Today's Reading January 20

As we continue our adventure. I find that reading through the Bible, God's written love letter to us, is a lot like an adventure. And He thought highly enough of us to give us a written history of His past blessings with promises of future ones. I always find that amazing, not that He could do all of these things, but that he would go to the trouble. That's the miracle!

Morning Genesis chapters 46, 47, and 48
Evening portion the Gospel of Matthew chapter 14, verses 22 through 36

In the Gospel portion shown here, Jesus calms the waves (thought by many at the time to be the province of one of the local gods) showing His authority over them, and then goes over to the other side, among ''those people'', the ones that were not Jews, the ones that had no historical claim to the blessings of God. Like me.
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
Jesus still does that. He makes us whole.

In the portion out of Genesis, we see Jacob, now named Israel, as he makes the move into Egypt, with the assent of the Almighty. It will provide a place of refuge (odd how often that turns into bondage!!) as the family grows into a great nation ready to claim the inheritance promised by God. Going in among a wicked nation, waiting for God's own time. Quite a story, really, and one whose echoes are felt to this very day. I understand that a few years ago some nutcase from Egypt tried to file a claim under one of the execrable International Courts, seeking recompense for the goods taken by the Israelites as they left Egypt more than 3000 years ago.