Surrender

Dear Christa—

From Genesis to Now: Gen. 43:1-14

Regarding the second journey to Egypt, it’s Judah who steps forward. Reuben had offered his sons, as if Jacob would find comfort in putting his grandchildren to death. Judah offers himself.

Judah is no longer a young man. Perhaps Jacob sees maturity in him. Maybe he’s just more trustworthy than Reuben at this time.

But, like it or not, they must have food. Sometimes, God gets us where He wants us through bad situations. It’s been true of us. It’s been true in our children’s lives as well. Most of the time—at least for people I know—God doesn’t appear in a burning bush and audibly tells us where to go. I wish He did.

It does sometimes seem that when we’re up against a rock, God is getting ready to work drastically in our lives.

It is so with Jacob. He asks God for mercy and submits to the destiny God has chosen for him.

Complete surrender to the will of God is often hard to achieve without recognizing our utter dependence on God, and that usually comes in the midst of trouble. Perhaps that’s why James writes to “consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.” And, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Every good and perfect gift is from God. We recognize that when we’ve nowhere else to turn.

—the parishioner who doesn’t do anything