Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.” (49:1)
Much of this chapter is Jacob blessing his twelve sons – he is speaking prophetically to them. For many of them (but not all) he refers to something negative they had done in their past that seems to affect their future.
Our actions count! Our actions have an effect on the future. God forgives us when we confess our sins to Him, but there still might be consequences from our actions.
When I was a child, I was an avid reader. Besides reading my own books and children’s books I borrowed from the library, I read books that my parents had on their shelves, some of which were extremely inappropriate. At the time, I didn’t understand how wrong it was to read those books. And although I have confessed to God my wrong doing, and He has forgiven me, the images described by the words on those pages, still come unbidden to my mind at times. Although God has forgiven me, there is still a consequence to that action.
Prayer: God, please help me to be mindful to be obedient to Your ways – they are wise and good, even though I am sometimes tempted to do otherwise. Amen.
