Genesis Week 45 • Heavenly Perspective

Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast.

We're so glad you chose to listen today.

In today's message, we explore Joseph's journey in Genesis 42

and how shifting our mindset allows us to find joy,

even when earthly optimism collides with harsh realities.

By embracing humility, listening for God's voice,

and living in truth rather than emotions,

we uncover the power of trusting God's greater plan.

Join us as we reflect on finding joy in surrendering our plans to His will

and recognizing His work in our lives, no matter the circumstances.

Thanks for listening.

Well, good morning.

If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do,

I want to invite you to join us in Genesis 42 this morning.

I want to echo what Dave said.

I hope you had a wonderful, wonderful New Year.

I hope you had a wonderful, traditional New Year's Day lunch like we did.

I hope you had some great friends and family to spend time with,

and we count it as a blessing that each and every one of you are here today to worship with us.

If you are a first-time guest, Dave said he's going to ask one thing from you,

so I would like to ask one thing from you.

After the service is over with, my wife and I will be back here to my left at the back of the auditorium.

If you wouldn't mind just stopping by, we'd love to speak to you for just a moment.

Give us an opportunity to learn your name and to thank you for being here and worshiping with us personally.

And then if you do have any questions about our church, it's a wonderful place to get those answered.

And then for all of you, I want to invite you back tonight to be a part of a fellowship time,

for us to have that together as a church family before we fully get our schedule going back next week.

Yesterday was smelling good in the Bradbury house.

So I have a problem with cooking for like small portions.

I'm a big portion kind of eater, so I'm a big portion kind of cooker.

And so yesterday, I fixed about 20 pounds of chicken and dumplings for us to have.

If you do not come and eat the chicken and dumplings tonight,

my kids and I will be, and my wife will be eating chicken and dumplings for the next three weeks.

So please come and help us with that, please, this evening.

Also, at the end of the service, we're going to take the Lord's Supper together as a family.

And if you're here and you're a follower of Jesus Christ, whether you're a member here or not,

we want to invite you to take, partake in that with us.

We'll give some instructions at the very end of the service as we do that together.

If you missed one of these from our greeters as you came in,

we still have some available at the very back of the auditorium.

You can go by and you can grab those.

And then the last commercial that I'm going to give you this morning

is we are starting back our 9 o'clock discipleship hour next week.

We're going to be doing these five classes on top of all of our small groups that we offer.

And so these cards are made available.

Back on there is a little QR code where you can scan to join those.

We would appreciate it if you're going to be attending one of these, if you would do that.

And we want to encourage all of you as we get back into new disciplines and new times

for things for this coming year, wonderful opportunity,

some variety of different studies that you can be a part of

where you feel like God has for you of what God wants to grow you and do.

So please, please, please be a part of all that is going on.

Well, for the last, I don't know, maybe two to three months,

what I've been doing is reading a verse to kind of get our mind directed

on where we're going to go and what we're going to do

and then have a time of prayer before we go into God's Word.

So we are in Genesis 42.

We're back.

We've been working through Genesis for about two years,

taking some breaks here and there to cover different topics or different seasons

in the life of our church.

But for about two years, we've been working in Genesis.

And we've made our way to Genesis 42.

I think by the end of February, we will be finished with Genesis.

But I make no promises, right?

But I think we'll be finished with Genesis by the end of February.

But the verse I want to read to you this morning,

I want you to, normally I don't even give context to the verse,

but I want this morning so importantly for us to hold on to

and to focus in and to listen to and capture these words.

Because we're going to be in Genesis 42,

but the very last verse that we're going to read

is the first verse we're going to start off with,

and that's going to be found in Matthew 26, verse 39.

Matthew 26:39

So we're going to go in Genesis,

but here's where we're going to begin,

and here's where we're going to end.

I want to give the context now

so we're thinking through this

as we'll land here at the end of the message.

Find in Matthew 26,

Jesus is in the garden awaiting his betrayal,

awaiting his arrest,

awaiting the beatings that will come,

and his impending crucifixion.

God's word says,

in going a little farther,

he fell on his face and prayed,

saying,

My Father,

if it be possible,

let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless,

not as I will,

but as you will.

Would you pray with me?

God, as we study your word this morning,

God, I pray that our hearts and our minds

will be focused on the truth of your message.

Lord, in the guidance and grace of your Holy Spirit,

God, may we block out the distractions

that the world wants to bring us.

God, may the power of your Spirit

will receive the conviction,

Lord, that you grant us

when there's the sin that's in our life.

God, may we paint and tell

a wonderful picture

of your hand at work

through your Son, Jesus.

God, may I be faithful to your word,

faithful to your text,

offer your name and your glory.

And it's in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

When I ask this question,

and it's kind of themed a little bit

around some of the things

that I've noticed and seen

for this time of year traditionally.

And the question is this,

what happens when earthly optimism

and earthly realities collide?

And we think about that

with the coming in to the new year.

We look back on a year past.

We look forward to a year to come.

We set expectations.

We set desires.

We set resolutions

so that the upcoming year

will not have to look like,

feel like, or experience

the way the last year looked.

This isn't something that's new.

This is something that's common.

This is something that's expected.

Resolutions, commitments,

promises that we make.

Many of them,

I dearly do,

I hope you see through

and fulfill in your life,

but also understanding

with the expectation

that many of us

fall short over and over

and over again with these.

And I feel that the heart,

that the desire from this

is not just so that we can say,

look at what I've done,

but we've looked back,

we've seen struggles,

we've seen issues,

we've seen times

where we've missed the mark.

And for a year coming forward,

we want to see better.

And when we make phrases,

we make statements,

like, you know what?

Well, I hope 2025

is better than 2024.

Or, there's no way

this year can be as bad

as last year.

We have a feeling

or a sense

that the difficulties,

the struggles,

the stresses

of the past

were used

to make something

bad.

And the hope

is that they will

change

and as a result

will have

a better year.

I haven't necessarily

done scientific research

on this topic,

but in the 45 years

of my life experience,

here's what I found,

that we will look

at the hardships

of life

and based off

of the hardships

that we've received,

based off of the struggles

that we've received,

we will look at them

as punishments,

as curses,

as consequences,

and our hope

for the upcoming year

will be found in,

well, if these things

can be better,

then my year

will be better.

And I think

that there's

a danger in that.

there's a danger

in that line

of thinking.

I've had it,

you've had it,

we have it oftentimes

together,

and as believers,

I think there's

a very harsh

danger

in associating

the good

and bad

of the year

with the hardships

that we did

or did not face.

And the danger

is this,

that oftentimes,

even as believers,

our joy,

our joy,

let me define

joy for you,

that this Christian joy,

it is a feeling,

it is a good feeling

that resides

deep in the soul

of the follower

of Jesus,

and it's produced

by the Holy Spirit

of evidence

of Him in there,

that as He

causes us

to see

the beauty

of Christ

in the world

and in the circumstances

and situations

we face,

regardless

if we classify

them as good

or bad.

So the danger

is that as believers,

our joy

is all too often

robbed from us

as we walk

through the hardships

of life.

And folks,

the reason

why I want

to begin

this season,

begin this year,

begin this time

with this thought

is that

is not at all

what Christ

intends for you.

That's not all

what God

has for you

in this.

To have such

limited

perspective

that the

deep

settled

joy

that is given

to all believers

in Christ

that we're called

to live in,

to experience,

that is not

a mindset

that we have

to convince

ourself of,

but it is a reality

that we get

the beauty

to live in,

is established

in who our

Creator,

who our Savior,

and who the

Spirit of God

is,

and is not

because you

had a bad day,

a bad week,

a bad month.

Here in

Genesis 42,

we're picking

back up

in the life

of Joseph,

and maybe

you've forgotten,

we haven't been

back in Genesis

since November,

or maybe

you're new to us,

so let me recap

really quickly

just some highlights

in Joseph's life.

It's not been

an easy life.

It may be

started as that.

It may be

looking a little

bit different

where he is now,

but the journey

in which he's

gone on,

we began

in chapter 37,

we see that

he's dad's

favorite.

We see that

there's a lot

of brothers

and a lot

of jealousy.

As a result

of that,

his brothers

fake his death

and sell him

into slavery.

This is his

journey.

Once he gets

to Egypt,

he's falsely

accused

of assault

of his

master's wife.

She's actually

the one

assaulting him,

and he's

falsely accused

and in prison

for crimes

that he didn't

commit.

He's then

forgotten about

in prison

for years

even by those

who could

secure

his freedom.

But when

his freedom

is finally

granted,

it's not,

well,

we're sorry,

here's the

compensation,

here's what you

can go and do,

but instead

when his

freedom is

granted,

granted by

Pharaoh,

he basically

becomes the

governor,

the overseer

of Egypt's

agriculture

and economy

in preparation

for years

of prosperity

but also

for years

of famine.

Famine

comes,

in fact,

I want to read

these verses

aren't on the

screen,

but I want to

read to you

Genesis 41

starting in

verse 56.

So when the

famine had

spread over

all the

land,

Joseph opened

the storehouses

and sold

to the

Egyptians

for the

famine was

severe in

the land

of Egypt.

Verse 57,

moreover,

all the

earth came

to Egypt

to Joseph

to buy

grain

because the

famine

was severe

all

over

the

earth.

So this

man has

gone from

dad's

favorite,

slavery,

imprisonment,

now he's

second in

charge over

the largest

economy in

the world

and now

famine hits.

Famine is

a word

that you

and I

hear

and we

think we

can grasp,

we think we

can understand,

but I'll be

honest with you,

I can't.

I've been

desiring to

eat food at

a point in

time in

life,

right?

We have

that,

we'll use

the word

I'm hungry,

we may

even say

after a

hard day

of working

outside in

the heat

and not

being able

to eat,

I'm famished,

but for you

and I to

understand the

impact,

the global

impact is

what God's

word says

over the

famine that's

here,

it's hard

for us to

track.

So I

went and

just googled

like when

was the

last major

famine that

is experienced

in this earth.

So in

2011 for

roughly about

two years,

now I want you

to think 2011

not that long

ago,

right,

with all the

technology,

like we can

get things from

here to there

instantly,

we've got

organizations that

are all about

making sure that

people can eat,

that people

would be

taken care of,

but in

2011,

in spite of

all of the

advances that

we've made

in the

world,

in 2011

there was a

famine in

the horn of

Africa,

so that's

Kenya,

Ethiopia,

Somalia,

a handful of

countries that's

right there,

and with all

of the world

relief,

in roughly

about two

years,

250,000

people died,

and one

organization

reported

that over

half of

those 250,000

people who

died were

under the

age of

five years

old.

Like you

and I,

I can't

fathom that.

I can't

fathom what

that means.

We're not

talking about

people that

missed a

meal,

or that

missed a

day's worth

of meals.

We're talking

about weeks

upon weeks

upon weeks.

I heard a

story of a

group of

ladies,

in an

African

village,

that would

just go

and grab

any plant

that they

could,

and boil

it,

and then

force

themselves

to eat

it,

just to

get

something

in their

stomach,

even

though they

couldn't

digest

it.

That's

famine.

And what

we walk

into in

Genesis 42

is to

see that

this has

affected the

whole world.

now you

and I,

we've got

this beauty,

we've got

this privilege

in this,

is that we

can look

and see,

right,

what we'll

creep into

this morning

and creep

into God's

word and

see the

wonderful,

beautiful

privilege of

saying,

oh,

God is

providing,

God is

making a

way,

God is

using this,

and we can

celebrate him,

and we're

going to do

that.

But here's

the question

this morning,

when spiritually

speaking,

when financially

speaking,

when relationally

speaking,

in your life

and mine,

when we face

a season

of famine,

when we face

a season

of slavery,

when we face

a season

of imprisonment,

of difficulty,

of harshness,

what happens

to your joy

in Christ?

What happens

to your faith

in Christ?

What happens

to your trust

and the plan

of God?

Does it

fluctuate?

depending

on your

season

of prosperity?

Does it

fluctuate

depending

on your

season

of thriving?

Or is

it

dependent,

secured,

established,

and rooted

in spite

of the

difficulties

in God?

Being bold

and frank

and honest

with you

this morning

in the

examination

of the

Holy Spirit

in my

heart.

Church,

my repentance

this week

has been

my joy

is all

too often

connected

to my

comfort.

My joy

is all

too often

connected

in my

prosperity

and not

rooted

and established

in the truth

and the promise

of God's

word.

So how

can we

as a

body

of

believers

commit

ourselves

to having

the

established

joy,

established

faith,

established

trust

in Christ

and who

he is

and his

plan

in our

life,

in the

good,

in the

bad,

and everywhere

in between?

Let's

look at

Genesis

42

and start

in verse

1.

When

Jacob,

this is

Joseph's

dad,

learned

that there

was grain

for sale

in Egypt,

he said

to his

sons,

why do

you look

at one

another?

And he

said,

behold,

I've heard

that there

is grain

for sale

in Egypt.

Go

down and

buy grain

for us

there that

we may

live and

not die.

Like,

let's pause

there.

Aaron said

before,

hey,

there's

bread,

I need

you to

run

down

to

Aldi.

She's

never

said,

hey,

we're

running

out of

food,

get to

the store

or we're

going to

die,

right?

Like,

this is

different.

So,

ten of

Joseph's

brothers

went

down

to buy

grain

in

Egypt.

Verse

4,

but Jacob

did not

send

Benjamin,

Joseph's

brother,

with his

brothers,

for he

feared that

harm may

happen to

him.

Let's

pause

this is

a side

note for

us to

kind of

track

through,

because we're

going to

come back

to Jacob

at the

very end

of this.

Here's

what I

think is

going on.

I don't

think he

believed what

they tried

to sell

him about

Joseph.

He's

like,

you're

going away,

and there's

Benjamin,

and he's

my favorite,

and I just

want him to

hang here.

Verse

5,

thus the

sons of

Israel

came to

buy

among

the

others

who

came,

for the

famine

was in

the

land

of

Canaan.

Now

Joseph

was

governor

over

the

land.

He

was

the

one

who

sold

to

all

the

people

of

the

land,

and

Joseph's

brothers

came

and bowed

themselves

before him

with their

faces to

the

ground.

Joseph

saw

his

brothers

and

recognized

them.

Church,

it's probably

20 years

later.

But he

treated

them like

strangers

and spoke

roughly to

them.

Where do

you come

from,

he said.

And they

said,

from the

land of

Canaan

to buy

food.

And

Joseph

recognized

his

brothers,

but they

did not

recognize

him.

What

happens

when

earthly

optimism

and

earthly

realities

collide?

How do

you

and

I

gain

a

heavenly

perspective

in

these

not-so-going

well

moments

of our

life?

How do

we gain

a heavenly

perspective

when things

are difficult?

How do

we gain

a heavenly

perspective

in moments

of famine,

in moments

of imprisonment,

in moments

of slavery?

The first

thing I think

we can see

from this

passage of

scripture

is that

we need

to humble

ourselves.

Humble

yourself.

Look at

this.

If you

remember

back to

just

38,

Joseph

had a

dream

when we

got him

in trouble

with his

brothers.

He said,

hey,

here's

what's

going to

happen.

One

of these

days,

Pastor Dave

preached about

this,

he said,

one of

these days

you're

going to

bow

down to

me.

Like,

oh,

that's

really not

something you

want to

say,

little

brother.

But what

do we

see

happening

here?

What

God said

was going

to happen

is what's

happening.

God's

like,

no,

no,

no,

there's

going to

become a

point in

time of

you and

they're

going to

bow down

and they

bow.

We see in

this process,

in this

journey of

what God

says,

I'm going to

bring you

to a point

of humility,

that I'm

going to

humble you.

Here's the

plea for

your heart

and my

heart this

morning.

Be humble

so that

God doesn't

have to

humble you.

Be humble

so that

God does

not have

to humble

you.

When we

think about

humility,

when we

think about

humbling

ourselves

before the

Lord,

we've got

to understand

that the

posture of

your heart

in humility

is the

posture of

surrender.

Oftentimes,

we come

before the

Lord in

seasons of

struggle and

seasons of

difficulty and

we make

claims like,

well, you

know what?

God's going

to start

working in

this.

God, I

need you to

start doing

something in

this.

I've said

it a

thousand

times.

How about

we stop

saying God

is going

to work

and start

realizing that

God was

working, that

God is

working, and

that God

will continue

to work.

That in

the moment

of the

crisis, in

the moment

of the

famine, in

the moment

is not

God sitting

on the

sideline

waiting for

the coach

to call

men, that

God has

been, that

God is, and

that God

will continue

to work.

You see, the

reason why we

say that is

because the

plan that we

have, the

desires that

we have, have

been derailed.

And then what

we want is not

to get on

God's plan, but

what we want is

God to get on

our plan.

Well, God, this

plan has fallen

apart, this

famine, this

imprisonment, this

slavery's here, and

obviously, God, this

isn't what you

have for me.

And so, God, what

I'm going to

need you to do

is I'm going to

need you to start

working because I

need to get back

on the plan that

I was on before.

But when we

humble ourselves,

when we submit

ourselves, then

God is going to

see, we're going

to see, we're

going to realize

what God has

been doing, what

God is doing, and

what God will

continue to do.

And he'll give

us the faith to

live it out even

when we don't.

You see, God

will do God's

will.

It's a beautiful

part of God.

God is consistent

in that.

And when we

humble ourselves

and say, I

trust you, then

God gives us the

peace and the

joy.

You see, God

has a greater

plan in this

moment.

You see, the

world sees

famine, but what

God sees is

forgiveness.

The world sees

famine, but what

God sees is

future.

The world sees

struggle, and what

God sees is

blessing, over and

over again.

Humble yourself.

Let's continue in

verse 9.

And Joseph

remembered the

dreams that he had

dreamed of them.

pause, just

say, have you

ever just had

that God

aha moment?

Okay, God, I

see.

It's not an

arrogance, it's a

confidence in God

and what he's

doing.

And as his

brothers came and

bowed down before

him, I think this is

the beauty of what we

begin to see and

begin to unfold.

As Joseph

remembered the

dreams that he

had dreamed of

them.

And he said to

them, you are

spies.

You have come to

see the nakedness

of the land.

And they said to

him, no, my

Lord, your servants

have come to buy

food.

We are sons of

one man.

We are honest

men.

Now, let me just

take a moment

there, right?

Extra

biblical, but I

would have like

laughed a little

bit, right?

Really?

Keep going.

Your servants

have never been

spies.

Verse 12, he

said to them, no,

it is the nakedness

of the land that

you have come to

see.

And they said, we,

your servants, are

twelve brothers, the

sons of one man in

the land of Canaan.

And behold, the

youngest is this day

with our father, and

one is no more.

Talking about

Joseph.

One is no more.

They think there's

no way he's made

it through slavery.

One is no more.

But Joseph said to

them, it is as I

said to you, you

are spies.

By this you shall be

tested.

By the life of

Pharaoh, you shall

not go from this

place unless your

youngest brother

comes here.

Send one of you

and let him bring

your brother while

you remain confined

that your words

may be tested

whether there is

truth in you or

else by the life

of Pharaoh, surely

you are spies.

And he put them

all together in

custody for three

days.

On the third day,

Joseph said to

them, do this and

you will live for I

fear God.

If you were honest

men, let one of your

brothers remain

confined where you

were in custody and

let the rest go and

carry grain for the

famine of your

household and bring

your youngest brother

to me so your words

will be verified and

you shall not die.

And they did so.

Then they said to one

another, in truth we

are guilty concerning

our brother in that

we saw the distress of

his soul when he begged

us and we did not

listen.

That is why this

distress has come upon

us.

And Reuben answered

them, did I not tell

you not to sin

against the boy?

But you did not

listen.

So now there comes a

reckoning for his

blood.

They're talking about

Joseph.

They did not know

that Joseph understood

them for there was an

interpreter between

them.

Then he turned away

from them and wept.

And he returned to

them and spoke to

them and took Simeon

from them and bound

him before their

eyes.

And Joseph gave

orders to fill their

bags with grain and

to replace every man's

money in his sack and

to give them provisions

for the journey.

This was done for

them.

Verse 26, and when

they loaded their

donkeys with their

grain and departed,

and as one of them

opened his sack to

give his donkey fodder

here at the lodging

place, he saw his

money in the mouth of

his sack.

He said to his

brothers, my money

has been put back.

Here it is in the

mouth of my sack.

At this their hearts

failed them and they

turned, trembling to

one another, saying,

what is this that God

has done to us?

What happens when

earthly optimism and

earthly realities collide?

How do we gain

heavenly perspective in

these moments?

We've got to listen and

look to God.

We've got to listen and

look to God.

But how?

How?

I feel like sometimes we

say things like, you've

just got to give it to

the Lord.

And that's great, and

you do.

How?

What does that look

like in your life and

in my life, in those

areas of rebellion, in

those times, in those

situations where it's

overwhelming?

We're in famine to

give it to the Lord.

Well, the first thing

that we see from here,

right, is we remember.

We remember what God

has said.

Joseph in here

remembered the words

of God.

He remembered the

dreams.

Dreams were a gift and

a communication from

God.

Joseph sees.

Joseph understands.

Joseph remembers.

He remembers God's

word.

But do you, in those

moments, remember God's

word?

Well, to remember God's

word, church, we've

got to be in God's

word.

We've got to open

God's word.

We've got to read God's

word.

We've got to meditate on

God's word.

We've got to desire God's

word.

We have to memorize God's

word.

We've got to love God's

word.

We've got to treasure God's

word.

We've got to be in God's

word.

We've got to remember.

We've got to remember

God's faithfulness.

We've got to remember

time and time again the

goodness of God when we

didn't deserve it.

The goodness of God when

he's acting and he's

moving.

The goodness of God in

areas that we didn't

understand at the point

in time we've got to

remember the goodness of

God even when we're still

wondering where it was in

the moment.

We've got to remember the

goodness of God and in

doing so acknowledge the

blessings.

Acknowledge the

blessings.

And this is what we see

that would begin to happen

in here that the brothers

are missing out on.

Missing out on.

Here's what happens.

Joseph gave them grain.

He returned their money to

them.

And then he gave them

provisions for their

return trip home.

Like it looks like in

this as Joseph is dealing

with his brothers like

God's word is clear.

He speaks harshly to

them.

It doesn't say that he

spoke sinfully to them.

He spoke harshly to

them.

Like sometimes we've got

to use harsh words that

people can understand.

Like not everything is a

hug and it's going to be

better.

Like sometimes we've got

to be blunt.

We've got to be frank in a

way that glorifies God.

And he's harsh with them.

But he blesses them.

He gave them the grain.

He returned their money.

He gave them provisions

for the way home.

And how did they respond?

They were afraid.

They were afraid.

They saw the blessings of

God and thought it was

punishment for their

actions.

They're living in the

turmoil of 20 year old sin

because they haven't

released it to God.

And so God says I'm going

to bless you but you can't

see it.

When we live in an earthly

focus and not a heavenly

perspective, oftentimes you

and I, we take the

blessing of God, we see it

before us, we look at it

through an earthly

perspective, and we miss

that God is blessing us.

Church, here's a promise

that I will make to you

about blessings.

There is a group of people

who call themselves

Christians, and I do not

believe they are Christians,

who connect the blessing of

God solely with the

prosperity of health and

wealth.

And church, if your view

of blessing is only

connected to the financial

and health prosperity in

your life, then your view

of blessing will be shallow

and never satisfying.

God's word says this,

James 1, 2.

Count it all joy, my

brothers, when you meet

trials of various kinds.

James 1, 12, blessed, blessed

is the man who remains

steadfast under trial.

1 Peter 4, 12 through 13,

beloved, do not be surprised

at the fiery trial when it

comes upon you to test you

as though something strange

were happening to you, but,

but rejoice, rejoice, and as you

share Christ's sufferings, that

you may also rejoice and be glad

when his glory is revealed.

Jesus' own words in Matthew 5,

starting in verse 11, blessed are

you when others revile you and

persecute you and utter all kinds

of evil against you falsely on my

account. Rejoice and be glad

for your reward is great in

heaven, for they persecuted the

prophets who were before you.

So what does God's word tell us

about being blessed?

Sure, it's in the highs,

oh, but it's in the lows too.

It's in the valleys and

everywhere in between.

You see, Joseph did not leave

the blessing of God

when he was sold into slavery.

Joseph didn't leave the blessing

of God when he was falsely

imprisoned.

Joseph didn't leave the blessing

of God when he remained in there

and was forgotten about.

And neither have you

when the hardships

and the famine

and the suffering

and the slavery

and the imprisonment

of your life begin to take over.

In Christ,

you are

blessed.

Maybe what needs to change

in us

is not our circumstances,

but the perspective

in which we look at them.

Continue on to verse 29.

And when they came to Jacob,

their father,

in the land of Canaan,

they told him all

that had happened to them,

saying,

the man,

the Lord of the land,

spoke roughly to us

and took us to be spies

in the land.

But we said to him,

we are honest men.

We have never been spies.

We are twelve brothers,

sons of our father.

One is no more

and the youngest

is this day

with our father

in the land of Canaan.

Then the man,

the Lord of the land,

said to us,

by this I shall know

that you are honest men.

Leave one of your brothers

with me

and take grain

for the famine

of your households

and go away.

Go your way.

Bring your youngest brother

to me.

Then I shall know

that you are not spies

but honest men

and I will deliver

your brother to you

and you shall trade

in the land.

Verse 35,

as they emptied

their sacks,

behold,

every man's bundle

of money

was in his sack.

And when they

and their father

saw their bundles

of money,

they were afraid.

Again,

they miss it again.

And Jacob,

their father,

said to them,

you have bereaved me

of my children.

Joseph is no more

and Simeon is no more

and now you would

take Benjamin.

Look at these words.

All this has come

against me.

Then Reuben

said to his father,

kill my two sons

if I do not

bring him back to you.

Put him in my hands

and I will bring him

back to you.

But he said,

my son

shall not go down

with you

for his brother

is dead

and he is

the only one

left.

If harm

should happen

to him

on the journey

that you are

to make,

you will bring

down my gray hairs

with sorrow

to Sheol.

And what we find

in Jacob

is this

downward spiral.

What happens

when earthly

optimism

and earthly

realities

collide?

How do you

and I

gain a heavenly

perspective

in these moments?

Church,

live in truth

not emotions.

Live in truth

not in

emotions.

It's not just

the brothers.

It's Jacob too.

Jacob

blessed

and blessed

and blessed

and blessed

by God.

Jacob

in spite of his

failures

blessed by God.

Jacob

in spite of the

circumstances

blessed by God.

And yet

what we find

in here

is Jacob

who was chosen

by God

Jacob

who was wealthy

and blessed

by God

Jacob

who was healthy

by God

comes to all

of this

and says

all of this

has come

against me.

living in the

emotion

of the

moment

and not

in the

confidence

of the

God

who's

called

him.

Not

in the

confidence

of the

God

who's

chosen

him.

Not

in the

confidence

of the

God

who saved

him.

And in

this

moment

God

is working

out

his plan

to restore

and reconcile

his family

and all

Jacob

can see

in this

moment

is all

of this

has come

against

me.

How many

times in

your life

and in

my life

do we

get caught

in the

emotion

of the

moment

and we

feel that

our world

around us

is falling

apart

and we

lose

the truth

that we

sit

and we

rest

in the