God’s Economy | Wayfarer

But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” Genesis 48:17-19 (NLT)

One of the things I find fascinating about reading through God’s Message again and again is the discovery of themes and patterns throughout. The fact that we are reading through a compilation of disparate books, writings and letters that cover hundreds and thousands of years it is amazing to find themes emerge.

“…but his younger brother will become greater.”

In the ancient days of Jacob, the culture and the laws greatly favored the first born son. Yet even in Genesis we find a pattern of the younger son being blessed in God’s economy:

Joseph was blessed over his older brothers
Jacob was blessed over Esau
Isaac was blessed over Ishmael
Abel’s sacrifice was accepted over Cain’s

Time and time again, God uses the weaker, lesser, less powerful and prestigious for His divine purposes:

Peter, a headstrong fisherman became the “rock” on which Jesus’ church was founded
Jesus chose simple, uneducated men from the sticks to be his disciples
God’s messenger, John the Baptist, lived like a hermit in the wilderness
God’s own Son was born to a poor girl from a backwater town inside a stable
Solomon, Israel’s greatest king was a younger son of David’s
David was the youngest of his father’s sons, but called “a man after God’s heart” and God chose the boy David over the strapping, handsome choice of the people: Saul.

I could go on. The point is this: God continually chooses the foolish people of this world to confound the wise; He uses the powerless to shame the powerful. Not one of us should think for a second that God could not or would not desire to use us to further His kingdom’s work on Earth.

I am not a Roman Catholic. Nevertheless, I love my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters and have a deep appreciation for the beauty of the Roman Catholic mass along with a fascination of its history. I, with the rest of the world, was enthralled to watch as the College of Cardinals chose their new leader this week. When I began to read and hear about the life story of Pope Francis I, I thought to myself that he sounded like a choice Jesus himself would have made. It was confirmed when I read the on the front page of the Wall Street Journal this morning:

Pope Francis Day One: In his first hours as leader of 1.2 billion Catholics, the pope paid his own hotel bill, took a bus, and called for renewal in the church.

Pondering the Power of a Father (tomvanderwell.wordpress.com)
This Week: Brothers (spbiblestudy.wordpress.com)
Let Your Eyes Look Straight Ahead, Fix Your Gaze Directly Before You (smritidisaac.wordpress.com)

thank you note — (Photo credit: George Cheng)

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

I am always encouraged and surprised when someone posts a comment or personally shares with me that one of my blog posts was significant for them in some way. As we are reminded at the end of today’s chapter, it’s heartening to know that in God’s economy the things we do are never useless. They compound spiritual interest in ways we may not notice but are nonetheless of eternal significance.

This morning I’m taking from this particular thought two motivational nuggets for the new year:

I endeavor to consciously do more random acts of kindness, exhibit more generosity, and love others more tangibly.
I endeavor to tell others when their own words or actions have impacted me, send more thank you notes, and express genuine gratitude for others.