Today’s Reading: Gen. 46-48, Matt. 13:1-30
Today’s Reflection: Gen. 46:34b …that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
I find it fascinating how the Lord causes His children to flourish where they don’t fit in. The Egyptians were not too fond of shepherds, which basically described all of Joseph’s family that he nourished at the command of Pharaoh during the years of famine. By all human standards at that time, they were not even supposed to be there, but they were! Isn’t it amazing how our God does that? Right now, someone is reading this that feels like you are in a place where you just don’t fit in. You are uncomfortable with the people you deal with on a daily or weekly basis, and they are uncomfortable with you, because you don’t see things the same way at all. And yet, God has you there for a reason. It is not always easy to serve the Lord, especially when He calls you to a place where you are not even supposed to be. God often leads us into these places because it causes us to grow and mature into the people He is calling us to be. If we do not learn how to flourish in both comfort and conflict, we will not be able to travel the distance God wants to take us. Paul the apostle said that he knew how to be abased, and how to abound. It is not easy to learn either, but both can be learned! So it is in these seasons of our life where we are serving in places of inconvenience, discomfort, and awkwardness that God shows us how to abound even when we feel abased. The Egyptians sort of tucked Israel away over in the land of Goshen to sort of keep their distance; imagine how awkward that may have caused them to feel. None the less, at the same time, the people that resented them were the same people that God used to bless and sustain them! The Psalmist said, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…” This means that even when you feel like you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, God can make even those places a blessing to you. For Joseph, this place for many years was his land of affliction, but as the story unfolds in the scriptures, we see how God brought him from the prison all the way to the palace. Here is your word today; God does not have to wait until you relocate in order to bless you! If you seek Him, serve Him, and praise Him, He will begin to bless your life right where you are, even when you don’t fit in!
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copyright © by Gary D. Caudill
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