Read: Genesis 46: 3-4, 26-27

Reflect:
Scripture lists Jacob’s family members who left Canaan to live in Egypt. Genesis 46:27 gives the number of Israelite men in Egypt as 70 in total. They were going to live in Goshen which was probably situated at the eastern part of the Nile delta. It was “the best part of the land” and provided excellent pasture for grazing. Goshen’s fertile soil would enable them to grow crops after the famine ended. Their location in Goshen also separated them from the Egyptians, who found shepherds detestable. In addition, the land gave room for the amazing God-ordained explosion of their population. It was 430 years later that a nation of more than 600,000 men plus women and children were delivered from slavery in Egypt to return to Canaan, the Promised Land. It is amazing to see how God had been at work in different ways and in different lives to preserve His people. Instead of perishing in the famine, Jacob and his family were welcomed into Egypt and would multiply and flourish. God had called Joseph to lead through very challenging times. He had to make hard decisions to uphold the greater good of many. He instituted policies that might appear harsh, but he also protected Egypt from disaster and provided a fair distribution of food. God sometimes puts us in situations where every option seems unpleasant. Sometimes what is needed for the benefit of all outweighs what is needed for me. God seeks the common good – the greater good – in everything He allows in our lives. An easy path with obvious decisions and no obstacles is not the proof of God’s will; facing an extremely challenging situation does not mean you are out of God’s will. What questions are you wrestling with that have no easy answers? Trust God’s wisdom. Will you believe that He has allowed you to be where you are and rely on His faithfulness to reveal the way He wants you to go? Can you trust God to accomplish the greater good in a situation that feels bad?**

Pray:
Ask God to help you trust Him and His wisdom in your life. Praise Him that He is at work in your life to accomplish a greater good, even if you can’t see that right now.

**Bible Study Fellowship, Genesis, 2021