Comparison

"So Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.'"  -Genesis 47.9

Pharaoh asks Jacob his age Jacob gives an expanded answer.  He gives his age and then shares how he has had an unpleasant life, and that he has not attained the age of his father or grandfather.  As he looks at his life he seemed to focus on the bad and the absent, not on the blessings.  He compares his life to his predecessors, and seems very disappointed.

Men, when people ask you a out your life do you find yourself comparing your life to others?  Do you look at what they had or accomplished and see how you haven't done the same things?  Have you ever noticed when you do this you forget about all of the things you do have?

Jacob had twelve sons, and one of them was second in command of Egypt.  He had flocks and herds and had received the promise of the covenant.  Yes, he had endured hardships, he had thought one of his sons had died.  He had that whole issue of his brother wanting to kill him, and his uncle had tried to cheat him out of everything.  His daughter had been raped and two of his sons had killed an entire city in response.  But in all of this God has passed the covenant on to him.

But when he gives an account he is focused on the negative.  Perhaps this is what kept Jacob from deeper intimacy with God.  Perhaps for this reason God was the God of his father.

When we compare our lives to others we focus on everything we feel God has denied us, and when we do that we cannot connect with Him on anything deeper than a surface level.  Comparison keeps us from intimacy with God.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Trusted

"The land of Egypt isat your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, thenput them in charge of my livestock."  -Genesis 47.6

Joseph has done well for Pharaoh and for Egypt, he has saved their lives.  Pharaoh clearly trusts Joseph because he put him in charge of his country, and with that he trusts Joseph's judgment in all areas.  His brothers have come to Egypt and Pharaoh learns they are shepherds.  He tells Joseph to put any capable men in charge of his flocks.  He trusts his judgment.

 Men, is your judgment trusted?  Is your opinion reliable and accurate?

There is a flip side to this, you may be the one who is recommended, do you live up to it?  Are you worthy of the recommendation?  Or do your actions damage the character of the one who recommended you?

Are you trusted?  Are you trustworthy?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor