“Joseph continued to live in Egypt with his father’s family. Joseph lived 110 years. He lived to see Ephraim’s sons into the third generation. The sons of Makir, Manasseh’s son, were also recognized as Joseph’s. At the end, Joseph said to his brothers, “I am ready to die. God will most certainly pay you a visit and take you out of this land and back to the land he so solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Genesis 50:22-24 MSG)
It is Sunday morning, so let me teach a little. The children of Israel had been brought into Egypt during a time of famine that was predicted by Joseph. While they were saved and in a safe place, they were not in The Promised Land. They were indeed blessed as the Lord was still being faithful to His word that He spoke to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While in Egypt, the Bible tells us, in Exodus 1:7, “But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. (Exodus 1:7 NASB)”
Think about this for a moment and as you do, apply what I am saying to your life personally and the life of your local church during the time of the pandemic. Are you ready? Okay, read on!
The children of Israel were not in a place where life was like they were accustomed to, but they multiplied. They grew anyway. The Israelites had to put up with being surrounded with people whose culture was not focused on God the Creator, the true and living God, but they multiplied. They grew anyway. There had to be some concern about whether or not positive change would come, but they multiplied. They grew anyway. The promise of a better day seemed to be postponed, but they multiplied. They grew anyway. They had to deal with the passing of loved ones, but they multiplied. They grew anyway. Some perhaps were fearful that their condition would never end, and the picture of the future looked bleak, but they multiplied. They grew anyway. Their economy was different, but they multiplied. They grew anyway. They would look around and see others prospering while they were in their predicament, but they multiplied. They grew anyway. They did not fully understand what God was doing. They did not see Him still moving to make them a great nation comprised of a great number of people, but they multiplied. They grew anyway. They did not know what the end was going to be, but they multiplied. They grew anyway.
Here is the challenge for you spiritually and for your local church corporately. We have been going through some times like many of us have never experienced, all over the world, but we must multiply. We must grow anyway. We must grow in our Christian maturity. and we must facilitate growth in the number of folks that transfer from the unsaved camp to the saved camp where we gather to worship, at our local churches, for the purpose of being edified, educated, and enabled by the word of God and by fellowship. We may have our doubts about God’s promises to us, because of the impact of the pandemic, but again, as individuals and as local bodies of baptized believers, we must multiply and continue to grow. We count our blessings of being in the land of the living every day, but some are wondering will the better day ever come. But still, we must multiply. We must grow as individuals in the knowledge of God and in our strength in the Lord. And we must grow as churches. God wants the church filled with those who depend on Him by faith to keep them from faltering during these pandemic times where the end is still not completely in sight. The challenge in a more succinct statement: Multiply and grow! My friends, respond appropriately and see the awesome results! Be blessed!
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14 NKJV)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King