Category: Genesis

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Happy Friday

Most days of the week seem to have little or no variation. I guess that’s all part of being retired.

Dave and I laughed during the COVID shut-down because our lifestyle really had no signficant changes. Yes, we visited family fewer times and learned to ordered our groceries on-line with a pick up order but other than that life continued on all the same.

But today is a special day! It’s one of our granddaughters’ fourth birthday and we came from the mountains back to the valley to celebrate with her. It’s going to be such a fun Friday.

The bonus is we will also be visiting with her parents, brother and younger sister. We will also be spending time with our oldest daughter and husband. It’s a short visit and we will cram as much family love into the time we are here as we can. I’ve been looking forward to this for a couple of months.

Grandma’s hearts need cuddles and love.

Yes, our relationship with our kids and grandkids is patterned after the relationship that our heavenly Father wants to have with us. From the very beginning, when God created Adam and Eve He wanted to spend time with them.

“So God created humans in his own image. He created them to be like himself. He created them male and female. 28 God blessed them and said to them, ‘Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth.'” Genesis 1:27-28 ERV

God created us to be like Him. He ruled heaven and He gave earth to mankind to rule. Genesis, chapter 3, tells us that God came and walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. I can only imagine that those talks were filled with Adam telling God about all the wonderful things they had experienced during the day and like any loving father, God listened and enjoyed spending time with His family.

Jesus told those who came to hear him speak that we all need to be like little children to truly enjoy the kingdom of heaven.

“Then the people brought their little children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them and pray for them. When the followers saw this, they told the people to stop bringing their children to him. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these children.” 15 After Jesus blessed the children, he left there.” Matthew 19:13-15 ERV

Children are innocent and accepting, filled with faith and trust. We should all be like that – trusting completely in our Father’s love and protection, His provision and His grace.

Today will be filled with awe and wonder as we explore the undersea world of the aquarium. I can’t wait to see her expression as we view all the different sea life. What a joy it will be to be together.

Lord, remind me to experience the wonder of living everyday with you!

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Just Around the Corner

I think all of us have had a time when we have wanted to know “what’s just around the corner”.

Is it that great job I’ve been waiting or hoping for? Will I meet my future mate? Am I going to be kept from harm? Will I make it through the COVID threat unharmed? How will life turn out?

It’s all Just Around the Corner.

Those are not uncommon questions. People have been asking them for milleninia. We would all like to have “pro vision”.

When we place our trust in the Father, He sees ahead and will direct our steps. He knows the beginning from the end and all the road in between. He has big plans for us, plans for our good.

Abraham had a promise from God that he would have a son. Twenty-five years past before that promise became a reality but Abraham never lost hope. Remember, God is THE promise keeper.

When that son, Isaac, was probably in his teens his father took him on a three-day journey. They went with a couple of servants, a donkey, some wood and the two of them. A father/son outing. They got to a certain place and Abraham told the servants to wait there. He and Isaac went on ahead.

Abraham put the wood on Isaac’s shoulders and off they went. They were on their way to worship the Lord.

“Isaac said, “Father, we have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” “My son,” Abraham answered, “God will provide the lamb.” The two of them walked on” Genesis 22:7-8 CEV

It looks like this is the end for Isaac but just around the corner…

“Don’t hurt the boy or harm him in any way!” the angel said. “Now I know that you truly obey God, because you were willing to offer him your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the bushes. So he took the ram and sacrificed it in place of his son. 14 Abraham named that place “The Lord Will Provide.” And even now people say, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” Genesis 22:12-14 CEV

The Lord will provide! He is faithful to keep His promises and fulfill the plans He has for us!

Maybe you are at a place where you are saying “when, Lord, when – how, Lord, how”. Be encouraged. God will provide

“My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 CEV

For Abraham God provided a son and then a ram. God provided a Savior for the world through a young Jewish virgin. He sent an angel to orchestrate a prison break for Peter. And He won’t come up short and providing for us.

That thing you’ve been praying about, wondering when and how, trust God. It’s just around the corner and you may end up saying – Wow, I didn’t see that coming!

The Lord will provide!

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Keeping Promises

Yesterday Dave and I had a discussion about good intentions and keeping promises. In a word, it’s called integrity.

I have been reading about Moses and the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. The Israelites were in Egypt because of a severe famine some 430 years earlier. At first all went well for them. They prospered. They grew in number and in wealth. However, Joseph knew that Egypt was not the land that God had promised Abraham, the land flowing with milk and honey. So he made his family promise to take his bones with them when they left Egypt.

“Moses carried the bones of Joseph with him. Before Joseph died, he made the Israelites promise to do this for him. He said, “When God saves you, remember to carry my bones with you out of Egypt.” Exodus 13:19 ERV

According to my calculations Joseph died about 350 years before the Exodus. This causes me to ask “where did they keep Joseph’s bones for all those years” and “who/what family member or group had been given responsibility for his corpse”.

The important thing was the promise was kept. Integrity was exhibited.

There’s another promise made in Genesis. It was made to Noah.

“I promise every living creature that the earth and those living on it will never again be destroyed by a flood. 12-13 The rainbow that I have put in the sky will be my sign to you and to every living creature on earth. It will remind you that I will keep this promise forever. 14 When I send clouds over the earth, and a rainbow appears in the sky, 15 I will remember my promise to you and to all other living creatures. Never again will I let floodwaters destroy all life.” Genesis 9:11-15 CEV

A promise made. A promise kept.

God’s intregrity is on the line. He keeps His word for thousands of generations.

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.” Numbers 23:19 CEV

If God gives his word He will keep it. He always keeps His promises.

“Rain and snow fall from the sky. But they don’t return without watering the earth that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat. 11 That’s how it is with my words. They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.” Isaiah 55:10-11 CEV

God wants us to know that He is worthy of our trust. We can ALWAYS count on Him to keep His word.

We should do the same. As His children we should imitate His character. When we give our word we should keep it. Instead of making a promise that we don’t know if we will be able to keep we should say “I will try” or “I’m hoping to”. Giving our promise or our word should not be done lightly.

Integrity!

Father, thank you for keeping Your promises. They are all written down for us to read and to believe. I desire to be like You. May I always be a promise keeper! Amen!!

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A Better View Point

Most of this past week I have been removing decals from the side of our RV but the last day and a half have had a bit of a twist.

The ladder. Not just any ladder, an extension ladder!

For days I had been able to work with both feet on the ground or on the wider, more secure steps of the step ladder. Once all the lower decals had been removed the only ones left to work on were the ones at the roof line. (Deep breath taken)

Up the extension ladder I went. I was definitely out of my comfort zone. I don’t like high ladders. They wiggle, the rungs are narrow…and did I mention they wiggle? Because my arms are short I was only able to apply the decal remover to about three feet of it at a time. This meant multiple trips of ascending and descending.

Yesterday I completed the one side. Monday I will be completely finished! But here’s what I learned on my many trips to the heights – I was more comfortable each time I climbed to the top. Although I had been shaky, hesitant and at one point some what frightened I now felt comfortable and able to complete my task feeling relaxed.

I had a better point of view!

I had learned to work with the ladder. I got rid of the wiggle, I had a routine for the things I needed to carry up and down. I was better prepared to do the job once I got to the top. Things went smoother.

Climbing that ladder I thought of the story of Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. He encountered a ladder in the wilderness. He was on a journey to find a wife but on the way he encountered the Lord.

“He took one of the stones there and put it under his head for a pillow. 12 And he had a dream. He saw steps going up from the earth to heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and down these steps. 13 And he saw the Lord standing above them. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and your children after you the land where you are lying… 15 See, I am with you. I will care for you everywhere you go. And I will bring you again to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done all the things I promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “For sure the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “This place is so different! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:11-17 NLV

When we encounter the Lord we will have a better point of view.

It may be frightening at first. The Lord has a life plan for us; it will take us out of our comfort zone. It will require us to lay aside our small thinking and to see things from God’s point of view. But rest assured, we have the same promise from the Lord that Jacob did, “I will not leave you until I have done all the things I promised you”.

It’s time to climb higher. God will give us His point of view and it will be much better than our own.

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34.9 Million Years?

Dave and I have been camping at City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico. It’s a beautiful place – peaceful and secluded.

The rock formations are spectacular! Out in the middle of nowhere, these stately spires rise. After a long walk, not quite a hike, yesterday morning we stopped in at the Visitor Center.

The writing on the walls told of a great volcanic eruption and the lava flow that formed the huge boulders. They provide many niches for camping and trails for hiking. Also written there was the information that all of this occurred 34.9 million years ago. A brochure that I picked up and took back to the trailer stated that it has been 33 million years ago.

34.9 or 33 million doesn’t seem to be the point. I’m not sure about either of those dates but I am confident of one thing.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters…Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. 10 God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:1-9 NLT

Every time we go out on a trip like this I am reminded again and again that God is the one who created this beauty. He has been here from the start! He created all of this for our enjoyment. And Jesus was here too.

“But about His Son, He says, “O God, Your throne will last forever. Whatever You say in Your nation is right and good. 9 You have loved what is right. You have hated what is wrong. That is why God, Your God, has chosen You. He has poured over You the oil of joy more than over anyone else.” 10 He said also, “Lord, You made the earth in the beginning. You made the heavens with Your hands. 11 They will be destroyed but You will always be here. They will all become old just as clothes become old. 12 You will roll up the heavens like a coat. They will be changed. But You are always the same. You will never grow old.” Hebrews 1:8-12 NLV

There is not a moment of this planet’s existence that God doesn’t know about. He was here at the creation and He will be here when it is gone – however many years that will be.

He will always be the same!

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 NLV

His love, goodness, mercy, grace and kindness will always be – that will never change. He has been reaching out to every generation with His plan of salvation.

These rock formations will someday be gone. But 34.9 million years in the future the love of God will be the same!

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I Love My Job

Years ago I heard a story and it goes something like this:

“One morning a man got up and told his wife ‘I’m not going to work today. I just want to stay home’. To which she replied ‘You have to go, everyone’s counting on you’. The man muttered and said ‘No one there likes me, they criticize everything I say and do’. The wife tried to be encouraging ‘You have to learn to turn the other cheek. You really have to go, you’re the pastor.'”

I think we all have days like that. We get up and just don’t want to go to work and we need to find motivation to help us have a good attitude about what we do and who we work with. I have enjoyed most of the positions I have worked at but there was one that was a real struggle.

I didn’t handle it well. I complained alot; in fact, I did more complaining about my job than I did praying about it. Just being honest here. And then the Lord reminded me of these words.

“Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.” Colossians 3:22-25 MSG

I needed to do my job as if the Lord was my boss. My responsibility was to please Him and to be an encouragement to those around me. I was to use the talents and skills I had to be the best employee I could be. Less complaining, more praying. It was hard!!

Eventually the Lord opened the door to another position and I was able to quit. I learned a couple things during that time, 1) Pray before taking any position no matter how good it seems, 2) Each day seek to serve the Lord and you can be at peace anywhere and 3)Always, always do your best.

When I think of people who had tough work conditions I think of Joseph. His working conditions were far from perfect. In his first position he went from house servant to overseer of the whole operation but was falsely accused of rape and ended up going to prison. In prison he was the model prisoner and excelled in all he did. He served there for a number of years before he was brought before the pharoah to serve in his court. All along the way Joseph kept his heart free from bitterness and served each master with a pure heart.

“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all this, there is no one as understanding and wise as you are. 40 My house will be put in your care. And all my people will do as you say. Only on the throne will I be greater than you.” Genesis 41:39-40 NLV

The Lord exalted Joseph. He went from slave boy to the highest ranking official in the pharaoh’s kingdom.

Wherever we are and whatever we do we need to stay focused on serving the Lord. He can be trusted to change circumstances for our good.

Learn to love the job the Lord has given you. Afterall, we’re working for Him!

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Imperfect But Loved

I don’t know if you have realized it or not but the Bible is filled with imperfect people. Ordinary people just like you and I.

There are men who lie, women who are jealous, the unfaithful and disloyal. The cheats and scoundrels. The fearful and the timid. The rebellious and the braggarts. We have their stories as a guide of what not to do but also as an encouragement.

An encouragement of our Father’s unconditional, unfailing love!

I’ve been reading the story of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson. He was a manipulative, devious man. He stole his brother’s birthright, the inheritance for being the oldest child and the blessing that went with it. He deceived his father and cheated his brother.

But God blessed him and through his descendants the nation of Israel was blessed.

“The Lord was standing beside the ladder and said: ‘I am the Lord God who was worshiped by Abraham and Isaac. I will give to you and your family the land on which you are now sleeping. 14 Your descendants will spread over the earth in all directions and will become as numerous as the specks of dust. Your family will be a blessing to all people.  15 Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won’t leave you—I will do all I have promised.’ 16 Jacob woke up suddenly and thought, ‘The Lord is in this place, and I didn’t even know it.'” Genesis 28:13-16 CEV

On the night that Jesus was arrested He was celebrating the Passover with his twelve disciples. He knew two of these men were going to betray Him that evening. Judas, a paid informant, told the religious leaders of Jesus’ location which led to his arrest, trial and crucifixion. Peter also betrayed Jesus that night, denying his association with Jesus three times during the course of the evening.

Judas was so remorseful that he killed himself. It’s very sad that he died not realizing that Jesus’ death was for the forgiveness of all sin, including his. Peter, on the othe hand, had an encounter of forgiveness with Jesus after His resurrection and went on to be instrumental in evangelizing the world with the message of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.

“Peter and the apostles replied: We don’t obey people. We obey God. 30 You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life 31 and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side, so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven. 32 We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to everyone who obeys God.” Acts 5:29-32 CEV

Imperfect people are all God has. Some seem worse than others but we all fail to measure up. That’s why Jesus died – He brought us forgiveness and a relationship of love and peace with the Father. If we were perfect we would have no need for a Saviour, no need for unconditional love.

“All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 CEV

Isn’t is good to know that no matter our failures or imperfections God chooses to love us unconditionally!

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A Clear Conscience

So many times we are stymied in life’s endeavors because of the voices we hear in our head and not the leading we feel in our hearts.

God’s righteousness makes us saints, not sinners. We were sinners but once we are saved by grace our position changes – we become saints. The introduction at the beginning of each of the letters in the New Testament greet the saints with grace and peace. Paul, Peter, James, and John all recognized the place of spiritual authority that the believer occupies and addressed their writings to the instruction and edification of the saints.

When we were sinners our righteousness was as a filthy, dirty rag. Now we are clothed in His righteousness, possessing His divine nature, and made to rule as priests and kings in His kingdom.

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22 CEV

A righteous man no longer needs to be plagued by an evil conscience; his conscience has been cleansed. Our example for righteousness is Jesus Christ. We are to be imitators of Him. The way He acted, talked and the things he did should be reflected in our lives too. The compassion He showed, the forgiveness He gave, His tenderness toward people and His hatred of sin, His uncompromised stand on God’s Word need to be a part of our daily lives.

Before we leave this chapter, I would like to remind you of the story of David and Goliath. David, a young shepherd, was sent by his father to check on his older brothers who were off to a battle. His father gave David roasted grain, bread and cheese and sent him off.

When David arrived at the army encampment, he was taken back by what he saw. When he went out to meet his brothers a giant from the opposing army came out to taunt and ridicule the Israelite soldiers.

“Goliath went out and shouted to the army of Israel: Why are you lining up for battle? I’m the best soldier in our army, and all of you are in Saul’s army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me! 9 If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves. 10 Here and now I challenge Israel’s whole army! Choose someone to fight me!  11 Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were so frightened of Goliath that they couldn’t do a thing.” I Samuel 17:8-11 CEV      

David was but a teenager and the men around him were seasoned soldiers, but David had something the rest of them did not. He had confidence in the promises that God had made to Abraham hundreds of years before. God had made an unbreakable covenant with Abraham and all his descendants…

“I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God. 8 I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family forever, and I will be their God.

9 Abraham, you and all future members of your family must promise to obey me. 10-11 As the sign that you are keeping this promise, you must circumcise every man and boy in your family.” Genesis 17:7-11 CEV

It was this promise that God made to Abraham, that was going through David’s mind when he heard Goliath curse the armies of Israel. David’s body was marked, like all Israelites, to remind them of God’s promise. Look what he said:

      “Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes the disgrace [of his taunting] from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God?” I Samuel 17:26 AMP

David was saying “this man doesn’t have a covenant with God, we do!” 

And we have that same covenant, we have God’s promises for every situation. Let’s not allow life’s giants to frighten us into standing on the sidelines. Let’s go forward knowing that we are righteous, like David, in God’s eyes.

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My Brother

      …There is a very graphic story in the Old Testament which reveals the provisions of joint inheritance.

Joseph was an example of Christ in so many areas of his life and it is in his story that we find an example of Jesus’ making provision for us.

 Very briefly let me recap Joseph’s life. In Genesis 37-46 Joseph is betrayed by his brothers, Jesus was also betrayed by his Jewish brethren. Joseph became a servant and Jesus came from heaven to serve. Even in a hostile land Joseph rose to a place of leadership just as Jesus did.

 In Genesis 45 Joseph confronts his brothers and tells them God has sent him ahead of them into Egypt so that he could provide for them in their time of need.

      “I will take care of you during the next five years of hunger. So you and your family will not lose everything you own.” Genesis 45:11 ERV

Jesus came into a hostile land and gained great power which enabled Him to provide for all our needs. In the land where Joseph’s brothers were considered strangers, they were given the best in the land. They shared in what Joseph had been given by the pharaoh.

      “Tell them to bring your father and their families back here to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt to live on. And your family can eat the best food we have here.” Genesis 45:18 ERV

Joseph’s brothers did not do anything to earn or deserve the best land in Egypt. The pharaoh gave it to them because of who Joseph was. Our heavenly Father has promised to provide for us because of who our brother, Jesus, is.

      “Christ has made us a holy nation of religious leaders who can go to His God and Father. He is the One to receive honor and power forever! Let it be so.” Revelation 1:6 NLV

If everything has been provided for us in Christ, then why aren’t we experiencing the life he has made available to us? The answer is clear. Jesus gave this command to the disciples when he left this earth.

      “So he came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. 19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.” Matthew 28:18-20 ERV

Jesus was telling his disciples “you go in the power and authority that I have; I’m giving it to you, and I will always be with you”. The early Christians had no problem in following these instructions. They saw people healed, the dead raised, demons cast out and their needs met. They realized there was power in the words that Jesus spoke.

….Down through the ages we have forgotten the power of Jesus’ words and many live as if they never moved out of a land rittled by famine. We need to recognize the inheritance the Father has given us to share with our brother, Jesus. He promised “I will be with you always” and that includes the year of 2021!

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Lost in Transit

The beginning of the month we ordered some small steps for Dave’s truck. He’s been patiently waiting. We ordered them in plenty of time for him to install them before we leave on our next camping trip.

They’re still not here!

I’ve been tracking them this whole time but there has been no movement since December 4. I’m so glad it wasn’t a present for one of the grandkids, we can manage without the steps but they would make things better.

They are lost in transit. The delivery date has long since past.

There have been times in life that I feel I have been lost in transit. Times I wish I would have waited on the Lord’s direction a little bit longer. Times I wish I wouldn’t have taken a certain job or moved to a particular place.

Lost in transit. But then I remembered the story of Joseph, who had the coat of many colors.

His life was a series of events which could have labeled him lost in transit. As a young man the Lord gave him a dream that his brothers and father would bow down to him. He would be in a place of authority but the transition was a rough one.

First his brothers sold him as a slave; then he was wrongfully accused of sexual molestation and sent to prison. Once in prison he helped another prisoner and was promised that the pharaoh would learn of his assistance but that promise was forgotten until years later.

Finally Joseph made it to the Pharoah’s palace and promoted. It had been thirteen years. Joseph was lost to his father and his brothers for thirteen years. But in all that time Joseph never became bitter. He didn’t let resentment toward anyone sideline him from doing what was right.

There was a severe famine and his brothers came to Joseph to buy food for their families. They bowed before Joseph, just like he saw in his dream. The amazing thing is Joseph’s reaction.

“Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come near to me.’ So they came near. He said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But do not be troubled or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to save your life. 6 For the land has been without food these two years. And there are five more years without plowing or gathering. 7 God sent me before you to make sure that your people will keep living on the earth. Now many of you will be saved. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and ruler of all his house, and of all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go to my father. Say to him, ‘Your son Joseph says to you, “God has made me ruler of all Egypt. Come to me, and do not wait. 10 You will live in the land of Goshen, you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and cattle, and all you have. And you will be near me. 11 There I will take care of you, so that you and your family will not be in need. For there are still five years coming without food. By then you would have nothing.'” Genesis 45:4-11 NLV

There’s an important lesson to be learned here. Joseph may have been abandoned by his family but never by His God. The world didn’t know where Joseph was but God always did and was with him every step of the way.

We may feel that our life and our dreams have been lost, lost in transit but let’s not despair. God knows where we are and He is here with us. Once we recognize God’s presence we can go from desperation to joy.

“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalm 16:11 NLT

When we are in God’s presence we are never lost in transit; we’re just in a process of transition.

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