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He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  Psalm 91:1

 ‘Secret place’ in Hebrew is mistar ~ ‘a concealed place where treasures are stored.’  This place is actually ‘in Christ’ and the treasure ‘is Christ’.

The secret of my hiding place is that there is spiritual power there.  It is resident in Christ and when I am near Him, He imparts it to me.  I rest in my spirit though I’m physically stressed.  I’m strong like steel even though people around me expect me to break.  Though all hell unravels, I am of sound mind and possess unshakeable calm. You have been a place of safety for the poor and need in times of trouble. Brutal enemies pounded us like a heavy rain but you were our shelter.  Isaiah 25:4

So, why do I temporarily leave this place?  Because life throws me a curve I didn’t anticipate and I focus on my circumstances.  Or, a faithless person talks me out of my peace.  I cave to their flawed logic and sink like Peter in waters way over my head.

For every child of God, there is a secure fortress.  There is no storm too furious.  No foe too mighty.  No tragedy too hopeless.  No grief too consuming.  I am a child who runs home continually, reminding my enemy all the way ~ “Wait till I tell my Father.” He doesn’t like that, by the way.

I’m going to believe you.  Every foe today is already defeated.  They are very well aware of their end and just pretend to wield a power that isn’t theirs.  I’m not fooled and holy laughter erupts from my spirit.  In Jesus’ name, Amen

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.  Psalm 91:7-8

God is powerful enough to protect us even when thousands fall all around us, but does this mean that God will save us every single time?  Hardly.  God did not spare His own Son from suffering.  While on mission, His life was protected even though He had many enemies who sought to destroy Him.  God kept Jesus until “It is finished” was spoken from the cross.

My father fought in WWII, in the European theatre.  In one battle, his platoon was hemmed in at the front lines.  They dug a trench, spent the night, and knew that the probability of death in the morning was almost certain.  Before leaving home for Europe, Dad set out to memorize Psalm 91.  That night in the trenches, he recited it until the dawn broke.  When the sun came up, the fighting grew fierce and several hours in, the heavy artillery stopped.  Looking around, he discovered that he was the only one who had survived.  He retreated backwards on his belly for many hours until he could set off on foot to join in with another platoon.

But on two other occasions, he was not spared harm.  Psalm 91 was still quoted from memory yet he was severely wounded.  So severely, in fact, that he was awarded 2 purple hearts for his bravery. 

Psalm 91 is not a spiritual rabbit’s foot.  It is an affirmation of trust in a powerful God who can choose to spare life or choose to extend grace if deliverance doesn’t fit with His overall purpose.  We never know which it will be, but we place ourselves into the hands of our Mighty God.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, causes him a moment of worry.  And nothing should cause us to distrust His promises.

I’ve lived long enough to see You spare my life and allow me to be wounded in battle.  I trust You with my life no matter Your decision.  Amen

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise Thee.  Psalm 63:3

Our last dog was a beautiful golden retriever named Mollie.  She was a rescue and was four years old when we got her.  When we brought her home, I turned to her and said, “You just had your last bad day!” 

Getting to know Mollie’s quirks took some time. For four years, Mollie had been neglected and shoved in a back yard.  She had no shelter from the weather.  She was a captive to the heat, cold, rain, thunder, and lightening.  Though safe and with us, her fears continued to play out.  When Mollie went to the door to go out, we’d open it and she’d turn and run away.  When we’d call her to come back, she’d run further down the hall. 

It took us a good eighteen months to understand why she was so conflicted.  Though she wanted to go out, she was afraid we’d trap her outside.  We tried a bunch of things but here’s what finally worked.  We opened the door, stroked her, then turned our back to her so she felt no pressure from us.  With the choice truly being hers, she cautiously walked outside.

Quirks can be a nuisance without love. Think of what happens while we wait for Mollie to decide whether or not to go outside.  With the door open during a Georgia summer, the heat poured in the house.  In the winter, the heat escaped and cold poured in ~ all because our dog needed time to make up her mind.

Each of us have a story.  We come to God with triggers.  Some are afraid of silence; others, of noise.  Some have a fear of crowds; others, a fear of being alone.  The comforting thing is that God knows us intimately.  He knows how to scale the wall with just the right words and experience so that we’ll lose our shyness and trust Him.  He’s not stumped by our quirks nor do they put Him off.  Patiently, He works with each of us.  Cajoling and encouraging, He offers Himself as a companion.

Ever feel like you’re forever imprisoned by your past?  Like you’re making no progress?  God has the key to steps forward.  Go to the open door.   

Some of my objections to You spanned decades.  Oh Lord, You never stopped reaching out to help me.  Your lovingkindness is better than life.  Amen

Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:25-26

Life does not begin and end with me. Live begins and ends with God. If I allowed God to live through my life, His influence, through me, will live on.  Though my body may ond day lie in a grave, life will be far from over if I’m God’s child. The promises of God that I embraced for my family will unfold long after I’m gone.  I will watch and pray from heaven’s threshold as God’s faithfulness is displayed in the heavens and the earth.

The promises God made to Jacob and his descendants, realized through Joseph and his descendants, are still coming to pass today. That’s because Joseph’s life and the choices he made matter. He is not only a teacher when I review his story, but he is also a catalyst for the coming redemption of Israel. His coffin holds the remains of his mortal body, but earth still feel the effects of his faith.

Genesis reveals the themes of scripture. Creation. The Fall. Redemption. Restoration. Not only are these revealed in the overall storyline of the book, but they are also evident in the individual stories of God’s chosen people.

I am praying for you as I finish writing from Genesis today. It’s a sad day to say goodbye to our characters for now but my heart is full.  I hope yours is too.  Just like Joseph, you are meant to see redemption in every area of your life ~ then restoration. Despair results from living in a storyline that is unfinished and making the erroneous conclusion that this is the end of your story. Like Joseph, each of us are to wait for God to redeem what is broken. Yes, at times we faint under the ‘waiting’ but God will give us the grace to be tenacious in His waiting room.

I can think of no better way to conclude than with this incredible scripture from Psalms about Joseph.

They bruised Joseph’s feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. Psalm 105:17-19

Oh, my friend, as we close the book of Genesis, let’s stand tall in the truth that captivity never has the last Word for anyone determined to prevail in the promises of God.

To You, God of Joseph, be all the glory. To You, my God, be all honor and praise. In Jesus name, Amen

Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Genesis 50:19-20

I’ve been waiting for get to this verse the whole time I’ve in Genesis. It’s taken sixteen months. I want to have a Genesis 50/20 outlook of faith on all things done against me, from the petty to the catastrophic. I want my initial reaction to injustice to be confidence in God’s redemptive power instead of anguish.

There is no evil that wins in my life if I press in to seek redemption. No evil done against me takes God by surprise. Ever. He saw it ahead of time and planned long ago how He would wield authoritative power to transform it from a ‘Calvary’ to a ‘resurrection.’ Believing this is always my dilemma when it appears my life has been taken from me. This is the battle for faith.

Does this mean that I am spared the pain of betrayal? Does this mean that crying out from the pit as Joseph did is spiritually unbecoming to God?  Not at all.  Jesus cried so deeply that the stress caused his body to sweat drops of blood. Grief is to be acknowledged, felt, and explored.  But underlying all of that can be an unshakeable trust in God, the One that does not let evil have the last word.

If two scriptures could marry, consider wedding together Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28. The first explains why the latter is true. Because God uses any evil done against me for my good, all things will work together for good to those who love God.

At this very moment, you may be a victim of evil scheming. The perpetrator looks all-powerful. Your present circumstances predict a bleak future. This is the time to put on the eyeglasses of faith. A Genesis 50/20 vision can be the lens through which you view your circumstances. You can choose to believe that this is not the end, but God’s doorway to a resurrection.

Joseph was a dreamer ~ then a slave ~ then a prisoner ~ but finally a ruler. The one who lived this story is the one who preached to his perpetrators, “You meant evil, but God meant it for good.” He realized this truth after his deliverance.  Oh, but Jesus predicted His own resurrection long before His death. Redemption ruled His perspective in the middle of His darkest times. It can also rule mine.

I cry but I don’t despair. Permeate every part of me with responses of faith. Amen

When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. Genesis 49:33-50:3

Why would the Egyptians mourn over Jacob’s death for 70 days?  Was it required?  Was it truly their collective emotional response to his absence?  Or perhaps it was out of respect for Joseph.  But still. . .

Seventy days were how long people mourned the death of a Pharaoh and Jacob was not a pharaoh. He was not even an Egyptian! To further complicate this ~ Egypt did not value Israelites.  They were considered peculiar, truly outsiders.

Did Joseph rule so well that people automatically loved his father too?  Whom Joseph loved, they loved?  I suppose that’s possible.  This one thing is certain ~ For seventeen years Jacob lived in Egypt.  He was visible, a powerful presence and he left an indelible mark on the people. 

I am wide-eyed over this, and conjecture is all I have to address my many questions. 

Fill each of us with Your Spirit so that we make such an impact for the kingdom.  Amen

Then Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.”              Genesis 49:1-2

Is it possible to imagine someone’s future based on past behavior? Yes. Their patterns of righteousness or unrighteousness spell out their future unless they make a course change. The principles of the kingdom accurately predict their days ahead.

If I know someone well who has a history of anger, I can forecast what will set him off down the road. If someone is greedy, I know not to expect generosity in the future. However, I do not know if an unrepentant will repent. I also do not know if a faithful servant will throw in the towel and choose an ungodly lifestyle. I do know, however, the principles of scripture. God put us in a sowing and reaping world. What we sow, we will reap. To be able to guess someone’s behavior from experience is not rocket science. It’s biblical wisdom.

Jacob knew the patterns of his sons. He knew that God often defined the destinies of His people by the bent of a men’s hearts. Jacob revealed the future of the twelve tribes of Israel to each of his sons. His knowledge of them, coupled with the revelation of God, accurately forecasted their destinies. I wonder how it felt to each one as this truth sunk in ~ What I’ve done with my life so far is determining my future.

What do I do today if I see the shipwrecked life of someone I love? I know that without a spiritual turnaround, the days ahead of them are foreboding. I ask God to have mercy on them. I ask God to destroy the schemes of the evil one to ‘blind the mind of my unbelieving loved one so that they might not see the glory of Christ.’ 2 Cor. 4:4 I ask God to reveal Himself to them and bring them to a place of spiritual need.

Each of us knows that our past does not have to define our future. With God, there is mercy. With God, there is forgiveness and a clean canvas upon which He can paint a glorious destiny of grace.

Thank you for not giving me what I deserve. Thank you for your fathomless mercy. Amen

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. Genesis 48:21

When good fathers are alive, their children dwell securely under their shade. God’s favor is on the father, and by extension, the sons and daughters who share his faith. The children might not think about the day when their father no longer lives. If they do, they wonder if God’s favor will shadow them in the same way.

How reassuring were Jacob’s words to Joseph. “I am about to die but God will be with you.” Didn’t Joseph already know that? God had brought him safely through slavery, captivity, and enthronement. But ascending a throne in Egypt is not the same as stepping into the role of a patriarch within ‘the’ covenant family. It was easier for him to follow in Jacob’s footsteps while he was alive than to step into his shoes after death. This very thing, every son of a larger-than-life father, feels.

In taking Joseph to Egypt, God gave him distance between his iconic father and himself. He became his own person, a unique son of Yahweh. The sons of famous fathers must do the same today. Leave home. In their father’s shadow, it is difficult to know themselves and to also give themselves permission to be different from what others expect. How unfair to hear, “He not like his father.” Or, “He’s going to be just like his father!”  Either way, it’s a pile of expectations. The public sees perfection. The family sees the humanity. We are god-makers by our fallen natures and cast this heavy burden upon their children.

Like you perhaps, I’m aware that the story would be different if Reuben, or Judah, or Simeon had become the vice-chancellor of Egypt. Great fathers don’t always raise great sons. Joseph was great because God had his hand on him and cast him into refining fires early in life. The others stayed in their father’s shade, resented his faith, and acted out a kind of teenage rebellion throughout their adult lives.

I’m married to the son of an iconic father ~ a larger-than-life evangelist. No matter where we go, Ron is Jack Wyrtzen’s son. Expectations have always been high. At 32, God called Ron away from his father’s organization to become the unique leader he is today. He was cast into great refining fires for two decades. Today, he is a great man much like his father but different from his father. He has been a ‘Jesus’ in the business world instead of in ministry. Carving out God’s path for himself would not have happened without time and distance but this has proven true ~ As God was with Jack Wyrtzen, God has been, and is, with Ron Wyrtzen. I see God’s favor on him every single day as he brings the kingdom to our world with wisdom, holy restraint, and grace.

You made me. Only You should shape Your own creation. Strengthen the holy legacies with our fathers and break the back of idolatry. Amen

When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Mannasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” Genesis 48:17-19

God is unpredictable. We say we want Him to have His way with our lives but do we really? What in the world would happen if we completely relinquished the reins?  By trying to control things, we forfeit God’s blessing.

Mannaseh was Joseph’s firstborn, the heir to the firstborn’s blessing. But Jacob perceived that God wanted something different when he went to pronounce a final blessing on the two brothers. God intended to bless the younger over the older. History would reveal that Jacob heard God correctly. After the exodus, Ephraim became the leading tribe in the Northern Kingdom, much superior to the tribe of Mannasseh. Oh, but how Jacob’s spiritual hunch offended Joseph!

God does not exalt whom we think he should. He is full of surprises as he chooses the overlooked, the weak, the average, the unsuspecting. Talent does not impress him. Stature in the eyes of men and family don’t weigh into the decision either. God looks at the heart and if that heart has an inclination toward humility and utter dependence on God, that qualifies him for spiritual greatness. Why should Joseph have been surprised? He, himself, was in fact, far removed in birth order from the firstborn.

I’m reminded again this morning that I dare not live prayerless. I cannot guess what God wants. I am to bless whom He blesses and withhold when He withholds. Who am I affirming today that may be far from God’s blessing? Perhaps I’m impressed by their talents and charisma. And whom would God have me encourage? That person might be unnoticed, living outside of the spotlight. It just might be the ‘David’ who tends sheep; the one the family has all but waved off as an afterthought.

Align me to Your purposes. I forfeit my logic and declare that it is flawed. Amen