“This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.”
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.”
In 1944 these lyrics came to life from the pen of Woody Guthrie to become one of the United States most famous folk songs. In response to his belief that “God Bless America” was too unrealistic and complacent , Guthrie took the melody of an old Baptist gospel hymn and created what seemed to be a more intimate and inclusive portrayal of ‘our land’ as he viewed America.
There are times that we may stand back in our spiritual life and view ‘our land’, the land that God has placed us in. ‘Our land’ that the Lord has us walking through at this time may be a wonderful land of promise, a quiet land of patience or a refreshing land of praise. In the later part of the book of Genesis, Joseph reflects on yet another type of land that God had him in for the past 20 years. A land of affliction. Honestly, that is a land that most of us would like to bypass altogether in our lives. Remarkably we find in Genesis 41:52, while naming his second son, Joseph reflects on this dark land with a different perspective.
And the name of the second son he called Ephraim,(interpreted: fruitfulness)
“For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
The dictionary describes affliction as a condition of great physical or mental distress. Earlier chapters show us that Joseph knew the meaning of affliction all too well. From hatred and death threats by jealous family members, to betrayal and slander by evil masters in a foreign land, Joseph literally experienced the darkest pits in the land of his affliction. Though even in the mist of the lowest dungeons of Egypt, Joseph sees how God gave him the energy and peace to go forward in Him. Regardless of the conditions, God caused him to be fruitful.
With that said, it is of great encouragement to know that regardless of the ‘type’ of land that we may be in at this time, God is always faithful to cause us to be fruitful. Even in the dry brittle ground of the land of affliction, God can bring forth a bounty. In faith, we can respond to His voice in whatever ‘land’, and allow the Lord to bring forth His fruit. And in time, we, like Joseph can look back and see God’s hand at work in all situations and ‘lands’ that we journey through with our Great, Redeeming God
There are times that we may stand back in our spiritual life and view ‘our land’, the land that God has placed us in. ‘Our land’ that the Lord has us walking through at this time may be a wonderful land of promise, a quiet land of patience or a refreshing land of praise. In the later part of the book of Genesis, Joseph reflects on yet another type of land that God had him in for the past 20 years. A land of affliction. Honestly, that is a land that most of us would like to bypass altogether in our lives. Remarkably we find in Genesis 41:52, while naming his second son, Joseph reflects on this dark land with a different perspective.
And the name of the second son he called Ephraim,(interpreted: fruitfulness)
“For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
The dictionary describes affliction as a condition of great physical or mental distress. Earlier chapters show us that Joseph knew the meaning of affliction all too well. From hatred and death threats by jealous family members, to betrayal and slander by evil masters in a foreign land, Joseph literally experienced the darkest pits in the land of his affliction. Though even in the mist of the lowest dungeons of Egypt, Joseph sees how God gave him the energy and peace to go forward in Him. Regardless of the conditions, God caused him to be fruitful.
With that said, it is of great encouragement to know that regardless of the ‘type’ of land that we may be in at this time, God is always faithful to cause us to be fruitful. Even in the dry brittle ground of the land of affliction, God can bring forth a bounty. In faith, we can respond to His voice in whatever ‘land’, and allow the Lord to bring forth His fruit. And in time, we, like Joseph can look back and see God’s hand at work in all situations and ‘lands’ that we journey through with our Great, Redeeming God
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