This is a familiar story about famine in the Middle East and
a father trying to save his family from starvation by finding food wherever it
could be found. In this case food was available in Egypt. Ten of his eleven
sons (a twelfth had died from an animal attack) had already made one trip to
the Pharaoh’s land. They brought back food and supplies, but had to leave
another son Simeon behind. Now they need food again, but have been warned not
to come back unless they bring their youngest brother.
Jacob has already lost one wife and one son, both his
favorites. His son Simeon is imprisoned in Egypt, and now he is being asked to
risk losing Benjamin his youngest son, the only remaining child of his wife
Rachel. It seems to him
one more loss and he will die. But without food they will all die. And yet,
unbeknownst to him, everything is not as it seems.
What appears to him as misfortune (Gloom, despair and agony
on me) is actually the providential hand of God getting ready to grant his
wildest dream. Jacob
has no idea God is working in the background or what he has in store for him
and his family.
When was the last time you asked, “Ever had one of those days?” One of what days? You
mean one of those days when God is getting ready to blow my mind? Jacob’s story
kind of changes the meaning of one of those days, doesn’t it?
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Are you having one of those
days? Even if you can’t see it, could God be working in your behalf?
It is always in the back of my mind that God is doing something in my life. I know that God loves me and will bless me when he feels the need to do so. My family and I are truly been blessed by God. I believe that God is always doing something in the background in our lives. I am sure of it because there are times when I am in the midst of a trail or testing when I see the hand of God working. I am very thankful for the fact that God does work in the background in our lives because there are many times that I needed a push or prodding to get me to understand that I am still in His will. Much like Jacob when everything is taken away from us it is then and only then that we rely on God. It is important for us to understand that our faith in God should be just as strong in every situation not just when it is easy.
ReplyDelete