2009 - Day 2 - Lessons in Adversity

January 2, 2009 … Swindoll’s Topic for Today: Lessons In Adversity

Passage of the Day: Gen. 37: 5 - 36 [For the sake of space in this journal entry, I will leave it to any reader to digest and mediate on this passage, especially noting the verses referenced in today’s journal below. Let me link you to Genesis 37 - NKJV - for your mediation.]

My Journal for Today: For any readers here, I know that’s a long passage; and yes, reading through the Old Testament telling of Joseph’s life does take some time. But agreeing with Swindoll in his devotional for this date in Great Days with the Great Lives, we learn that following Joseph and his family teaches us some significant lessons, especially those of us who are parents or grandparents.

First, we read in today’s passage that families, especially parents, cannot allow passivity to creep into the parenting of children. Reading in Genesis 37 we see that Jacob, the head of his family, did little to intervene when he learned that Joseph had a dream which inflamed Joseph’s brothers. And anytime a parent allows a matter like this to fester and grow in a family, the result could, and usually does, lead to bad outcomes in time. And we certainly read what happens when Jacob set aside this issue of Jacob’s dream, merely keeping them in mind and taking no parental leadership to quell the envy which resulted. (see v. 10)

Secondly, v. 10 also shows us that Jacob knew of the envy of Jacob’s brothers for the younger Joseph; and as I’ve indicated, he did little or nothing to deal with this jealousy. Take it from experience, there is likely no greater emotional cancer that can destroy relationships any more that jealousy. And we see how this cancer, unchecked or abated by Jacob in his family, grew into a destructive force for Joseph’s brothers, finally leading them to sell him into slavery in Egypt. No parent can stand by in passivity and do nothing when he/she sees that envy or jealousy has reared its destructive head. Like any cancer it must be quickly and effectively cut out, even if it means ruffled or hurt feelings in the process.

But even learning those lessons from the negatives, we can speculate from today’s reference passage about one powerful process which showed itself when adversity came into Jacob’s family; and that was how Jacob and Joseph turned to God when they were overwhelmed with either grief, as in Jacob’s circumstances with his perceived loss of a child or with a horrible miscarriage of justice which Joseph faced when he was sold into slavery by his brothers.

Though it is not directly explained in today’s passage, we know from Hebrew tradition and religious culture that when a grieving Hebrew father tore his clothes and put on sack cloth to grieve (see v. 34), this was ALWAYS accompanied by prayer. And also in Joseph’s condition of family loss, I can only imagine, with the faith we know that Joseph exhibited in the Genesis account of his life, that he turned his condition over to God in prayer. And we’ll see, later in this study (reading ahead a bit as I have), that Joseph’s prayers would ultimately be answered in the reuniting of his family.

So, as a parent and grandparent, I learn from this passage, and the witness of these lives, that we parents cannot passively stand by and do nothing when we see a spirit of jealousy creep in to our family to damage the relationships of those in our family. We must act swiftly, and the most important part of this action should be prayer, surrendering our actions and decisions to God’s guidance and direction.

This, to me, as a Christian parent, is a lesson we learn from a truth like that from Prov. 3: 5 – 6, which exhorts believers to trust God, leaning on HIS leading, and decisively taking action to follow God’s lead. And all of Psalm 119 cries out to follow God’s word in this process, being obedient to its truth and letting God’s truth guide us out of passivity into Godly decisions and actions.

My Prayer Today: Lord, keep me from being passive when I see ungodliness growing in my family. Help me to follow the light of Your truth; and to lead in my family to honor and glorify Your Name. Amen