God is At Work

Yesterday we looked at the results of God’s anger on the Israelites because they did not trust Him and we examined ourselves and where our trust level is with Him. Sometimes I believe we talk so much about God’s love that we think that He could never become angry with us because He loves us so much. That may have been how the Israelites felt too but He did become angry and they suffered the consequences but He still fulfilled His promise. Today I am finally going to start the story of Joseph but we have to first look back at where he came from.

Our story begins in Genesis with Jacob, Joseph’s father, another fascinating story. To make a long story short, Jacob was a twin, his brother Esau was born first and when his father, Isaac was about to give him the blessing of the firstborn, Jacob, with his mother’s help, deceived his father and received the blessing rather than his brother. Jacob had to flee because his brother was so angry with him. Then Jacob was deceived when he married a sister to the one he loved and had to work longer to get his true love Rachel. All of this can be found in Genesis beginning with chapter 25 verse 19. I would urge you to take some time and begin reading the story. When you get to chapter 35 verse 3 you find that Jacob, after all his trials, returns to Bethel and builds an altar, “Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”
Jacob had been on a journey and God had not left him the entire way. At this point Jacobs name changes. Have you ever noticed that when a name changes in the Bible it is for a significant reason. This time it is recorded that God blessed him and said, verse 10, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. So He named him Israel.” Do you know who Jacob’s father was? Isaac. And who was Isaac’s father? Abraham. And what did God promise Abraham? Genesis 15:5, “He took him outside and said, ’Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘so shall your offspring be.’ He also said to him, ’I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.’

Years after the days of that promise, a descendant, Jacob, is given the name of Israel by God Himself. So many times I ask God to reveal to me my future. I like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob need to depend on God and know, whether I see it in my life time or not, that He is doing a work in my life and I must trust, obey, and believe that His will is being worked out in my life. Are you trusting today? Has He fully revealed to you what you are doing here on this earth? Just as in the times of old, our God is there, He never changes, His love never fails. As you seek Him, may you know and trust Him, when you seek Him with all your hearts.


Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila