Bible In One Year –Day 21 (January 21, 2014)

Romans8:28 was one of the scriptures I first memorized as a Christian. The phrase “…the called according to His purpose” was not clear to me until the study of Jacob’s ‘Peniel experience’, Gen32:24-31. Jacob was never the same after this experience. Peniel means, in Hebrew language, the face of God. Jacob’s natural strength was dealt with and he realized his weaknesses and inadequacies. What he used to be boastful of became a thing of shame to him. Before now he used to think of himself more important than others. He used to take unholy advantage over people’s weaknesses with his strength and grace. But after the Man touched the socket of his hip and dislocated it, the way he walked and portrayed himself changed; pride, cheating, lying, self, flair for worldly things and pleasure disappeared. The most wealthiest and peaceful moment of Jacob’s life was at his old age in Goshen. Joseph’s ‘Peniel experience’ was in the prison. He, too, had no respect for his seniors and often times use his father’s favoritism to take undue advantage to exercise control over his senior brothers. Both became so humbled just because they were children of purpose and they had to be conformed to purpose by the disciplining of God (a process). All they went through was not to kill them but to change and pattern them for purpose, Rom8:18, 35-39. For the word of God to Abraham, Gen17:6, to be fulfilled, Jacob’s natural life had to be dealt with. And for His word in Gen15:13 to be fulfilled, Joseph had to be humbled through the prison life. Many of us are children of destiny but lack the humility to attain the height of destiny and so we need to be disciplined to suit the purpose we are created for. This PENIEL EXPERIENCE, i.e. the transforming process. God touches us with His Spirit of light, Psalm119:130/John6:63. The closer we are to His glory, the more we see our filthiness, weaknesses and inadequacies and the more we cease to see our strength. Hence, our walks become different and we appreciate people when we are accepted. The prayer of Isaac for Jacob in Gen27:28 was fulfilled in 45:18. As Jacob’s story was rounding up, we could see the gradual transition into the next step of God’s promises and covenant to Abraham, the father of faith. Jacob went through a lot, Gen47:9; pursued by birth-mate, maltreatment from in-laws, loss of Rachel, daughter defiled and Joseph taken from him. He had a wounded heart and refused to be comforted for 13 yrs because of Joseph, Gen37:35. Joseph was the vessel for the next fulfillment in God’s plan. When he heard that Joseph was alive, Gen45:27, his spirit was revived and heart received healing. I pray for you that this very year, you will receive a divine message that will heal you perpetually in the name of Jesus. God gave Jacob the message of assurance, Gen46:2-4; “…and Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.” (46:3-4). Meaning that Jacob will die and the chapter will be closed by the next person (Joseph) carrying the mantle of purpose. God will not change His plan, purpose and agenda, he will rather change a person. Money can fail, 47:15, but purpose sustains. Whoever runs after money, evidently, has not discovered purpose. When you find purpose, people will seek for you. In Gen47, we could see the awesome leadership/management skill of Joseph; he ruled without oppression and difficulty, bought everybody without their knowing, increased the wealth of Pharaoh without any argument. Can we find such leader in the community, churches, nations and the world today? You could go through 2Tim3. Gen49 is a parable to us. We shall all stand before the judgment seat of God and BOOKS will be opened and records read out, Rev20:12-13. The most important is the book of life.

Joseph was the only one amongst his brethren that had the testimony of the Spirit of life and the blessing he received was immeasurable. May the Spirit of Gen49:22-26 flourish in your life in the name of Jesus. Joseph was the only one recorded in the Bible (KJV) buried in a coffin. What is the implication? That coffin was a prophetic contact, Gen50:24, for the fulfillment of God’s promises, Gen15:13-14. Abraham passed ‘purpose’ to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, and then Jacob to Joseph. After Joseph, the mantle of purpose was preserved as bones in the coffin. Your dry bones shall rise again, IJN. In summary, beloved, we learnt of the taste of God the Father in Abraham, God the Son in Isaac, the work of God the Holy Spirit in Jacob and purpose in Joseph. The brothers of Joseph only made us to understand that VISION and PURPOSE shall prevail, they bowed to it, Gen50:18. But what happened to Rebekah? I pray that you shall not be missing in the plan of God, IJN. Prayer: My Father, baptize me with the Spirit of purpose, IJN. The book of EXODUS is the explosion of the summary of Gen15:13-14. The next mile in this trip is Exodus1-4. Keep the fire burning and alive. Tell somebody about JESUS today!!!