"And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know…"
Genesis 48:18-19a
The scene, within culture, the departing blessing. Jacob had come to an end of his life, and he was blessing his children. Joseph presented his two sons. The reason for presenting…blessing. The desired family blessing. However, the verses before these read, that when Joseph saw his father place his hand of blessing upon Ephraim, the younger son, it displeased him.
Have you ever presented yourself before the Lord for blessing, but found that the way He chose to work perhaps "displeased you"?
Perhaps you presented yourself, "Lord, here am I, send me!" A genuine willingness, a heart set upon obedience to His will, yet when He began to place His hand upon your life, and circumstances and situations began to not go as you had expected…perhaps it seems that "Ephriam" the younger, is receiving the blessings that are rightfully belonging to "Manassah", you become displeased. If we are all honest, I think we will agree that we have been there. There have been times when what is "culturally right" seems to not be the way God is working. What are "personal desires" do not seem to be priority.
For some reason, we commonly think that by presenting ourself to the Lord, things will go as expected. The things in our heart, our desires, all of it will be fulfilled. It is true that God desires to give us the desires of our heart, He placed those things there for a reason, but deeper than your desires, is His desire for your growth. That the testing of your faith may spring genuine faith. That your desires would be molded to the Kingdom's desires. The heartbeat of God is found in the cross. The way the Kingdom of God enters a life is through the cross. The way you and I take part in the Kingdom's work is through carrying our cross.
Genuine faith cannot hold onto its own expectations, its own watch on time, or its own desires, but it must have open hands to carry the cross laid out before.
Genuine faith does not just say, "Im willing" but continually acts willingly despite the changes around. Despite the "flesh displeasing times" of seeing God's hand stretched out upon the "younger" instead of what seemed to be right with the "older".
We've heard it said countless times, "God's ways are not our ways" but His ways are always perfect.
Jacob's response to Joseph, one you and I can learn from, "I know, my son, I know…"
Jacob, in faith, was going against the culture, and in obedience to the Lord placing his hand of blessing upon the younger son, for God had a plan to raise him up to be a great nation.
Our God is a God of understanding to his sons and daughters…He knows. He understands the frustrations, the hurts, the confusions that can come when things do not go as we expected, but He also sees far beyond today. He sees the "nation He is building", He sees the spiritual blessings of testing our faith. He sees the way He is using our life as a vessel for the Kingdom. Will you trust Him?
Believing in the sovereignty of God means believing that whatever He has allowed in your life at present is what He desires for His glory, and whatever is lacking in your life today, He has allowed for His glory.
Let us come back to the simplicity of our faith…when we say we are willing, may we be willing. Not for our will, but for His.
He is working something far greater than you and I can see, but in carrying the cross upwards, we will see from the higher view upon the hill, His ways are faithful and true through and through.
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