Daily Devotion
With Pastor Ancel Presnell
“WHEN GOD CORRECTS OUR PATH WITH A TROUBLING CIRCUMSTANCE “
For twenty years, Jacob thought his son Joseph was dead. For twenty years, Joseph’s brothers had hidden an awful sin they had committed against their younger brother, Joseph. During these twenty years, Joseph was captive in Egypt. In that timespan, he went from prison to the governor’s palace, back to prison, and then God promoted him to be governor of all Egypt with full control over all the food and grain. Egypt was the only place within the entire region with food during a widespread drought and famine.
Joseph was where he was because of his brothers’ sinful actions; Joseph was also the second man in charge in the entire land of Egypt because of his brothers’ sin against him. They did not know he was alive, and neither did his father. But now there is a famine, and they need food. The only place for food is Egypt, and Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy some food so that he and his people wouldn’t die.
The point that we must see is this: Joseph did not deserve to be abused and sold into Egypt by his brothers, and his father did not deserve to lose a son. The bitter and jealous brothers did not deserve to receive grace, mercy, and food. However, the big picture is this: God had to bring a troubling circumstance, such as drought and famine, to correct the path of Jacob and his sons. They were all God’s covenant children, and God was using Joseph to keep his covenant among them all.
When we go through things in our life, if we belong to Jesus, we must remind ourselves that everything that comes our way must go through the throne room of our Lord. Things that come our way through the sins of others, ourselves, or things that just happen with no explanation—nothing goes outside of or bypasses the purview of our Lord. He will correct our path to bring Him glory, bring us care, and align everything with His will and promises. What a God we serve.
Genesis 42:1, 2—” 1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.”
