Hebrews 11:20-22
God had promised blessings forever to Abraham's countless descendants. Isaac was the son born to begin the fulfillment of this promise. Isaac passed this message along to his two sons. God chose the younger, Jacob, through whom to continue the fulfillment of his promise to Abraham. Jacob had twelve sons, and they became to fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. (Israel was another name for Jacob.) Even when Jacob was dying in Egypt, he believed God's promise that Israel would become a great nation as he blessed Joseph's two sons (his grandsons). Joseph, one of Jacob's sons, was sold by his own brothers into slavery where he was falsely imprisoned. He remained faithful to God and was eventually promoted to a high position in Egypt. Even through all this, Joseph didn't forget the promises of God. He was eventually reconciled to his brothers, and he brought his family to Egypt to be near him. When he was about to die, he remembered God's promise and had faith that his people would one day leave Egypt. "He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left." v. 22
Once again, I remind you that faith is believing God! And He always keeps His promises.
Psalm 128
This psalm tells us that we'll be joyful if we fear the Lord and follow His ways. We can expect our work to yield fruit and to meet our needs. God will bless our relationships, especially our families. These are the Lord's blessings to those who fear and respect Him. Actually this psalm ends with a prayer that these things will be so, "May the Lord continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live. May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace!" Remember that this prayer was written to be read by Israel, but we can apply it to our own lives, our homes, and even to our country. May our homes prosper and may our country have peace.
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