Tuesday, 1/20/2015

"I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends." ~ Walt Whitman

GENESIS 46-48

Israel (Jacob) sets out for Egypt, when he reaches Beersheba, doubt obviously overcomes him and God speaks to him.

"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."

Joseph finally meets his father...

Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.

Joseph then has his brothers present themselves before Pharaoh. He gives them instruction to live in the choice land of Goshen. Joseph continues to manage the land and Egypt through the famine and acquires all livestock and land from the people. 


Years later Jacob becomes ill and Joseph takes his sons to be blessed by his father.

MATTHEW 14:22-36

Jesus has the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, then he dismisses the crowd and goes up on the mountain to pray.  Later that night Jesus goes out on the water and approaches the boat.  The disciples think it is a ghost and cry out. Jesus confirms that it is him.  Peter boldly asks.

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said.

Peter gets out of the boat, walks on the water and comes towards Jesus.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith,...why did you doubt?"

They then cross over to the other side and all those who were sick came to him and he healed them.

JOURNAL

Doubts always seem to come after great miraculous events.  Joseph begins to question God on his way to Egypt. Peter begins to doubt as he already is walking on water. It shows how uncomfortable we really are with God's redemption and grace.  We can't believe that things beyond our control can actually be good for us.


This happens to me all the time.  Something good happens, a true blessing and I question its validity or start to worry about the next uncertainty.  At it's core, it really is a lack of gratefulness. It is a heart that is never satisfied and always wants more. Why not just live in the moment and be grateful for what I am given...breath in my lungs, the freshness of a new day, the gift of Gods grace and love.


The reality is that living life away from the presence of Christ will always produce doubt, worry, fear...it is the way God has designed it. He wants us to cling to him, it is in our greatest weakness that we are strong. 

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)