Stephen
01-10-2006, 12:01 PM
I awoke recently with the words of Jacob on my mind, “All these things are against me.” (Genesis 42:36). It provided an incentive to develop a New Year Message.
Jacob lived a chequered life, but he was God’s man for the hour, a joint-founder of the Hebrew race, through which God was working in preparation for the advent of Christ into the world.
At this stage in his life Jacob was humbled and mellowed by adversity.
He had lost his favourite son Joseph.
He was in the midst of a severe famine.
He had lost his son Simeon. The austere governor of Egypt had (apparently) taken a dislike to Jacob’s sons, accused them of being spies, and imprisoned Simeon.
He faced the threat of losing his next favourite son Benjamin. The governor warned them that there would be no more grain unless they brought Benjamin on their next trip.
Jacob saw these events as a succession of catastrophes piling up against him - “All these things are against me.”
His natural reaction was to go into shut-down, refusing even to contemplate letting Benjamin out of his sight.
Behind the Scenes
Little did he know that God was in control, and things were not as bad as they appeared.
He had not lost Joseph. He was alive, and well, and was governor of Egypt.
The famine was under God’s control. God had predicted it (through Joseph) and specifically arranged Joseph to be in a prominent position in Egypt at this time to care for the whole family.
Simeon was not in danger. Joseph merely wanted to test the brothers reactions – and maybe have at least one of his brothers nearby.
Similarly, Benjamin was not in danger.
And before long, the whole of Jacob’s family (about 70 of them) were safely settled in Goshen, the Riviera of Egypt!
Jacob was wrong in his negative interpretation of events. “All these things are against me” was not a true assessment of the picture. The true picture was a positive one, better expressed in the well known words of Romans 8:28, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.”
Let us take this positive mind-set into the coming year. Our God is constantly at work for our good.
Things are not always as bad as they look – as it proved to be with Jacob. We often look at life through dark shades, and take a dim view, and exhibit a glum attitude.
And even if things are bad in reality, as sometimes they are, then the word still stands true, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” He still stands with us to succour and support us in every moment of adversity.
“All these things are against me.” No! Rather, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” And, “In all these things we are more than conquerors,” Romans 8:31-39.
Rather than retreating into a “shut-down mode” let us have open hearts, eager and ready for every development of God’s will in our lives, which is never suppressed by past disappointments.
Our prayer for all in 2006
A Year of Fresh Revelation: “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:15).
A Year of Health and Prosperity: “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).
A Year of Effective Service: “Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Amen Amen
s
Jacob lived a chequered life, but he was God’s man for the hour, a joint-founder of the Hebrew race, through which God was working in preparation for the advent of Christ into the world.
At this stage in his life Jacob was humbled and mellowed by adversity.
He had lost his favourite son Joseph.
He was in the midst of a severe famine.
He had lost his son Simeon. The austere governor of Egypt had (apparently) taken a dislike to Jacob’s sons, accused them of being spies, and imprisoned Simeon.
He faced the threat of losing his next favourite son Benjamin. The governor warned them that there would be no more grain unless they brought Benjamin on their next trip.
Jacob saw these events as a succession of catastrophes piling up against him - “All these things are against me.”
His natural reaction was to go into shut-down, refusing even to contemplate letting Benjamin out of his sight.
Behind the Scenes
Little did he know that God was in control, and things were not as bad as they appeared.
He had not lost Joseph. He was alive, and well, and was governor of Egypt.
The famine was under God’s control. God had predicted it (through Joseph) and specifically arranged Joseph to be in a prominent position in Egypt at this time to care for the whole family.
Simeon was not in danger. Joseph merely wanted to test the brothers reactions – and maybe have at least one of his brothers nearby.
Similarly, Benjamin was not in danger.
And before long, the whole of Jacob’s family (about 70 of them) were safely settled in Goshen, the Riviera of Egypt!
Jacob was wrong in his negative interpretation of events. “All these things are against me” was not a true assessment of the picture. The true picture was a positive one, better expressed in the well known words of Romans 8:28, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.”
Let us take this positive mind-set into the coming year. Our God is constantly at work for our good.
Things are not always as bad as they look – as it proved to be with Jacob. We often look at life through dark shades, and take a dim view, and exhibit a glum attitude.
And even if things are bad in reality, as sometimes they are, then the word still stands true, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” He still stands with us to succour and support us in every moment of adversity.
“All these things are against me.” No! Rather, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” And, “In all these things we are more than conquerors,” Romans 8:31-39.
Rather than retreating into a “shut-down mode” let us have open hearts, eager and ready for every development of God’s will in our lives, which is never suppressed by past disappointments.
Our prayer for all in 2006
A Year of Fresh Revelation: “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:15).
A Year of Health and Prosperity: “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).
A Year of Effective Service: “Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Amen Amen
s