Day 23

Genesis 46:1–47:31; Matthew 15:1-28; Psalm 19:1-14; Proverbs 4:14-19

ALL THE PIECES of Joseph’s story came together in today’s reading from Genesis. The brothers returned to their father, Jacob, with the miraculous news that his beloved son Joseph was still alive and had become second-in-command of Egypt, subordinate only to the Pharaoh. As Jacob and his family began the long journey to Egypt, God came to Jacob, reiterating the promise He’d given before: “I am God, the God of your father. . . . Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation” (Genesis 46:3).

Once they arrived in Egypt, Jacob was reunited with his son. It was as if Joseph had returned from the dead. Father and son embraced each other through tears of joy until Jacob spoke: “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive” (Genesis 46:30).

This is how the children of Israel came to the land of Egypt. It would be another four centuries before they would depart.

As we moved forward in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus clarified the way life works:

It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth. . . . For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.

Life is not outside in. We live from the inside outward. We can spend our entire lives trying to surround ourselves with comfort and luxury, but neither of those things will fill the void within. Only in understanding that life flows from within us —from our hearts —can we begin to cultivate life as it was intended. Our hearts must belong to God. When we know and walk with God intimately, the source of life itself is within us and spills over into our exterior world.

PRAYER:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.