You Can Rely on God
Jacob eventually married two sisters, (being tricked on his wedding night into marrying the older one first, as was the custom at that time). Both competed against each other to try to give their husband the most children. When all was said and done, Jacob had 12 sons and 1 daughter.
The second youngest son was Joseph, his father’s favorite. Joseph’s brothers hated him for that. Moreover, Joseph had two visions from God at the age of 17, showing him a prophecy, whereby he rules over his brothers. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Joseph’s brothers took his jacket that Jacob gave him, dipped it in blood, and told their father that his son was killed by a wild animal. In reality, they sold Joseph to slave traders, who carted him off to Egypt. There, Joseph is sold as a slave to Potiphar, an officer in Pharaoh’s army. As bad as it looks, God backs him up:
The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man… Gn. 39:2 ESV
Immediately, Potiphar observed that God placed His favor over everything Joseph did. So, he made him master over the house (Gn. 39:5). Potiphar could see that he could rely on God’s favor with His servant, Joseph, present in his dwelling.
Everything is looking good for Joseph, but then Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him. Joseph rejects her, and in anger she claims that he was the seducer. Enraged, Potiphar has Joseph imprisoned. Things look really bad; but God steps in again:
But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Gn. 39:21 ESV
As with Potiphar, the keeper of the prison recognizes God’s favor over Joseph as well, and he too relies on that favor, and positions him over all the other prisoners. In time, God grants Joseph the ability to interpret dreams, which he does for Pharaoh’s cupbearer, who had been imprisoned for some infraction while in his master’s employ. Joseph successfully prophesies that the cupbearer will be released from prison, and he asks him to tell Pharaoh of his innocence, so that he too might be freed.
The cupbearer forgot. Two more years pass. But then Pharaoh has a troubling dream that no one could interpret. Suddenly the cupbearer gets his memory back. Joseph is brought before Pharaoh and rightfully interprets his dream through the power of God, with a prophecy, that, because Pharaoh obeyed its meaning, and placed Joseph in charge of it’s instructions because he was relying on Joseph’s God), nations were saved from famine.
Seven years pass, and Joseph is reunited with his family. And because Joseph saved them from famine, his lineage continued – saving all of God’s children. Joseph relied on God, trusted Him, to bring his family safely and give them a new place to set down roots.
His brothers were afraid because Joseph was a very powerful man in Egypt. They feared retribution; yet Joseph trusted in God, and because he did so, regardless of his circumstances, all his actions were laced with wisdom and love. He addresses them:
“And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Gn. 45:5 ESV
“So now it was not you who sent me here, but God…” Gn. 45:8 ESV
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Gn. 50:20, 21. ESV
Joseph’s many years of trials and tribulations were turned around – used by God to serve a grander purpose; and in that process, Jehovah made good come from bad.
Whatever comes at you in life, God will step in to help you, if you call Him to your side, in faith. He will make a way even when it seems like there is none. His desire is only that you seek His will in all things and do your best to act on it. That’s why we can always put our trust in Jehovah God. We can rely on Him.
Can you relate to Joseph’s experience? Have you gone through a stage in your life that didn’t make sense? Are you having trouble seeing the hand of God in your life? These are tough questions; and most of us entertain them at times in our lives. He never said that life would be fair or easy. However, if you keep the faith, Jehovah will be front and center in all of your circumstances:
“Shall we accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” Job 2:10 NKJV
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made one as well as the other… Eccl. 7:14 ESV
Yes, good and bad days; but it’s up to us to keep focused on God’s big picture:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer. 29:11 NKJV
We can count on God; so, we can certainly keep our faith in His word:
“…not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you…” Jos. 23:14 NASB
So, we see then that God is truthful, faithful, and He wants to lovingly lead you into a great future. Why then, does He allow the bad times?
It brings you closer to Him. I know for myself, it took 42 years of ‘worldly living’ and 2 broken marriages before I would even consider that there was a God. He lifted me out of my old ways through adversity.
If you suffer in life, I believe, that God is trying to get you to change – to return to whom He created you to be, instead of being that person that the world has stepped upon. Jehovah wants all of His children to be with Him and receive His love, especially when they are not feeling it. He gently shakes us (some less gently than others), to get our attention, so that we can become conscious of our choices:
“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity…” Dt. 30:15 NASB
God allows you to experience the consequences of your bad choices; and in the end, He considers that a good thing:
Count it all joy…when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let the steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Jas. 1:2 – 4. ESV
It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. Ps. 119:71 NASB
Blessed is the man whom you discipline O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble… Ps. 94:12, 13. ESV
Thus, many of our trials are God’s ways of nudging us onto the right path.
We can always place our trust in Jehovah. He wants you to have a life where you are completely fulfilled and loved. Yet sometimes that life will have dark seasons. I believe that these are the times were God wants you to ask yourself, ‘What can I learn from this?’ It’s usually about a change that needs to be made – one that leads towards your greater good.
When you turn to God and rely on His answers, your dark season will come to an end:
For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever. Ps. 9:18 NASB
Even to your old age, I will be the same. And even to your graying years I will bear you…and I will deliver you. Is. 46:4 NASB
You can rely on God…
Goodnight and God bless.
God Watches Over You
Precious [and of great consequence] in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones [so He watches over them]. Ps. 116.15 AMP
Thus, God tells us Himself that He watches over us. Let’s see how he does that…
Abraham’s second son was Isaac. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob disguised himself to fool Isaac, who was almost blind and on his death bed, into passing the family blessing upon him, instead of Esau, the heir apparent. Enraged, Esau sought to kill his brother. So, Jacob hightails it to his uncle’s house to hide.
During Jacob’s journey, he camps for a night; and in the course of that time, God sends him a vision:
Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD your God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as dust of the earth…and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Gn. 28:12 – 14. NKJV
We see then, that God, the Promise-Keeper, transfers His covenant promise from Isaac onto Jacob. The second thing to see, is the presence of angels in both heaven and upon the earth.
God watches over you in many ways. Looking to the lead-in scripture at the top of this post, we see that God Himself watches over you. Jehovah also watches over you through His Son:
“The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me is greater and mightier than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are One [in essence and nature].” Jn. 10:27 – 30. AMP
Our Father also brings us closer to Him through the Holy Spirit:
“…the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor – Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. Jn. 14:25, 26. AMP
Finally, God watches over you by enlisting and sending His angels. ‘Angel’ is translated from the Hebrew malak, which means ‘deputy,’ ‘messenger,’ or ‘ambassador’ of God.
Our first exposure to an angel was with one who had gone bad – the devil himself, the consummate liar, thief, murderer, and destroyer (Gn. 3:1 – 5).
Second, we encounter angels, (cherubim), whom God placed at the gates of Eden after Adam and Eve were cast out. The angels were to keep any sinners from having access to the Tree of Life within the garden, to prevent them from having a life of eternal damnation. Thus, those angels’ job was to protect humankind from itself (Gn. 3:24).
The third encounter was with the two angels sent to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy the cities for their unrepentant depravity, (acting out God’s judgment), after they saved Lot and his family from being destroyed along with the other inhabitants (Gn. 19:1 – 25.). See also my previous blogpost https://godcherishesyou.com/the-past-sure-is-tense/
The fourth appearance was of an angel whom God sent to Hagar, Abraham’s wife’s handmaiden, and mother of his first child, Ishmael. The angel was sent to comfort and encourage her, bringing her a prophetic message regarding the future success of her son (Gn. 21:8 – 18.).
And now, we come to Jacob’s vision of angels freely traveling to and fro, between heaven and earth. Thus, we see that angels are sent to watch over us for God, showing us His love in a variety of ways. Before we examine them, let us look at how angels fit within God’s creative hierarchy:
What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that you care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. Ps. 8:4, 5. AMP
The hierarchy is this: God is number One – Creator and Ruler of the Universe, extremely closely followed by and reflected in Christ and the Holy Spirit. Then come the archangels, and then the angels. Finally comes humankind. However, Jesus tells us that the relationship between the children of God and the angels will change when we enter eternity:
“…those who are considered worthy to gain that [other world and that future] age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; and they cannot die again, because they are [immortal] like the angels (equal to, angel-like). Lk. 20:35, 36. AMP
Angels may appear in a mighty grandeur (Rv. 10:1), or, they may hide among us, taking on human form:
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Heb. 13:2 NASB
Now, let us look at why God sends angels your way. The first reason is to guide you on the path that He has prepared for you:
Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I prepared. Ex. 23:20 NASB
All believers are traveling their own exodus on this earth. From His grace, God does not just send us one angel to help us on that trek:
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Ps. 91:11 ESV
Keep in mind however, having God watch over you, your heavenly protection, is contingent upon you having reverence and love in your heart for God:
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience], and He rescues [each of] them. Ps. 34:7 AMP
The second reason God places angels around you is to strengthen you in your spiritual battles, just like He did for Jesus:
Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Mt. 4:11 NKJV
Jehovah also dispatches angels to prophesy about the future:
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” Lk. 2:10 NKJV
Finally, God sends His angels to declare the gospel:
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth… Rv. 14:6 ESV
Here’s the big picture of how God watches over you with His angels: Jehovah surrounds you with angels to inform you of what He wants both for you and from you, to guide you in how to act out His will, to comfort you, to protect you, to fortify you and to show you how to position yourself to be able to receive His blessings.
What Jacob understood in his vision was that God sends His love to us in every moment – delivered by the angels on earth, who then return to heaven to report the outcome.
Add God Himself, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, along with the angels, and you can see how our Creator brings heaven and earth to bear, to watch over you. Why would He go to such lengths to watch over you? You know. Because God cherishes you…
Goodnight and God bless.
Tuesday’s Food for Thought 11
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