Life was crashing on Jacob.
He thought his favorite son Joseph was dead.
He thought his son, Simeon, was lost because he was being held prisoner in Egypt.
His family had wealth, but there was no food to buy. What good is money if there is no food to buy? To make matters worse, the only place he might buy food required that his favorite son, Benjamin, be brought to Egypt before his family would be allowed to buy food. Egypt had swallowed up Simeon and now it wanted Benjamin.
Facing true starvation, Jacob finally gave permission to take Benjamin to Egypt. In a spirit of deep despair he wails, “As for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” (Genesis 43:13)
Jacob’s story is a story of understandable but needless worry. We would have all felt just as he did. We all have had times when it felt as though all the world were crashing around our heads. We do not know where to turn and believe that whatever way we go will bring tragedy. For the times when you feel that way, God has given you the story of Jacob, Benjamin, Simeon, and Joseph.
Jacob loved God and all things worked together for good. It is too bad Jacob did not have enough faith to believe that truth. If he had, he would not have come to such a low point and said, “If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
Looking back, God was working in Jacob’s life.
Looking back, God was planning to feed him and his family.
Looking back, everything was working things out wonderfully well. All of this can be understood looking back.
Looking back, life is more easily understood.
Looking back is easy. Looking forward is hard. Looking back is sight. Looking forward is faith. In our own struggles we must look forward in faith and trust that God is working things out for us. Remember, “We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor 5:7)
~Lonnie Davis