A Time of Testing (Hunber) (Gen. 43:1-2)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 01-07-2008

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  A Time of Testing (Hunger)

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                       Reference:  Genesis 42:1-2

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why are you staring at one another?"  2 He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.’”

 

            I realize that the Bible does not tell all that went on in stories like this and sometimes it is hard to understand why things are said and what had gone on for statements like these in verses 1 & 2 to have been said, but perhaps Jacob did not trust these ten son’s of his because of what happened to Joseph thirty years earlier.  These ten sons probably knew that there was grain in Egypt, but for perhaps a verity of reasons did not want to travel down to Egypt, and one of those reasons was that they had sold Joseph to people who took him down to Egypt.  Jacob asks his sons why they did not go to Egypt, perhaps because he knew they knew that there was grain there and with this grain they would all starve.  Hunger was the first test for them, that would eventually lead to repentance and reconciliation.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think that there have been too many times in my life when I was not patience and wanted to get things done at a fast pace and therefore have missed out on the correct way of doing things.  In yesterdays Sunday school class I was convicted at the way that I confess my sins to the Lord, and although I have realized that I was not doing this in a correct manner I did not realize why or the correct way of doing it.  Sin causes big problems in my life whenever I sin and therefore I believe that I should be more repentant in the way I am dealing with it, after all I believe that it was sin, and the separation of Jesus from His Father while on the cross that caused Him to be so upset in the garden, and I am not even upset when I sin, but go strait to 1John 1:9.  Yesterday’s sermon also caused me to look at things different concerning me as a follower of Jesus, and now reading about shallow reconciliation has also convicted me.  Lusting seems to be a pet sin of mine and I truly need to seek God’s face while I am fasting to truly confess this sin and also to be reconciled to the Lord and have true fellowship with Him again.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  This fast that I want to enter into is perhaps much more important than I first realized, and it seems that God is showing me the importance of it and now I need the strength from Him to accomplish it in a way that will honor Him and help me to be reconciled to the Lord.