Good day dear friends. We celebrated the worship of God with a sermon on Genesis 28:10-22 and lessons we can learn from Jacob.
Today's study guide is here:
Monday: Please read Genesis, 46, 47, 48 and list the several pros and cons of Joseph’s policies in the fourteen years of feast and famine.
It is amazing what hunger will cause a person to do. The Egyptians found themselves needing the food the government had, and were willing to do anything to keep from starving to death. Joseph, the second-in-command of Egypt was always watching out for his boss, Pharoah, and in keeping the hunger from taking the lives of the people of Egypt, accepted all their money for food, later, traded food for livestock, and later even allowed the Egyptians to sell themselves and their farms for food. The people of Egypt found themselves enslaved to Pharoah and without land.
What would you do if you were hungry or if your children were hungry? We can only imagine there were not many options available to the people of Egypt. The people knew that Pharoah had the food thanks to God helping Joseph interpret the dreams that predicted the coming of the seven years of feast and seven years of famine. While they had money they could pay for the food. As the famine continued, they ran out of money and traded their livestock for food. Would you sell yourself and your family into slavery to stay alive? Our modern minds, thank God, do not allow us to entertain such thoughts, but given the time and traditions it was an option that Joseph knew that the option of slavery was perhaps the only chance the people had to stay alive. They accepted.
Our trip to the local grocery store this weekend reminded me of how blessed we are as a nation. As I unloaded each item from the basket to the conveyor belt I thanked the Lord that our ability to feed ourselves is this easy. I thought about those who do not have the same access that we have, and how staying alive is a struggle day after day. I thought about our ancestors and the chore it was to feed themselves; to walk aisle to aisle just picking and choosing food is a blessing that we take for granted.
What will we do about it?
PRAYER: God of love we thank You for what You have provided for us. We're mindful of those in need and those who are hungry around us. Help me to do my part, to care and to share, and to do what You would have us do to meet their needs. I am blessed, let me be a blessing. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
e.v.
Today's study guide is here:
Monday: Please read Genesis, 46, 47, 48 and list the several pros and cons of Joseph’s policies in the fourteen years of feast and famine.
It is amazing what hunger will cause a person to do. The Egyptians found themselves needing the food the government had, and were willing to do anything to keep from starving to death. Joseph, the second-in-command of Egypt was always watching out for his boss, Pharoah, and in keeping the hunger from taking the lives of the people of Egypt, accepted all their money for food, later, traded food for livestock, and later even allowed the Egyptians to sell themselves and their farms for food. The people of Egypt found themselves enslaved to Pharoah and without land.
What would you do if you were hungry or if your children were hungry? We can only imagine there were not many options available to the people of Egypt. The people knew that Pharoah had the food thanks to God helping Joseph interpret the dreams that predicted the coming of the seven years of feast and seven years of famine. While they had money they could pay for the food. As the famine continued, they ran out of money and traded their livestock for food. Would you sell yourself and your family into slavery to stay alive? Our modern minds, thank God, do not allow us to entertain such thoughts, but given the time and traditions it was an option that Joseph knew that the option of slavery was perhaps the only chance the people had to stay alive. They accepted.
Our trip to the local grocery store this weekend reminded me of how blessed we are as a nation. As I unloaded each item from the basket to the conveyor belt I thanked the Lord that our ability to feed ourselves is this easy. I thought about those who do not have the same access that we have, and how staying alive is a struggle day after day. I thought about our ancestors and the chore it was to feed themselves; to walk aisle to aisle just picking and choosing food is a blessing that we take for granted.
What will we do about it?
PRAYER: God of love we thank You for what You have provided for us. We're mindful of those in need and those who are hungry around us. Help me to do my part, to care and to share, and to do what You would have us do to meet their needs. I am blessed, let me be a blessing. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
e.v.
