#DailyDevotion The LORD Will Take Care Of You In The Land Of Misery
Genesis 46:4-7 4I will go down to Egypt with you and bring you back again. And Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.” 5Jacob moved from Beer-sheba. Israel’s sons took their father Jacob, their children, and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh sent to get them. 6They also took their cattle and the other livestock they had acquired in Canaan. And so Jacob and all his family came to Egypt. 7He took with him to Egypt his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, his granddaughters — all his descendants.
We probably need to remember why Jacob and his family are going down to Egypt in the first place. There was a famine over all the earth at the time. The LORD had used the wickedness of Joseph’s brothers to bring him to Egypt and set him up as the viceroy over all Egypt. He had full power over the kingdom and as such the LORD used him to prepare Egypt for this famine when there were seven years of plenty. There were still a few years left of the seven years of famine at this time. In Egypt all of Joseph’s family, his father, brothers and all their families would have more than enough and they would prosper in Egypt for next several hundred years.
The LORD had moved the Pharaoh’s heart to be kind to Joseph and he had Egypt’s resource at his command. He sent wagons to go and get them and all their belongings to bring down to Egypt. It was there the LORD was going to take care of them.
In similar fashion, the LORD protected our LORD Jesus Christ when he fled to Egypt. Interestingly enough, Jesus’ adopted father was also named Joseph. There they stayed until it was safe for them to return back to the land of Canaan. It is also interesting that before this trip, the LORD had moved magi to visit the holy family and bring Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. No do doubt these gifts sustained the family while they were in Egypt.
One of the things we can see here is the LORD our God does not stop evil from happening in the world or to his faithful believers. He does take care of us in the midst of the evil. He didn’t stop the famine or Joseph’s brothers but used both to bring Israel into Egypt to take care of them there and to make them prosper there. He didn’t stop Herod from wanting to kill Jesus but used it to bring Jesus to Egypt and then back again. He even used the wickedness of men’s hearts to crucify and kill His only-begotten son Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for your sins, to taste death for you so you may rise to newness of life.
Paul writes in Romans 8, “28We know that God works all things out for good for those who love God, who are called according to His plan.” So here you in the midst of trials, tribulations, sufferings, disease, financial troubles, bad politics, and whatever else is going wrong in your life in this world of misery. Don’t fear it. Look to the future with a smile. You have faith in Christ, you are baptized, therefore you are called by God according to His plan. Since this is true, God will work out all this evil in your life for good. But you are going to go through the evil first. Look what Jesus went through for your salvation. Do you really think you are going to experience less as he prepares you to receive this salvation? Don’t fret. As the LORD went down to Egypt with His people, He is with you now as well.
Merciful God and Father, grant us faith to look to the future with a smile knowing you are using whatever evil we are experiencing for our good and not our harm. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.