Today’s scripture: Genesis 46 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Kirsten Shaw):
In Genesis 46, God came to Jacob in a vision and told Jacob to move his family to Egypt. In return, God said Egypt would become a great nation. Jacob obliged, but it was no small task. Between Jacob’s children and his children’s children, there were 66 in all.
That’s a LOT of U-Hauls!
Research shows that moving is more stressful than starting a new job or divorce. Multiply that stress by 66 with his only reason to move being “because God told me to” and I bet Jacob was ‘chugging’ some back-in-the-day version of Pepto-Bismol.
In the words of my niece, “I literally can’t even.”
In his book, Handbook of Religion and Health, Dr. Koenig talks about ways faith is helpful for stress including:
Attending church regularly provides social support, a consistent element of happiness and good health. Attendees not only get support from their community, but they also GIVE support to others, and the altruistic activity promotes better health.
Faith attaches meaning to events. It gives folks hope, the ultimate stress reducer. Hope, doctors say, is about the best thing you can do for your body.
The next time stress is hijacking your world, make sure you prioritize attending every sermon and Oasis you can; you never know which fellow churchgoer God might use to move you.
Thought for the day: Gracious God, please help me cast my worries aside that I may enjoy your bounty to the fullest. Guide me to use my stress for renewal and growth. And allow me to live in Your grace where I am freed, forgiven and restored by Your sacrifice. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.