Lord Knows
January 23, 2019·Brian Majors
Genesis 48:12-19
Joseph, the favored son of Jacob who was sold into slavery, is now seeing all he’s been through come full circle, and now his sons are going to be blessed by his father, Jacob. Jacob places his right hand on Ephraim, the youngest, and his left hand on Manasseh, the oldest, and Joseph, being an alert father, is like, “no, dad, you’ve got it wrong, it should be the other way around!” [paraphrase]. Jacob responds and says, “I know, son, I know.”
There is something so moving about seeing Jacob at the end of his life, because the beginning was filled with stubbornness and deceit, swindling his way into a blessing, wrestling with God, and in Genesis 48 and 49, we see him prophetically blessing his children. God was never dismayed by his humanness, but God was faithful to guide him into the promises and purpose, even speaking through him at the end of his life.
The words Jacob speaks to Joseph have been the most consistent response I hear from the Lord in this season of my life. It’s been a season of change, questions, decisions, handicaps and a ton of self-doubt. I have spent a lot of useless brain power trying to figure out the meaning behind circumstances, searching for the meaning in everything, and, through it all, God reminds me, “I know, son, I know.” He knows who I truly am; He knows what He’s doing … God our Father knows.
My prayer for our church family, in this season, is for the confidence of Jacob who “refused” (Genesis 48:19) and demonstrated faith and hope in “…the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm…” (Genesis 48:15-16).
Lord, may we not shy away from boldly speaking Your truth, refusing anything other than Your promises. I pray we remember the Shepherd of our lives, who cares for us and delivers us from harm.
Pastor Brian Majors
