Stuff
I've been reading through Genesis recently and am at the part where Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and after acknowledging God's providential orchestration of his life and theirs, he asks them to go and bring their father and their families down to Egypt.
But I love how the Pharoah rejoices with Joseph in finding his family. He goes on to give some really good advice about materialistic affections: "Also do not look with regret or concern upon your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours" (Amplified, Genesis 45:20). (Click on the title to see Genesis 45, ESV.)
We too are on a journey to a Land of plenty! Why would I look with longing on the things of the earth here. I'm on pilgrimage. The stuff here serves its purpose here, but I must never forget that I am headed to a Country (Heaven) where "the best of all the Land" will be mine!
My prayer today is that the Lord would help me to "set [my] affections on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2, KJV).
Did not our Lord Jesus Christ tell us He was going to prepare a place for me? "The skies display his craftsmanship" (Psalm 19:1b, NLT). He is obviously an awesome Designer, so I can bank on the fact that the place He's preparing for me far out does the stuff I call mine here.
So as the ancient Pharoah advised Joseph's family: Let us "not look with regret or concern upon [our own material] goods, for the best of all the [Land] is [ours]" (Amplified, Genesis 45:20).
But I love how the Pharoah rejoices with Joseph in finding his family. He goes on to give some really good advice about materialistic affections: "Also do not look with regret or concern upon your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours" (Amplified, Genesis 45:20). (Click on the title to see Genesis 45, ESV.)
We too are on a journey to a Land of plenty! Why would I look with longing on the things of the earth here. I'm on pilgrimage. The stuff here serves its purpose here, but I must never forget that I am headed to a Country (Heaven) where "the best of all the Land" will be mine!
My prayer today is that the Lord would help me to "set [my] affections on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2, KJV).
Did not our Lord Jesus Christ tell us He was going to prepare a place for me? "The skies display his craftsmanship" (Psalm 19:1b, NLT). He is obviously an awesome Designer, so I can bank on the fact that the place He's preparing for me far out does the stuff I call mine here.
So as the ancient Pharoah advised Joseph's family: Let us "not look with regret or concern upon [our own material] goods, for the best of all the [Land] is [ours]" (Amplified, Genesis 45:20).
