Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:01:57 -0600
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (Dec. 29); BP: Gen. 47; RBTTY: Rev. 20; Zech. 9-12
December 29 “Personal Reflections”
“And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, ‘How old are you?’ And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are 130 years—few and evil have the days of the years of my life been and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage’.”
Genesis 47:8-9
A look backward need not be a painful one when we’ve looked upward, had an inward change and are focused on moving forward with Christ.
“Few and evil.”
That’s the way Jacob described his days here on earth to Pharaoh that day as Joseph introduced them to the Egyptian ruler. Isn’t this sad—particularly when the Lord had blessed Jacob in so many ways during his 130 years here on earth?
Think of it:
Hadn’t the God of Abraham chosen Jacob to be the one to insure His promises would not be broken (Gen. 25:23)? Hadn’t He visited this favorite child of Rebekah in a special way as he fled from his brother’s murderous intentions (Gen. 28:10-22)? Hadn’t the Lord blessed him in many ways during his 20 years in Haran (29:1-30:43). . .changed his name to “Israel—A Prince of God” (32:24-32). . .and changed Esau’s heart so their reunion would be a sweet one (33:1-10)? And, hadn’t He spared Joseph’s life and placed him in a strategic position in Egypt so he and his family wouldn’t starve to death during the famine?
Why, then, did he say “few and evil have been the days of my life”?
Simply because he’d chosen to focus more on the bad than the good.
And, sadly, there are many folks who are more like Jacob than they are like Joseph, who had every right to be bitter, but realized God had been working in his life all along—even during the “bad” times (Gen. 50:19-21).
Oh, dear Pilgrim, as we near the end of another year what are your personal reflections on the 363 days that preceded today? Was it a ‘good’ year or a ‘bad’ year? And, why did you answer the way you did?
Perhaps it was a “trying” year, to say the least. Maybe you experienced failing health, numerous days in a hospital and exorbitant hospital/doctor bills that make you want to file for bankruptcy. Or, perhaps you lost your job. . .or you marriage fell apart. . .or a family member or dear friend suddenly died.
If so, if someone asked you to sum up this year—or your life—what would you say?
Hopefully, you wouldn’t answer the way Jacob did. Even though you shared with them some of the things you’d been through this year (or years ago), you’d still be able to say with Joseph “There’s been a lot of ‘bad’ things happen in my life. And, there were times when I didn’t know if I could go on. However, through them all I realized the Lord was there with me. . . every step of the way. . .giving me the strength to go on and an eternal assurance that all is well.” In answering this way, the Heavenly Father will be glorified and you’ll discover your faith and others’ hope is renewed in the process.
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