Reigning by faith!
Verse for Today: Thursday, August 01, 2013
Genesis 37:34 – Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.
Our circumstances often dump us in the deepest valleys of depression and grief. We dwell in the depths of grief in utter hopelessness and self pity because of hard situations. Jacob went through such a valley of tears for years without any comfort because he thought he had lost his beloved son Joseph. Even though Joseph’s brothers separated him from his father out of jealousy and hatred, the good hands of the Lord worked behind the scene to turn it into the family’s good. But while Joseph’s brothers lived in guilt and their father lived in agony for years together, God was preparing Joseph to be the savior of the family from extinction. God was also reshaping Jacob’s life to be a blessing even to the Pharaoh. It was true that Joseph went through many dangers, but God protected him everywhere and preserved his life for greater blessings. God was also working on his teenage dreams and changed his circumstances to fulfill it. Even though Joseph’s brothers hated him all the more for his dreams, the fulfillment of those dreams finally worked for their salvation. In all of these turn of events, God worked behind the scene to protect, preserve and provide for Jacob and his family in order to fulfill His eternal plans for them. It is true that Joseph and Jacob had to endure a lot of pain and misery, but it turned out to be for their blessings and sustainability. So it was time for Jacob to draw closer to God and spend more time in His presence rather than dwell in the depths of depression and hopelessness. Depression, self pity and extended grief make us physically and emotionally weak, but faith and trust in God will revive our spirits to come out of the doldrums of misery. Today we are reminded by the story of Jacob and Joseph that we must fight battles of depression and find victory through faith in Jesus.
Dear friend, are you deeply distressed about the wind of sad events that beat against you? Is it taking away your hope, peace, sleep and appetite? Are you in a state of despair as you wallow in the valley of dejection with no hope of any restoration? If so, you can look at the Lord’s face for hope because your hope is built on Jesus, the Rock of Ages. While you are desperate, God is working in your life to lift you up from despondency. He understands your situation and the bitter experiences you are going through. It is likely that you are experiencing pain because you believe the misrepresentation someone has played on you as done by Jacob’s sons. It is also likely that you are on a tough training turf through various uncertainties and persecutions by your Lord to build up your character as in the case of Joseph. He is teaching you to look to Him and not to any human beings. Help will come at the right time from your Lord. It might take thirteen years of training in the school of patience for Joseph to become ready for the Lord to open the next chapter in his life. It might take even longer for Jacob to know that there is still hope in the Lord for his future. Jacob was to live like a prince, enjoying God’s blessings and rein his emotions rather than behaving as if all hope is gone. Today the God of Jacob and Joseph is with us to teach such lessons in our life of faith and to keep us going towards the goals He has set in His agenda for us.
Psalms 116:7 – Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
Thought for Today
When God lifts up His curtain of time, we will see how He was active in our background to shower His blessings upon us.
Prayer for Today
Lord: Strengthen my faith to believe that all my situations will work together for my good and Your glory. Amen!
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