Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Saturday January 16, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Genesis, chapters 46-48. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-january-16

The word temptation is defined as to entice or allure someone to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral. Even if you did not know what the word means, it still sounds wicked and something that we should avoid, yet we are surrounded by it all day long. As Christian's temptation seems to follow us like a stalker, especially if we are among those who live in the world. Why? Because the most joyful event for Satan is watching a child of God destroy his relationship with God. You know, we can not choose our family, but we can choose not to participate in their way of living, even if we have to live with them. When Jacob found out that Joseph was alive he could not wait to see his son, but something was holding him back from reuniting with him. Before he arrived in Egypt he stopped off in Beersheba and spoke with God to make sure he was making the right decision. “And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.” - Genesis 46:1-5. Jacob knew that God had planned for his people to live in Canaan, not in Egypt, but God assured him they were doing the right thing and that their journey in Egypt was not to be a permanent one, but that it would be a time of preparing his family to become a great nation.

Now, the Israelite's (Jacob, his eleven sons, and their families) arrived in Egypt and settled in the beautiful land of Goshen. For many years, they enjoyed its prosperity, but slowly fell for the Egyptian temptations around them, including idol worship. They completely lost sight of God's covenant promise, to bless them if they would live in obedience to Him, and because they failed to keep their part of the covenant to God they became enslaved by the nation that had once welcomed them. Now, they are living in poverty and instead of seeking God for help they went to Joseph and sold all their land and everything they possessed, even themselves, to Pharaoh and now they have become slaves, in a sense they sold their souls to the devil. “Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.” - Genesis 47:23-25. Had the Israelite's kept their promise to God He would have never let them become slaves to the Egyptians, but once they chose to give into the temptations of their world He allowed it to happen. People who live in the world have the mentality that money can keep them from dying, from famine, or even from hell, but they fail to realize that money is worthless. Money can not bring water when there is none to take from the lakes, it can not bring food when there is no water to make things grow, it can not keep us from dying, and it certainly can not keep us from hell. There is only one person that keep us from hell and that is Jesus Christ.

Jacob had to teach his descendants the consequences of failing to seek God's guidance, he passed on the Abrahamic blessing to Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. “And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth..........And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.” - Genesis 48:14-16,20,21. They were selected to receive the inheritance that would have gone to Reuben, Jacob's oldest son. Although Reuben possessed great natural abilities, in addition to having the inheritance rights of the first born, he forfeited his rights to the Abrahamic inheritance because of his immorality. Like Jacob, our first priority before making any life decision should be to seek the Lord for His guidance. His Word is our Guide. Letting God guide us in the only way to keep from falling into temptation and suffering needlessly.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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