5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothershave come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you;settle your father and your brothers in the best part ofthe land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know ofany among them with special ability, put them in chargeof my own livestock." - P80
11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egyptand gave them property in the best partpart of the land, thedistrict of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. - P81
Five of Joseph‘s brothers are to face the most important interview oftheir lives with the most powerful ruler in the known world. - P82
But theypass the interview with ease for they were already prepped by Joseph,
an insider who has acquired a lot of wisdom in his years of workingwith Pharaoh. When we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory, it iswise to lean on the expertise of those who have more knowledge in thearea. Rather than trying to figure things out for ourselves, we shouldbe humble and rely on our teachers, leaders, and mentors to guide us.
Ultimately, we should lean on God who has all the wisdom we need tonavigate through life. - P82
When Jacob is presented to Pharaoh, this old and ailing shepherd blesses
the mighty ruler of Egypt. - P82
This might seem unusual to us because weusually expect the blessing to be given in the opposite direction, fromthe more powerful man to the lesser. - P82
But Pharaoh simply accepts Jacob‘sgesture and continues in conversation with him. - P82
This interaction showsus the respect Pharaoh has toward Jacob, the father of the man whosedivine wisdom helped save his nation from devastation. - P82
It also showsthat Jacob recognizes Pharaoh‘s need for God‘s favor and help. - P82
Let usnot forget the leaders and rulers of the world in our prayers. They needGod just as much as we do-perhaps even more,
given their influenceover the world. - P82
I needed tosomehow fish out some positive comments about these students thatwould appeal to the colleges they were applying to. - P83
The apostle Paul‘s words in Romans 5:10 gave me the perspective Ineeded. He speaks of the Christian‘s reconciliation to God throughthe death of His Son a gift that was given to us while we were stillenemies with God. - P83
God did not save me because I was already lovely;He made me lovely by bestowing upon me the righteousness of HisSon. - P83
As I thought about such things, I resolved to write these recom-mendation letters, not because my students were already worthy, butbecause my words would help to make them worthy. - P83
This is not tosay that I lied or exaggerated in my letters, but the heart behind mywords changed. I really felt like I could honestly commend certainaspects of each student.
- P83
We, as Christians, have been abundantly blessed by God though wedid nothing to deserve it. - P83
We are therefore called to bless others, eventhose we deem unworthy. - P83
Father, thank you for equipping me with everything I need to follow Yourcalling. - P83
Open my eyes so that I can see all the blessings I have in You. - P83
Help meto be a channel of blessing, particularly to the leaders and rulers above me.
In Jesus‘ name, amen. - P83
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