will surely bring you back again." In other words, God is saying "Be at peace and do not let your soul be troubled…I am with you and will make everything work out." Armed with God’s promise, Jacob "left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt."
The good news for us in the scripture today is that we have the same assurance that Jacob had. In the midst of our uncertainty, we can be certain that God is with us and ready to guide us in the way He wants us to go. In the midst of our fear and anxiety, God says to us, "Do not be afraid…", ever seeking to calm our troubled hearts and souls. We only need to trust Him and seek is will for us. Are you ready to find a place of peace and serenity today? Turn to the only One who always offers us certainty in the midst of uncertainty…the certainty that He is always with us and will never leave us nor forsake us. Thanks be to God.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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