The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 17 November 2020 – TOPIC: WHEN GOD IS INVOLVED!

Click HERE to Read Previous MESSAGES

TOPIC: WHEN GOD IS INVOLVED!

READ: GENESIS 46:1-25(NKJV)1. So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.2. Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.”3. So He said, “I [am] God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.4. “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up [again;] and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”5. Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.6. So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him.7. His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.8. Now these [were] the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben [was] Jacob’s firstborn.9. The sons of Reuben [were] Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.10. The sons of Simeon [were] Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.11. The sons of Levi [were] Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.12. The sons of Judah [were] Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.13. The sons of Issachar [were] Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron.14. The sons of Zebulun [were] Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.15. These [were] the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, [were] thirty-three.16. The sons of Gad [were] Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.17. The sons of Asher [were] Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah [were] Heber and Malchiel.18. These [were] the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.19. The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, [were] Joseph and Benjamin.20. And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him.21. The sons of Benjamin [were] Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.22. These [were] the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.23. The son of Dan [was] Hushim.24. The sons of Naphtali [were] Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.25. These [were] the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.*THE MESSAGE:*The excitement and eager expectation of seeing and reuniting with a favourite son he had long thought to be dead must have spurred Jacob into hastily embarking on what could be aptly described as a journey to uncertainty. However, midway into that journey, reality may have begun to stir in him some inexplicable fear that probably made him branch to Beer-Sheba to court divine attention. Jacob’s decision to offer sacrifice to God at Beer-Sheba could have been driven by some memorable family history at the place (Genesis 21:33 & 26:25), which probably culminated in their pitching a family altar there as the patriarchs were most likely to do. True to His type, God was pleased with Jacob’s sacrifice and instantly reassured him that there was no cause for alarm because He would be with him all the way. Assurance of divine presence, guidance, security and favour was a strong morale booster for Jacob, as it should be for whoever else that obtains it. Much more than that however, is the guarantee of success it conveys on whatever venture one undertakes in conformity with divine plans and purposes, just as was the case with Jacob’s migration to Egypt at this point.*PRAYER:* Grant, Oh Lord, that Your presence abide with me always. Amen.