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Luke 23
Compare and contrast the actions of Jesus on the cross with the reactions of his disciples, the crowd, the soldiers and the criminals who were crucified with him. To say that Jesus faced a great difficulty in His crucifixion is a gross understatement. His family, friends, and followers could only watch, powerless to do anything about it all. But Jesus was not powerless. He never is. He knew this difficult thing had to happen; that far more good would come because of it than from preventing it. Maybe it’s fair to say that in order to truly defeat the enemy, you sometimes have to let him play his hand.
I want to remember that when I or someone close to me is facing a difficulty that I am powerless to do anything about. I may be powerless, but God is not. God is working out His plan to defeat the enemy for good. If I want to be a part of that great plan, then I, like Jesus and Joseph and so many others, must pass through every difficulty with trust and grace, keeping my eyes on God and His goal. Easier said than done, but worth remembering.
Gen. 45-46
Why does God speak to Jacob in the night before he moves his family to Egypt? I pray that I would go willingly, or be willingly, where God sends me. Jesus had a choice but obediently chose to go willingly in spite of what He knew He would face. Joseph did not have a choice and had no idea about the suffering that lie ahead for him. But he did choose to be obedient to God wherever he was sent.
I also pray that I would not go where God does not go with me. Jacob was given the choice to go to Egypt. When he stopped at Beersheba to offer sacrifices to God, I wonder if he was asking God for a safe journey or perhaps seeking guidance on whether or not to go. After all, it was God who had sent him to the land of Canaan in the first place. Should he now leave? Abraham had faced a famine in Canaan and went to Egypt to escape it. We have no indication that God desired for him to go, and he got into trouble there by claiming Sarah as his sister. Isaac likewise faced a famine in Canaan. He, however, did not go to Egypt because God specifically told him not to. Maybe Jacob knew these things.
Whether or not Jacob asked that question, it seems that God responded to his sacrifice. God gave Jacob assurance that He was indeed sending him and his family to Egypt. He let Jacob know – and He let us know – that the time was right and the move to Egypt was part of His plan.
Prov. 2
What are the benefits of wisdom? Wisdom is a guide, a guardian, and a security system. Wisdom exposes the lies and traps of the wicked and turns us away from the seductions of sin. Wisdom shows us the good path and helps us to stay on it. When we seek wisdom as the treasure that it is, God gives it freely to us. “Then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” (Prov. 2:5). It is this understanding and knowledge that will keep us from going the way of the foolish. When you know what is right and good and you truly understand the consequences of deviating from it, you are far more likely to make the right choice.