A Time of Tension: Unbelief

1/15/2008 10:57 PM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                  Focus:  A Time of Tension:  Unbelief

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Genesis 43:11-15

            Message of the verses:  “11 ¶  And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:  12  And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:  13  Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:  14  And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

15 ¶  And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.”

Jacob had all of the covenant promises that his father Isaac had and his grandfather Abraham had, yet because of his grief over the seemingly loss of Joseph, Jacob seemed to loose the faith in God that he once had.  Jacob allowed circumstances to get in the way of his faith, he was not, and as James would latter write, “calling it all joy.”  Jacob had gone through some very trying times, but he was not responding in the way that a man of faith like him should have had.

Message of the verses:  The circumstances in my life today are not as bad as Jacob was going through, but they are some very difficult circumstance just the same.  The things that I can learn from this is not to try and handle these circumstance on my own, but to rely on the help of the Holy Spirit to get me through them so that they will be good for me and also bring glory to God.

Dr. Wiersbe writes, “There’s a difference between surrendering to God’s loving providence and bowing to blind fate, and Jacob’s statements show where he stood.”  The reason that I have copied this statement is so that I would not bow to blind fate, but trust the Lord and His loving providence. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to trust the Lord to show me what He wants me to learn through these circumstances, and not try to go through them without the power of His Holy Spirit.