Appropriately

DEVOTION

GENESIS

APPROPRIATELY

Gen 49:28-33

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. 29 Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites." 33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

NIV

The last breathe of Jacob, the end of his life on this earth has come and all his sons are there having heard his words of blessing upon them, each blessing appropriate to each son. He does give his instructions as to where he is to be laid to rest. Our lesson is in the word appropriate. The original text uses the language that he blessed them as he blessed them, which in fact does carry the meaning each was appropriate for each son. As we just finished looking at each we certainly can testify this is a true statement. So how does that apply to our lives? Sometimes we might think that God blesses some people a whole lot more than he does us. We hear people say how God blessed them with this or that, perhaps a healing, or in some material way, and we think, why doesn’t he do that for me? We talk about the sovereignty of God, but do we still think he has to treat us all the same? God blesses each of us how he blesses each is us and it is appropriate for each of us. How he blesses us may be different than how he blesses someone else but we can be sure his blessing is appropriate for each of us. The key in knowing this is to being content with our lives as they are. God knows our heart and our hearts desire. He knows what we need before we need it. He knows his plans for our lives before they happen. Just as Jacob spoke his son’s future, God speaks ours. Does that smack of predestination? In some sense, but he did not predetermine we would accept his son as our Savior. But once we submitted to his authority in our lives, he began ordering our footsteps. Once we determined to love him, he then calls us to his purpose. He blesses us appropriately according to his plans for our lives. He gives us what we need in order to bring him glory and honor and praise. But his blessing is his blessing.  He determines the blessing according to each of his children. This then frees us from any jealously, envy, discontentment or pride in our lives, knowing we have been blessed appropriately.