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11015084_865590096835214_4335680576188250137_nThis week we find the events surrounding Jacob nearing the end of his life here on earth ….

  • God’s ways are not our ways. Jacob blesses Joseph’s two sons, repeating the same “mistake” made with Jacob and Esau. God’s ways are FAR beyond anything we can imagine. But when His Word is sent out, it always produces, always accomplishes, and always prospers in the way He intends. May we rest in His sovereignty over our lives today.
  • We must deal with our sin. In blessing Simeon and Levi, Jacob identifies their problem with anger. In Proverbs 29:22, we are told that “a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.” Here we see one very good reason to deal with anger issues >>> It will not stay contained.
  • We must place our hope in Him. “I trust in you for salvation, O Lord!” (Genesis 49:18, NLT) We bind ourselves to Him when we trust Him in hope. One commentary put it this way…”We press into Him for soul-healing – – healing for ourselves, our kids, our marriages, our churches, our cities, our nations.” We wait expectantly. This brought to mind Isaiah 40:30-31 >“But those who trust the Lord will find NEW STRENGTH.” (NLT). A strength we never had before. When we bind ourselves to God, we BELIEVE He will sufficiently meet our needs. We recognize that the Lord alone is our hope. 11391510_915764901817733_2730214012312161065_n
  • Our words contain power. Jacob spoke an appropriate blessing over his sons. He did not bless them without seeing them for who they each were – the good, the bad and the ugly. May we not throw our words around without giving careful thought. May even our giving of compliments always be truthful and not to flatter.
  • We all leave a legacy. I found myself sad when it came time to bury Jacob. There were many who mourned Jacob, having grown in admiration for his son, Joseph. Here’s the thing …. the question isn’t whether or not we will leave a legacy. We will ALL leave one. The question is … what kind of legacy are we leaving? Notice I wrote that present tense. Why? Because we are leaving our legacy while we are yet living. We tend to think we leave it once we pass away. We are working on our legacy each and every day. Psalm 78:4 tells us, “We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.” (NLT) Are we telling them? Maybe that is the question for us to think about. Based on what I am telling them, today and each day, what are my children (and others) learning about my God?

 

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May we speak words of life and power as we each remember,

“My legacy will outlive me”
(Lara Williams, “Fruitful Affliction”)

 

Today I am joining … #Small Wonder and  Sharing His Beauty and Inspire Me Monday .