Daily Good News – Live with the Promise

Jul 20, 2015 1312

 

“Surely, God will visit you” (Genesis 50:24,25).

As the book of Genesis ends, Joseph, about to die, summons his brothers and urges upon them his conviction that God has certainly not forgotten the promise he made. He elicits from them an assurance that when God does eventually come to their aid, they should exhume his bones and carry them with the people, back to Canaan.

As it happened, God did come to the aid of Abraham’s descendants in Egypt. God did lead them out of that country with his mighty hand. And he did settle them in the land of Promise.

It is for us who come long after Abraham, Jacob and Joseph to question ourselves. What expectation governs our existence? Are we convinced that God will never let the world continue just as it is? Do we believe that inequality, oppression and monstrous unfairness will be judged? Do we think that God will come to our aid; that he will act on behalf of the weak, the poor and the put upon? Or do we think that we must live and die without hope and without meaning?

In the choice that is ours, we are perhaps more fortunate than Abraham and his kin. We live on the side of history on which the light of Jesus Christ has shone. Those who were there when Jesus came, who saw and heard him, they said, “Surely, God has come to help his people” (Luke 7:16). This must be our faith too. In the strength of it, we know that he is with us every step of our way, and that he will visit us again. Then all the people will be glad, and everlasting joy will be upon their heads.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *