You may remember in the book of Genesis that Joseph’s envious brothers wanted to kill him, but instead sold him to Egypt-bound Midianite traders for a few bucks. They had taken Joseph’s special-colored coat, dipped it in goat’s blood then sent it home to their father Jacob for his inspection.
When Jacob saw the bloody coat, he knew it belonged to his son, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him.” He mourned him for many days and said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.”
What was the problem? Well, to begin with, he was weeping and mourning over a LIE! Joseph was not dead. Jacob’s life wasn’t over. It just appeared that way. Dad had simply jumped to the wrong conclusion and assumed the worst based on the evidence provided. His rush to judgment paralyzed his faith and crippled his future for many years to come. Jacob acted as if God’s word of promise to him (Gen. 35:10-12) had no effect on his life.
This same attitude is rampant in America today! Have you put it together? People are fixated on the economy, the price of gas, turmoil in the middle east, Afghanistan, their bills, and on and on; the list of bloody coats is long. Yet JESUS said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” John 7:24.
Of course, the evidence of the day is compelling. It always is. But we will never have the victory if we stay focused on the problem. Our focus must be on the Word, more sure than Jacob’s. The Word from JESUS Himself, bought by His blood (better covenant) and based on better promises (Heb. 8:6).
You may have some bloody coats in your life right now and they are screaming, “Lack, Pain, Addiction. Loss, Grief, Sorrow, etc…” Please hear me, “Things Are Not As They Appear.” Do not be hasty in your speech or your actions. Speak The Word ONLY, no matter how compelling the natural circumstances seem to be. You have a Covenant of Peace with God and He is bound to it and will never come out of it!
We must train ourselves to know that neither you, me, nor anybody else, not even the situation itself knows all there is to know about it. Only God sees and understands completely. And you owe it to yourself and to your future to keep quiet for a while and give God some time to help you understand it from His perspective. God is not nervous nor anxious. As you worship Him, He will reveal your next step.
Yes, Jacob ended up all right, and of course so did Joseph and his entire family. But I believe he could have missed some major pain in his life had he given God the time to process the bloody coat. I pray for you and for me, that we learn this lesson well and refuse to cave in to the mindset of our current culture.
“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18
It’s time to shine the Light!
I Call You A Champion,
Pastor Ralph D. Gerard