Calvin Church

Genesis 39:1-23

Why does it seem that things are always against you.  Why can't you ever get ahead.  Why doesn't God wipe out all of our problems?  Joseph must have felt this way at times.  If one person should be blessed for his actions it should have been Joseph, however time and time again He had to face difficult situations.  What is God trying to teach us in the difficult situations, could it be that these are the teachable moments in our lives.

Genesis 37

When things don't go right in your life it often leads to questions like: where is God?  Does He care?  Does God even exist?  If God is really powerful, then why doesn't He change the circumstances in my life?  Joseph most likely had to wrestle with these questions, but when we flip to the end of Joseph's life in Genesis 50:20 we find that he receives the answers he is looking for.

Genesis 32:22-32

Our God never changes, but he does change us.  Jacob had a desire for God to bless his idea of bribing his brother Esau, but God had other plans.  Jacob received God's blessing, but it was only after a wrestling match that would forever change Jacob's life.  This same God desires to change our lives as well if we are willing.

Genesis 29:15-30

How easy it is to leave God out of our daily activities, but remember him when things don't turn out our way.  Maybe it is a blessing and a curse at the same time.  Why does God sometimes hide his face from us?  Is He punishing us or is He wanting us to search for him?  Jacob learned the hard way what life was like when he didn't search for God.  21 years have passed in Genesis 29 & 30, but God's name isn't mentioned at all.  And In the end, Jacob is right back where he started.