I remember walking into our new ‘home’ only to hear chipmunks scurrying throughout the house. It was a mess…not dirty, just a mess from being abandoned for so long. The very steep stairs leading up to the bedrooms creaked under our weight. Up there was not much better.

I suppose being a city kid I should have been devastated. But, I wasn’t. It was a kind of adventure in a weird old house with some old stuff for us to rifle through. What was even better, though, was beyond the four walls of that house. Outside the pine trees swayed in the summer breeze whispering a song as we fought our way through the brush like explorers hacking through a vast wilderness. Before too long, we found a few apple trees, and deep within the woods filled with ash, pine, cherry, maple and birch trees, we found a small creek. The creek was just a few inches deep and crystal clear with moss-covered rocks that looked liked hair moving with the current of the water. It was cool and refreshing and there even was a stretch of the creek that had a sandy bottom that I loved to bury my toes in. I loved our weird old creaky house. I loved our woods.

In the city, I had a tough time finding nice leaves to put in my fall collages for school; now I had tons and tons of leaves to choose from. In the city I often played out on the sidewalk with a garden hose from our yard to make puddles. Now I had my very own creek with water that never seemed to end. The sunsets were breathtaking. The nighttime sky had more stars than Hayden Planetarium. It was during that first summer living in the Adirondacks that I began loving the skies, trees, wildflowers, rocks, creek and critters in the forest. A whole new world opened up for me. I felt like everything around me was put there just for me and my family.

Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.” God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. –Genesis 1: 26-27

With all of the environmental issues in the news these days, I believe that humanity’s charge is to take care of this earth recognizing that we, too, are God’s creation. This earth, and everything in it, has been the handiwork of our Awesome Creator. Are we appreciating the earth and it’s resources with reverence and awe for the Creator?

What if we applied John Wesley’s stewardship principles (Sermon on Luke 16:9) to our care for the earth?

“The first of these is (he that heareth, let him understand!) ‘Gain all you can.’ Here we may speak like the children of the world: We meet them on their own ground. And it is our bounden duty to do this: We ought to gain all we can gain, without buying gold too dear, without paying more for it than it is worth. But this it is certain we ought not to do; we ought not to gain money at the expense of life, nor (which is in effect the same thing) at the expense of our health.” …

“Having gained all you can, by honest wisdom and unwearied diligence, the second rule of Christian prudence is, ‘Save all you can.’ Do not throw the precious talent into the sea: Leave that folly to heathen philosophers. Do not throw it away in idle expenses, which is just the same as throwing it into the sea. Expend no part of it merely to gratify the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life.” …

“But let not any man imagine that he has done anything, barely by going thus far, by ‘gaining and saving all he can,’ if he were to stop here. All this is nothing, if a man go not forward, if he does not point all this at a farther end. Nor, indeed, can a man properly be said to save anything, if he only lays it up. You may as well throw your money into the sea, as bury it in the earth. And you may as well bury it in the earth, as in your chest, or in the Bank of England. Not to use, is effectually to throw it away. If, therefore, you would indeed ‘make yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness,’ add the Third rule to the two preceding. Having, First, gained all you can, and, Secondly saved all you can, Then ‘give all you can.’” …

“I entreat you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, act up to the dignity of your calling! No more sloth! Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with your might! No more waste! Cut off every expense which fashion, caprice, or flesh and blood demand! No more covetousness! But employ whatever God has entrusted you with, in doing good, all possible good, in every possible kind and degree to the household of faith, to all men! This is no small part of ‘the wisdom of the just.’ Give all ye have, as well as all ye are, a spiritual sacrifice to Him who withheld not from you his Son, his only Son: So ‘laying up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that ye may attain eternal life!’” (http://www.cambridgestudycenter.com/giving/wesley.htm)

My passion for creation is deeply rooted in childhood memories. With today, comes an opportunity to show my Creator how much I appreciate this earth and everything in it. I see such wisdom and love for God in Wesley’s words that need not be limited to the monetary resources God has blessed us with, but ALL of the resources God has blessed us with.

As a child, I loved my world of tree limb forts, and minnows in the creek. As an adult, I love to watch the sun rise over the horizon of the ocean. I love to walk on the beach and meditate on the spiritually musical sounds of the waves crashing along the shore. I feel close to my Creator when I’m inundated by the sights, sounds and smell of creation. I pray that we will be a nation that longs to pass the beauty and wonder of God’s creation to the generations to come.

Greek: sabbaton, ta sabbata

The root, shabhath in Hebrew means “to desist,” “cease,” “rest.” –ISBE Bible Dictionary

Okay, I’m not having separation anxiety…really. It’s just that I couldn’t get away from this chapter–not yet. I guess the thing is that while I was really taken by verse 25, I couldn’t get verse 21 out of my mind. I mean, just a few verses before the Bible records that Joseph told his family that God would take care of them, Joseph was telling them that he would provide for them. (I am keeping in mind that I’ve no idea how much time had passed between those two verses.)

When Joseph told his family that he would ‘provide’ for them, it was in response to their fear that Joseph was going to hold their actions (taking him and selling him into slavery) against them. Scripture tells us that they said, “And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph takes a look at them and asks them, “am I in God’s place?” Should they be falling before Joseph, or God? Then Joseph tells them that the actions that they took to bring harm, God intended for good.

In these verses, it seemed to me that Joseph took on a more fatherly role–although he was one of the youngest of the bunch. By the time we get to verse 25, Joseph redirects his family’s attention to God. Where Joseph did everything in his power to ensure that his family was provided for, God would do so much more to take care of them–in fact this is stated both in verse 24 and 25 to reiterate this. But before we get to verse 25, it’s in verse 24 that along with Joseph’s family, we’re reminded of the covenant…the promise from “Abraham to Isaac to Jacob” and to their descendants.

And it’s here that I go back to where I started in verse 25 with Joseph saying, “carry my bones up from here.” The covenant will be fulfilled, but it’s going to be a long journey; and it will be fulfilled well after there’s nothing left but Joseph’s bones.

As we close out the book of Genesis, Joseph’s life story comes to an end. At the beginning of the chapter, Joseph fulfills his promise to his father to return his lifeless body to the land of Canaan. At the end of Genesis, on his own death bed, Joseph asks his brothers to take his remains out of Egypt as well. An interesting difference is that Jacob asks Joseph to “bury me with my fathers,” and Joseph asks his brothers to “carry my bones.”

When I read Joseph’s request to his brothers in the above verse, two things came to mind. First, there had to be a reason that Joseph was telling his family that “God will surely take care of you.” Something was coming down the road that was going to challenge them in a major way. Even so, Joseph is reminding his family that God was going to take care of them—no matter what. Up to this point, they’d looked to Jacob and Joseph for direction, who will they look to for leadership? They should be looking to God—the question is, will they?

In the second part of the verse, Joseph asks his brothers to carry his “bones” back to the land of Canaan. The first thing I thought of was that the reference to his “bones” seemed to be an indication that it would be a long time before his family would be able to return to the ‘promised’ land.

So not only did there seem to be challenges coming their way, but whatever the challenges, it was going to take a long time to recover from them. The road ahead wasn’t going to be easy, nor was it going to pass quickly.

That’s where we leave Genesis and go into the book of Exodus.

© 2005 Ginny Rogers

“Just weeks before his death, Pope John Paul II issued a letter urging priests and Church officials to explore the internet’s potential for evangelisation and education.

‘Do not be afraid of new technologies! These rank ’among the marvelous things’ – inter mirifica – hich God has placed at our disposal,’ he wrote.”

So what do you think? I’ll tell you what I think…I couldn’t be more thrilled that this subject was in the news!! For a number of years now, I’ve been talking about how followers of Jesus need to be engaged and in community on the internet. In fact, my recent online devotional ( Genesis 48 ) was an abbreviated version of my plight and personal battle cry, ‘What about the internet?’ Last October I gave up on trying to convince others and jumped in and developed this website. While my website began as a response to my battle cry, it has evolved into an absolutely amazing journey that has not only given me a voice that I didn’t know I had, but it’s also fueled my passion to communicate the absolutely indescribable life journey of learning about and following Jesus’ teachings, example and the path that He’s cleared for us.

Unfortunately, as www.pewinternet.org has sited in the research report published, The Future of the Internet, churches lag behind all other industries in their internet pursuits. In fact it was stated in their report,

“Asked to rate the amount of change that is likely in a variety of institutions in the next decade, the internet experts predicted the most radical change in news and publishing organizations and the least amount of change in religious institutions.” – Future of the Internet, Pew Internet and American Life Project, 1.9.2005 www.pewinternet.org

I hate to admit this, but I’m not at all surprised by the report. Currently, out of the churches that have a web site, most are just an extension of their on-the-wall cork ‘church bulletin boards’—they’re not engaged in the virtual reality of community. Don’t get me wrong, there are some church communities that have a thriving online presence where they’re blogging devotionals, participating in online discussions and developing online networks—but they are the exception, not the norm. As stated in the above report, if the current trend continues, churches will see the least amount of change in the coming years.

So, this time for real, what do you think?

© 2005 ginny rogers

On his death bed, Jacob calls his children to his side to bless them as was the custom of the day–Jacob’s children that would later become the twelve tribes of Israel. The words above were specifically for Joseph and the reference to battle seemed appropriate given what we know of Joseph’s life story so far.

This verse reminded me of a time in my life when everything was a battle. I fought to go to college, fought to put food in the fridge and fought to keep my house when I could no longer afford it. I remember when I paid the bills–you know the mortgage, electricity and water–there wasn’t anything left in my paycheck for food. I’m not kidding. I would eat at work usually because someone bought me lunch and then that would be my meal for the day–but I didn’t ask them to, I wouldn’t. I didn’t seek or hope to get help from anyone. One day, I came home from work to find my front porch filled with bags of groceries. My mom, who I wouldn’t ask for help, just left a bunch of food in front of my door. It was then that I realized that I didn’t have much fight left in me–but I still had a white-knuckled grip on who I thought I was.

Not long after that, I had to give up my home because I could no longer afford it. I was so tired all of the time. I had no one to lean on because I wouldn’t allow myself to lean on anyone. The thing of it was, the only fight I was in was with myself. When you don’t allow anyone else into your life, who else are you going to fight? So, after a while, unfortunately, quite a long while, I gave up.

The funny thing is that giving up was the best thing that I could’ve done. When I gave up and admitted defeat, I became victorious. When I collapsed from exhaustion and couldn’t move anymore, I was restored. When I stopped relying on myself, I found that there was so much more to who I was–and who I’d become.

When I decided to take hold of the “hands of the Mighty One of Jacob…the Shepherd…the Rock of Israel,” I stopped living for myself, and began a new life–a life worth living.

© 2005 Ginny Rogers

When I read this verse, I couldn’t help but think of the times that I thought something like, “Wait a minute, God, but I think you’ve got your hand on the wrong head…you couldn’t possibly mean what I think you mean.” It’s like you can see something coming down the road and you think, I see it coming, but I don’t think it will reach me.

I think about how this whole web site started. I had been talking to leaders in the church about what I thought could happen on the web in terms of talking about God, the Bible and what it means to be a Christ follower–I mean the real stuff. I tried to encourage leaders to post devotionals so that others could read what they’re getting out of Scripture when they read. I tried to encourage online discussions so that folks could support each other through the daily grind. I’ve tried to talk with leaders about how to keep the online content on their web sites dynamic–not static and never changing. Sure it takes time and commitment–I can’t tell you about how often my battle cry was, “What about the web…what about the internet?”

And then in 2004, I finally got it–I realized that God gave me this passion and vision for the internet–the vision wasn’t necessarily for the folks I was trying to convince. God’s right hand was on my head on this one. And I came up with all of the excuses why it couldn’t be me–I didn’t know enough, I wasn’t a “leader in the church,” I was just…well…me. Don’t get me wrong, the folks I tried to convince are good people–it’s just that God’s right hand is on their head with a different blessing for their lives.

And posting on this web site has been so awesome–it’s been such a blessing. I’ve gotten into the Bible with more depth and passion for scripture than ever before. The more I read the Bible, the more I passionate I become about this incredibly amazing Word that goes back to the most ancient of times–times filled with mystery, awe and the God that transcends it all.

Let God’s hand rest on your head–don’t try to move it or think that God’s right hand is on the wrong head.

© 2005 Ginny Rogers

I found it interesting that when Joseph wept this time, he “wept so loudly.” He couldn’t control his emotions. And this time the uncontrollable expression of emotion was over reconciliation—not hurt and pain. It seemed to me the reconciliation between the family members led to them being released from the pain of the past, like flood gates opening, so that healing could begin. And not only was the weeping loud, but Joseph allowed his emotions to be expressed out in the open—he didn’t turn away or seek solitude—he allowed himself to be seen as vulnerable to his family before he revealed that he was their lost brother.

When I read this chapter, especially in light of the continuing story, I was struck by how the pain of the past, however intense it was at the time, paled in comparison to the intensity of the total release that was felt and expressed with reconciliation. It made me think about the times in my life when I’d cried out with frustration over relationships gone wrong…but the crying out didn’t do anything to release the frustration…it stayed right there for me to keep on carrying along with me.

In contrast, however, when I took steps to right a relationship—to reconcile—there was such a release that I was able to let go of past hurts completely. This story reminded me that there’s no baggage with reconciliation. Joseph demonstrated his freedom from any baggage with his brothers when he said, “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” Here Joseph is letting his brothers know that he holds onto nothing other than God’s plan for their lives.

This brought me to Luke 23:34, to where Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” With those words and Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross, Jesus opened the door for our relationship with God to be restored and reconciled. Jesus took care of our baggage so we wouldn’t have to carry it any more. Maybe it’s time for us to lose control and live a life where we’re fully engaged in the journey toward God. Let’s walk with Jesus by learning what He’s said, understanding what He means and applying Jesus’ teachings to our lives.

© 2005 Ginny Rogers

In Genesis 43, the brothers go back for Benjamin per the request of Joseph. Then, right at the beginning of Genesis 44, Joseph tells his house steward to hide his silver cup into Benjamin’s sack. Once the brothers start on their journey back to Canaan, Joseph once again sends the house steward after them and just as Joseph commanded, the steward accuses the brothers of taking Joseph’s silver cup. The brothers are so sure that they did nothing wrong, and have nothing that they shouldn’t have in their possession, that they say, “If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.” (Genesis 44:9) Does this sound familiar?

Taking a bit of a jump back to Genesis 31, there’s the story of Jacob and Laban where Laban accuses Jacob of taking some idols. There too, Jacob is so sure that Laban’s accusations will not be proven that he says, “If you find anyone who has your gods, he shall not live.” The difference between these two stories, however, is that Rachel actually did take the idols although they weren’t found, and Benjamin didn’t take anything—they were planted in his possessions and they were recovered by the house steward.

Before Judah recounts the journeys made by the brothers, and the circumstances of their family (especially their father, Jacob) he said, “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves– we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.” (Genesis 44:16). It’s in Judah’s explanation of the sequence of events that I saw how the brothers seemed to be caught in the journeys between Jacob and Joseph. Judah, desperately pleads with Joseph to let Benjamin go even though the silver cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

This got me thinking and wondering if the bargaining over silver was a reference back to Joseph being sold for twenty shekels of silver. Also, could it have been that the acknowledgment of guilt not only refers to the silver, but also the guilt of the brothers having sold Joseph into slavery in the first place? What do you think?

The chapter ends with the conflict between Joseph, Judah and Jacob still unresolved. Genesis 45, however, brings with it a dramatic turn for the entire family of Israel (Jacob).

© 2005 Ginny Rogers

Genesis 41 ends with famine throughout the land, and 42, begins with Jacob’s response to that famine. Fearing starvation, Jacob sends his sons—except for Benjamin—to Egypt for grain. When Joseph who is in charge of all the grain sees his brothers coming to him for food, he recalls the dream that he told them as a teen. He also realizes that his brother, Benjamin is missing from the group of brothers. Joseph then put the brothers (who don’t recognize him) in prison for three days, releases them all except for Simeon, and tells them that Simeon will only be released when the last brother, Benjamin, is brought before Joseph.

When I read this text, I couldn’t help but think about how Joseph must have felt at seeing his brothers—deep-felt hurt mixed with longing to once again know the family life that was taken away from him—a family life that he tried to forget. Seeing his brothers had to have brought a flood of memories back to Joseph, some of which it seemed he wanted to forget as written in Genesis 41:51-52 (Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” He named the second Ephraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”).

But Joseph wasn’t the only one hurting. Jacob was devastated by the loss of Joseph, then Simeon—and he didn’t want to also lose Benjamin. Even when Reuben offered his two sons to Jacob in an effort to ensure Benjamin’s safety, Jacob refused the offer.

With nothing left to eat in the land of Canaan, the tribe is in desperate need of food, and so Judah pleads with Jacob to let Benjamin go with him to Egypt. This time, however, Jacob accepts the offer—but why? Judah doesn’t offer his children to Jacob as Reuben did, but instead offers himself and tells Jacob, “I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.” (Genesis 43:9) If you remember, it was Judah that said, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. (Genesis 37:26-27) But why did Judah offer his life for the brother that he suggested selling to the Ishmaelites? At first I was really confused by Judah’s actions. But then when I read the text back in Genesis 37 again I realized that Joseph’s brothers had originally plotted to kill him–Judah’s suggestion spared his life. And while it may not seem like the best outcome for Joseph, it did fulfill God’s plan for him.

I guess the thing that grabs me the most about this story is the raw emotions of it. Joseph, when he saw his brothers was overcome with emotion. Jacob, too, is overcome with grief at the loss of first Joseph and then Simeon–and to think that he was asked to let go of Benjamin was almost too much to bear. Then there’s Judah that responds to the pleas of his father by offering himself and accepting full responsibility willing to “bear the blame” for the rest of his life–he was willing to bear his father’s grief and sorrow for the rest of his life. And then at the end of Genesis 43, Benjamin is brought before Joseph. Here again, Joseph is raw with emotions as he gives the brothers food from his table. Joseph gives Benjamin five times what he gives the others displaying his love for his younger brother in the only way he could at the time.

My heart breaks for this family that’s been through such pain, sorrow and loss–and yet there’s such hope–hope in God’s promise fulfilled through Israel (Jacob) and his descendants. Repeatedly in the text leading up to these chapters, it’s stated how God was with Joseph–and everyone around him recognized the presence of God. Having said that though, it was not necessarily the most comfortable place to be. When we look back at this story, Joseph was a slave and then in prison first (before his high position in Egypt) where he must have struggled for his most basic needs to be met–but God was with him. Then when he was put in a position of authority over Egypt and while his physical needs were certainly met, he experienced deep pain and sorrow.

Thinking about this in this way, it reminded me of Paul in the New Testament who after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus, was forever changed and lived his life completely for Christ. There was no other option for him. Paul had experienced the Living God. Paul described his life in 2 Corinthians 11 this way…

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.
27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Paul, in a somewhat similar way to Joseph, did not live a comfortable life after encountering God. When I read these verses describing Paul’s hardships, I not only read about his basic survival challenges, but I also read how he kind of says on top of all of that, the biggest thing he faced was concern for the churches–those people that were learning or needed to know more about Jesus.

When we embark on this spiritual journey towards Jesus, it’s not necessarily an easy life. I would even venture to say that the further we go on this journey and the closer we get to God, the more intense our life will become. When we experience joy, it will be intense joy; and when we experience pain it will be equally intense. Also, I think the further we go, the more we will see how it’s not necessarily the physical comforts/needs that get all our attention—but instead what becomes the ‘biggest things’ for us are in the spiritual realm…those things that are important to God.

© 2005 Ginny Rogers