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Economy of the Spirit

Words of Faith Final

Economy of the Spirit
Words of Faith 7-18-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 41
[28] "It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. [29] Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, [30] but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. [31] The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. [32] The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
[33] "And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. [34] Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. [35] They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. [36] This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine."

God revealed the future to Pharaoh, but He revealed the plan to Joseph. The knowledge of what would soon happen was critical information, but it was the plan that would literally save Egypt from starvation as well as the surrounding peoples. It also would eventually bring Jacob and the family from Canaan to Egypt. God was at work in wonderful ways.
God revealed to Joseph an economic plan. The plan was to not consume everything during the years of plenty. The plan was not to assume that the good times would go on forever. Those are powerful principles.
The plan was to build structures for saving so that the famine could be survived. Because of the knowledge forecasted, saving one-fifth of everything during the 7-years of abundance would supply what was needed to sustain the people during the 7-years of famine.
There is great insight here about life and economics. "The abundance in the land will not be remembered because the famine that follows it will be so severe." We have a tendency to enjoy the times of great abundance and miss the likelihood that hard times will follow.
We also tend to forget about the blessings we have enjoyed when those hard times come. Without warning about the future, we don't have the same motivation to store for the future. Still, we need to practice similar wisdom. Saving rather than consuming everything is a powerful tool.
There is a spiritual principle here as well. We often experience times of great blessing in which the generous presence of the Lord is manifested. But there will also be dry times in our lives when we wonder when the Spirit's rain will return. This happens in churches, ministries, and our lives.
The reality is that we are always dependent upon the Lord for daily bread. The manna of the Lord does not last to a second day. But we need to absorb during times of blessing to have the strength required in the times of drought. Our spiritual aquifer needs to be charged with the resources of the Spirit. We often take for granted the times of spiritual abundance and assume that things will always be so generously available. They will not.
Are you in a time of material or spiritual abundance? This is a great time to write down the blessings of God and grow deep in Him. Are you in a time of dryness in a wilderness? This is a time to draw near to Him. Seek His daily bread. Treasure every drop from the Lord and know that the desert does not last forever. The rain is coming.

Lord, teach me to trust You in the rhythm of life. Teach me to gain the resources I will need when the journey becomes difficult. Teach me to trust You even when times are difficult and sparse. Give us this day, our daily bread. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.