“the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”
Israel was captive for hundreds of years in Egypt and had endured incredible hardship. As God began to work he began to prepare His people for life after captivity. Life after bondage. Life after hardship. He told His people to request the silver and gold from Egypt and they did. God moved amongst the enemies of His children and they yielded their gold and silver. Just gave it to them. They went from slaves to rich people over night. From bondage to freedom with wealth in one day.
One of the hardest things we have to do as children of God is forget what lies behind, let go of our bondage, and recognize the great riches of being a child of God. The greatest of those riches is the indwelling of the Spirit of God. Promised and given as told in the first chapter of Acts. Every day there is something great that comes form the Word of God. Today… our enemies have been plundered and the richness of God’s Spirit indwells us and leads us forward.

I have three children of my own, (Susie was a big part of it) that I love beyond belief. I have other children that have come into my home that have become as much a part of me as if they were my own. I love them. They are the most important thing in my life. Each of them is wonderfully unique and gifted. They all have these incredible strengths that are making a difference in the world and bring great life to them. The also all have their shortcomings, things that hinder them, things they have to understand, deal with, and control. They are world changers. As we have been reading in our Life Journal we have walked through the part of Genesis where we have read the story of Jacob and his twelve sons. He loved some more than others and they were a broken lot. Today we read how before he dies Jacob blesses them all. “He blessed them, every one with a blessing appropriate to him.” He knew them. Every one of them. And he blessed them with a blessing appropriate for them. God knows us. And He blesses us. With a blessing appropriate for us. If we are to be like Him. Shouldn’t we know those close to us? And bless them. With blessings appropriate for them.

One of the first promises that really stuck in my heart as I gave my life to Christ is His promise to make good out of the bad things that happen or have happened in my life. Today in our life journal you see what I would term as on of the “biggies” with regards to God proving that to us in the way he treated the patriarchs. Joseph has been sold into slavery in Egypt and has endured years of mistreatment and prison before he is recognized for his wisdom and abilities. Today he reveals himself to his family and forgives them as he realizes the thing that they meant for bad God has actually turned to good to save their lives and to be used to build the nation of Israel. They rejoice together and enter a time of true blessing as a family and nation. “Life happens” is a way I’ve heard it described. Things go wrong. Sometimes terribly wrong. As I write this I can think of the “biggies” in my life. A daughter gets raped. My wife gets cancer. Both my parents die long before they should. Just a few of the “biggies”. In each of those circumstances I can tell a corresponding story of how God used that circumstance to take me to a greater place of trust and faith. Of how I would never wish what had happened on any other human being but how could never replace how that experience had blessed me. God is a good God. He does take the bad things in our life and make good of them. Sometimes I have to remind Him of that promise, usually because I’ve grown impatient with His timing. Then I’m reminded of another early truth, He might not be early but He’s never late.

My grandson has just turned three and is my best friend. I would rather spend time with him than do anything else. His zest for life is unbelievable. Can he celebrate when he does something that he thinks is cool. Just the other day he blew this large cedar whistle that makes a train noise when you blow into it. Thomas the Train is one of his hero’s and making train noises sends him onto orbit. He does this amazing little dance where he jumps up and down with both of his feet together as if he were jumping rope without the rope. I caught myself doing it with him which caused him to really get excited. Today in our life journal reading from Luke 15 is the parable of the “lost son”. It closes with the father saying to the eldest son, “But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.” The elder son is so caught up in his own life that he can’t celebrate the return of this brother who was lost. He is so focused on the fathers “stuff” that he doesn’t know or understand the fathers heart. The fathers heart is that “none should perish” and we should celebrate when any return to the father. This last Sunday as Harold Eberle spoke in our church many decided it was time to return home to the father. That is what I live for, seeing the lost come home, the dead raised. Celebrate with me.

The worlds worst sport is wrestling. Not WWF but what you see in high school, college, and the Olympics. I had a Young Life kid who was a wrestler who was messing around with me and I boldly told him, “You can’t get me off my feet”. In seconds he had me on the ground. So i proclaimed, “You can’t pin me”. Seconds later I was pinned to the ground. I outweighed him by eighty pounds!
Today in our Life Journal we see that Jacob wrestled all night long with God. All night long. Neither prevailed. I think God was just messing with him, playing with him, as fathers will do. After the match God changes his name to Israel for “you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed. Isn’t that what life is? Striving with God over who’s will is going top prevail in your life. Striving with men as we try to live a life that brings glory to God who insists we live in right relationship with one another. As I think of all the confusion and heartache and blessing and joy it comes from the interaction I have with my God and with His image bearers. Wrestle on!

My son in law and I had an interesting conversation about the signs of the times. That look at current world issues and trying to tie them to bible prophecy. He has a friend who is very concerned about what he is hearing with regards to the “health plan” that is being debated. In our Life Journal reading today we are told we can see the signs and yet don’t act. I came to Christ through Hal Lindsey’s “Late Great Planet Earth”. I tell people I was scared into salvation. The truth is that my heart was ready to surrender and when I prayed the prayer of salvation I meant it and my life has never been the same. The mistake I made early in my Christian walk was to chase after end times theology and not get to know the one I had surrendered to. As my conversation came to a close with my son in law I reminded him that when Christ appeared the first time almost everyone missed it and he promises he will come like a “thief in the night” the second time. My personal charge is live like he’s coming in the next moment but plan my life like he won’t be here in my lifetime.