#DailyDevotion Sometimes God Makes No Sense
Lent day 22 Saturday
Read Gen 41:1–27
Gen 41:28-32 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. (29) There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, (30) but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, (31) and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. (32) And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about… 56-57 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. (57) Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
There are a couple of ways one could take this. When I read it I sometimes wonder, why do seven good years and seven years of famine at all? I mean, you’re God. Just have everything nice the whole time. From this fallen person’s point of view, it sometimes just makes me wonder. But God has a plan.
He had told Abraham his descendents would go down to Egypt and stay there 4oo years, enter into hard labor and then be delivered to the promised land of Canaan. Again, God just doesn’t do things the way I would have. But if you ever watched “Bruce Almighty” you’ll understand why God has not put me in charge. It really helps to have omniscience along with omnipotence, all wisdom and have it ruled by grace, mercy, and loving-kindness.
So, the plenty will feed the famine. The famine will bring the family of Joseph to Egypt to fulfill God’s purposes.
Do you find yourself wondering why on earth God is doing the things he is doing in your life? Why doesn’t he just zap us and make all things good? Why does he make it so hard and complicated all the time? Perhaps God isn’t simple as the Greeks think but he is particularly complicated at least to fallen man. Our minds simply cannot wrap themselves around the mind of God. But this should not surprise us. Isa 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Yet the one thing we can see here is that God is determined to let his people know what is going to happen. We may not always know why things happen but the Lord has let us know a lot of what will happen. At least he has let us know the most important things we need to know for today. Our everyday workings in the faith of Jesus, well, they work into his plans for you and for the good of the Church. Sometimes it’s not really about you. God may not be keeping you around because you have something left to do, sometimes he may have something left to be done to or for you. Sometimes it has nothing to do with you directly. This calls us to trust simply in God’s good kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
Lord Jesus Christ, you revealed to Pharaoh what was going to happen to place Joseph in a position of power to save your chosen people. Help us at times to get a glimpse of what you have planned for us and faith to trust you know what you’re doing when you keep it to yourself. Amen.