The Grace To Run Until You’re Done

(Read Gen 49)

This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”, by continuing in the story of Joseph.  Yesterday we looked at how Jacob (or Israel) crossed his hands while blessing his grandsons.  Today we will look at his final hours of life.

In Genesis 49 Jacob, the old man, at 147 years of age, called for his boys to come around his bed and said, “My sons, come here to me.  I will tell you what will happen in the future.  Children of Jacob, gather around.  Come listen to Israel, your father.”  Jacob proceeded to pronounce a blessing over his 12 sons.  One a time, from the oldest (Reuben) to the youngest (Benjamin), Jacob blessed his boys.  I won’t get into everything he said, but I will share what he said to Joseph.  Jacob said:

“Joseph is like a wild donkey, like a young donkey by a spring, like colts grazing in a pasture.  People attacked him and made life hard for him.  Men with arrows became his enemies.  But he won the fight with his mighty bow and his skillful arms.  He gets power from the Mighty One of Jacob, from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, the God of your father who helps you.  May God All-Powerful bless you and give you blessings from the sky above and from the deep below.  May he give you blessings from breast and womb.  My parents had many good things happen to them.  And I, your father, was blessed even more.  Your brothers left you with nothing.  But now I pile all my blessings on you, as high as a mountain.”

After speaking over all 12 sons Jacob made it clear that he wanted to be buried with his ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the land of Canaan.  Abraham bought that field from Ephron so that he could have a burying place.  Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried in that cave.  Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried in that cave.  Jacob’s wife Leah is buried in that cave.  And after making it clear that he wanted his body buried in that very same cave, Jacob laid down on his bed and left this world.  Just like that.  He did not die because he was sick, he did not die because he was old, he died because he was done!

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

1.  God made plans for you before the world began and those plans contain your divine purpose.

2.  You will not find success in life outside of your divine purpose.  Success cannot be measured in the position you hold, the degrees you have, the car you drive, the house you live in, or the size of your bank account.  True success can only be measured by your divine purpose.  If you find, follow and finish your purpose before you die you were a success in God’s eyes.

3.  God has already given you the grace (everything you need) to accomplish His divine assignment for your life.  He is not going to give it to you, He already did.

4.  You don’t have to be perfect to be used of God.  Actually, most of the people God used for His glory were far from perfect.  God will give you grace (freely giving you what you don’t deserve) and mercy (holding back the punishment you do deserve) as you pursue the accomplishment of His divine purpose.

5.  Your life is not about your performance, it’s really about your divine purpose.  Jacob messed up time and time again, but God still used him for His purpose.  Jacob’s assignment was to continue the bloodline of Abraham and to raise 12 boys who would in turn grow into the 12 tribes of Israel.  Jacob did what God birthed him to do and he clearly did it by grace – unearned and unmerited.

6.  You don’t have to be sick to die, you just have to be done.  When Jacob was done, when his purpose was fulfilled, when his assignment was complete, he laid down in his bed and died.

7.  The Father will give you the grace to run your race and the fountain of God’s grace will not stop flowing until your assignment is complete.  God’s grace will keep you going when you are tired, when you are sick, when you are old, and when you are facing all sorts of opposition.  God’s grace will keep you going so you can accomplish what you were birthed to do and when your assignment is complete you can die; not because you are sick, not because you are old, but because you are done!

8.  God will give you the grace to RUN until you’re DONE!

Closing Confession:   Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith.  You made plans for me before the world began.  Your plans for me contain my life’s purpose.  I can only find true fulfillment and success in the accomplishment of those plans.  So I declare that with my faith and by Your grace, I discover Your plans for my life, I develop into the person I was birthed to be, and I deploy into my purpose.  I know I will make mistakes, but I find peace in knowing that You already knew all my faults, flaws and failures.  You considered my mistakes and You chose to use me anyway.  So I will not allow satan to cause me to think that I have disqualified myself from my purpose.  I cannot disqualify myself from what Jesus qualified me for.  So I accept my purpose by grace.  I pursue it by faith.  I accomplish it with Your divine empowerment and favor.  I operate with supernatural power to do what I could never do on my own.  And I arrive at Your desired destination for my life.  Sickness won’t stop me.  Old age won’t stop me.  Frustration won’t stop me.  People can’t stop me!  I am determined to complete my divine assignment and You will see to it that I don’t die until I do.  Once I’m finished, once I have completed my divine assignment, then I can go… I can transition from earth to glory, from time to eternity, from mortal to immortality.  Not because I’m sick, or because I’m old; no, only because I’m done!  I declare this by faith!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.