The Need for Action
Text: Genesis 42:1-5
Jacob and his sons were faced with a crisis—a famine that threatened their survival. Instead of acting immediately, the brothers stood around, uncertain and hesitant. It was only when Jacob confronted them that they finally took action. Sadly, Jacob often was passive in his leadership of his home. The final assessment of his life is that he was a great man of faith, but periods of his life were marked by a passivity that hurt him and those around him. As Genesis 42 opens we find Jacob and his family in crises and Jacob in one of his moments of active leadership.
As the brothers stand around looking at each other, Jacob takes action.
Grace vs. Grave Focused Living
- Grace Focused: Joseph, though thrown into a pit and sold into slavery, chose to live by God’s grace. He didn’t dwell on the past; instead, he used his position to help others and plan for the future.
- Grave Focused: Jacob and his sons, on the other hand, remained trapped in their past. Fear and regret paralyzed them, preventing them from moving forward.
Jacob eventually took action, but his hesitation serves as a warning. When we delay obedience, we risk greater hardship. People who focus on the grave – loss, sin, the negative – end up paralyzed. This is not to say that we cannot or should not grieve. But it does mean we accept God’s grace to deal with our struggles and continue to live with loss. It also means accepting God’s grace to be forgiven and not be anchored by our trespasses. Grace is active in our lives and makes us active.
The brothers’ fear kept them from stepping forward. They were trapped in the pit they had thrown Joseph into. Joseph, living by grace, was free whether in a pit, prison, or palace. The brothers were never in prison, but they lived a life trapped by their sin. They did not embrace God’s grace, they lived in graves they had dug for themselves. When we focus on fear instead of God’s grace, we become stuck in a cycle of inaction.
Joseph’s life teaches us that grace enables us to act. Instead of waiting for life to happen, we must move forward in faith.
Reflection: Are you standing still when God is calling you to move? By God’s grace, identify what needs to be done and take action today.
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