Thurs.’s Devo - Happy is the Man…

Read Gen. 46:12-17 I would love to take apart each of Jacob’s sons and explain them, but after studying this for a few days I just don’t feel confident enough to write about it. I do want to highlight a few of them like Asher. Asher means “happy”. There are a few scriptures that talk about what makes a person happy like the people saved by the Lord, those who listened to Solomon’s god-given wisdom, the man that God corrects, the man with many children, the people whose God is the Lord, the man that finds wisdom and gets understanding, the man who puts his trust in the Lord, the man that keeps the law, those who endure, and those that are persecuted for righteousness sake. Reading this list gives me a new perspective on happiness. Asher had 4 sons whose names mean: “prosperity”, “he will equalize”, “in trouble”, and “superfluity”. The son whose name means “in trouble” had two son’s whose names mean “community” and “my king is God”. God’s “happiness” means spiritual prosperity. You will only prosper as your soul prospers… all other prosperity is fake and surface. You can own all the money you could ever want and die miserable. On the other hand you can be dirt poor and feel like a million dollars because you have a relationship with God that fills all your needs. Or, you can have the riches of the world and the riches of the kingdom like Joseph, David, and Solomon. God’s Word has a way of equalizing all of us: it humbles the proud and exalts the poor in spirit. When you are in trouble God surrounds you with community and gives you a kingdom perspective. Superfluity means having more than you need; overabundance; excessive. That is what God wants to be able to pour on his body, especially in the end times. It all starts in finding your happiness in God. Lord, help us to desire you above all the world’s glitter and find our happiness in you presence.