“Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they gained possessions in it and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.”
– Genesis 47:27
Genesis 47:27 is the fulfillment, in part, of God’s promise in chapter 46. God said to Jacob, I will be with you. I will go with you into the land of Egypt and I will bless you there. In chapter 47 it’s happening. When we go into unknowns, we don’t have to be afraid because God will provide. Often times when God provides we forget to pause and see his provision.
Genesis 47:27 Reminds Us To Stop Worrying
This is a pattern I see in my own life. I will be concerned about this or that, like what’s gonna happen here or there, and then I’ll walk through a circumstance and God will provide, and then in the midst of his provision I’ll start thinking and worrying about, “Okay, well what’s gonna happen in the next step over here or there”, and I won’t pause and thank God for the way he’s provided in that step. Like if we’re not careful we can keep moving on from in a sense worry to worry. We can worry about this then God’ll provide, then we all of a sudden start worrying about something else. It’s like did we not realize God was faithful to provide once. He will be faithful to provide again. We don’t have to worry. We don’t have to be afraid.
Genesis 47:27 Reminds Us To Pause and Thank God
I wanna encourage you just in your life today, this is what this verse prompted me to do, just pause and thank God for his faithfulness in your life. Think about things that were unknown in your life a year ago or a month ago, whenever, some point in the past that you’ve seen His faithfulness at work in this way or that way. Just pause and thank Him for that. Then let that be an impetus for trusting him with the next challenge that lies before you instead of not pausing and thanking Him for that and then worrying about the next challenge. Like we missed out on giving gratitude to God in that circumstance and we missed out on the confidence God gives us going into the next circumstance.
This Verse Leads Us To Praise God for His Faithfulness
We pray, oh God, thank you, thank you, thank you for your faithfulness. I think in my life right now, a few years ago, when You called me to make a move and there were so many unknowns and you have been so faithful to provide in ways I never could have fathomed. Now, God, as I think about other unknowns in my life going into the future I just praise You for the confidence that I have that You will show Yourself faithful just as you have shown Yourself faithful.
I encourage others, as we’re praying right now, just think in your life right now what are things that were unknown at some point, maybe a long time ago, maybe a short time ago, that God has shown Himself gracious to provide?
As you think through those things let that just well up in you with faith for what lies ahead in the future. God, You are indeed trustworthy. Help us to live with gratitude. Help us to pause and thank You for Your provision in specific ways and may this gratitude lead to growth in our trust in you for the future. God, forgive us for our constant worry, for continual worry, there is no reason to worry when our lives are in Your hands. You have never shown Yourself insufficient or untrustworthy for us. We praise You and we just in You today. Look into the past, and looking to the future, we praise You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
