Our Scripture for today is 2 Corinthians 5:7
“We walk by faith, not by sight.”
Sometimes life changes in a minute. One minute you are happy, then news comes – a car wreck, a doctor’s report, a report of slander. For whatever reason, one minute you were joyful and the next you are devastated and life is changed.
Most of the time, things change more slowly. This was the case for Jacob. The famine in the land happened slowly, but eventually there was nothing to eat. He struggled with how to feed eight sons and their families. In times like that, just when he may have thought that things couldn’t get worse, his life truly crashed.
He believed his favorite son, Joseph was dead.
Another son, Simeon, was was a 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? 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 death by starvation, Jacob finally gave permission to take Benjamin to Egypt. He had to have food for his family. In a spirit of deep despair he wailed, “As for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” (Genesis 43:13)
We would have all felt just as he did. There are times when our world crashes around us and we don’t know where to turn.
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