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For a While

Words of Faith Final

For a While
Words of Faith 8-12-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 47:1-6
Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen." [2] He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.
[3] Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?"
"Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." [4] They also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen."
[5] Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, [6] and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock."

It was time for Joseph to introduce his family to Pharaoh. Joseph had temporarily placed his brothers and father in Goshen with their flocks and herds. It was a good choice; moving them later would not make sense.
Joseph chose five of the brothers to represent the family. These are not named. They may have been the five oldest, all sons of Leah -- Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, and Dan. But we cannot be sure.
Goshen was the richest land in Egypt, perfect for a shepherding people. It was the ideal place for the family to thrive and grow. It was also of benefit to Pharaoh. The Egyptians were not a shepherding people and did not like shepherding. These new immigrants could serve well by caring for the herds of Pharaoh.
The brothers explained their need to be in the land of the Egyptians "for a while." They had no idea how long the famine would last. They also did not know how their families would thrive in this rich land or how comfortable they would eventually become as they grew dramatically in numbers.
God had a plan. Not only would this place be a temporary protection that would save the family from starvation, but this would also be a haven for growth. The stay for "awhile" would become 400 years. The family would grow from 70 to about two million. The rich land of Goshen would incubate the future of Israel.
A question that is raised for us concerns our ability to trust the Lord with the seasons of our lives. None of us knows the number of our days or God's plan beyond those days. The Lord was shaping a nation that would eventually number like the stars in the sky. From this nation would come the Messiah of God, a Savior much greater than Joseph. But all that would take a while. So, for now, they would be in Goshen for a while.
The questions we may ask: Can I trust the Lord with the season in which I find myself? It may be a season of difficulty as it had been for Joseph. It may be a season of famine as it had been for the family of Jacob. It may be a season of transition or even migration to a new place. But can I trust the Lord, that He has plans for me not to harm me but to bring hope and a future?

Father God, I give thanks to You for the season I am in. I am grateful for the journey you have called me to. I trust that You have a bigger plan than me and a view larger than my own. I trust You and rejoice in what You are doing. 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.