My Branches Run Over the Wall

O.T. #112  "My Branches Run Over the Wall"
August 22, 2013
Genesis 49-Part 8
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well: whose branches run over the wall.
Genesis 49:22

LET IT GLOW

I want to say thank you to all of you who are faithfully following my blog. May the Lord bless you.
I am truly so very blessed with family, friends, and most of all a loving God.
My branches run over the wall. I saw Poison ivy climbing up the back of our house, so I got the clippers and removed it. It was so long that it had reached the roof, mind you. Had they continued to grow, they would have reached the other side, I think. Well, you can guess what remembrance I had of this act. Yep, bumps of poison ivy on my hands. It took an itchy week for them to go down.
Jacob's branches ran over too, with 12 sons. Shall we continue looking at Jacob's blessings upon them?

Finally, Rachel had a child. She called her first son Joseph, which means to take away, or to add.
As we think of his life, we know Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob. You remember the coat of many colors given to him, jealous brothers, the pit and the slavery sale. Joseph endured a lot in his life, but kept the faith in God. He was put into prison twice. God gave him the ability to interpret dreams, which was his ticket to the palace. He explained Pharaoh's dream warning about the 7 years of fruitful crops and 7 years of famine. Joseph was made second in command of all of Egypt. He brought his father's family to live in Egypt during the famine.

Now before Jacob dies, and he is blessing his 12 sons. What did he say to Joseph?

• Joseph is a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.
• His bow remained steady when archers shot at him in hostility.
• His strong arms remained limber because of the hand of the Almighty One of Jacob;
• because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, and God All-Sufficient.

God is strong and He is the source of all strength, and He will show Himself strong in behalf of His loved ones.

Is God my strength, my rock, my everything? Are we leaning on God's Everlasting arms?


LET IT GROW

How are the blessings of Almighty God described?

• He helps you;
• He blesses you with blessings of the heavens above;
• He blesses you with blessings of the deep that lies below;
• He blesses you with blessings of the breasts and womb (off spring of children and animals).

Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. From Ephraim came Joshua, Deborah, and Samuel. From Manasseh came Gideon and Jephthah. Ephraim later became the leader of the northern tribes at the time of the division of the nation following Solomon's reign. (Falwell)

Do we recognize our blessings from God? How grateful are we for them? How often do we give thanks?

LET IT GO

Turn from things to Jesus.

Make Jesus my  Rock, my strength, my everything.

Have a grateful attitude today.