Sreedhar's Journey

Ever faced a leader, a teacher, or a parent that would not step down from an ill informed decision? They are both egocentric and arrogant. It may make them look bad, or worse, not fit to occupy the position. This behavior is recorded all through history. Pharaoh was one of them. Exodus 9:7, Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go. As a parent I have to be ready to admit and seek forgiveness for wrong words, actions and attitudes. I am not perfect. God is still working on me. Only God is perfect and it is okay to seek forgiveness when you do wrong as a leader. What is the worse thing that can happen? You lose your position. Of course as a parent you continuously work on being right with God and doing the right things. We also cannot be changing our minds all the time. Pharaoh did this multiple times as faced Egypt faced catastrophe after catastrophe. Make a decision

Have you lived or worked in a farm? It is quite interesting to be surrounded by animals of all kinds, depending on the diversity of the plants and animals in the farm. But with all that comes the smell and associated flies and other things that tend to grow and flourish in a farm setting. Pharaoh had no idea what hit him. He is far from a farm, but he got frogs, lice and flies in this chapter. Exodus 8:18-19, Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said. Up to this point the magicians of Egypt could replicate the "tricks" of Moses. But they had to admit that, when it came to the lice, this was the finger of God. With the flies, God went one step further. He made flies come everywhere except Goshen. This is incredible. Goshen is where the ani

Are you deaf? There are many who have lost their sense of hearing, but go about their daily lives with great normalcy because they become sharper in their sight and, more powerfully, in their heart. They hear with their heart. I have the great pleasure of working with such a person. What a joy. She may stammer a little bit in her speech but I understand her. She hears you in her heart. Pharaoh could learn from her. Exodus 7:3, And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh saw the rod of God swallowing the other rods. He saw the rod of God change the waters to blood. But, his heart was not listening. God knew this would happen and He uses this to declare what He can do. The idol worshiping Egyptians have to take note. But, it took a long time for them to understand this reality. Are you thinking the same way? Father, may many realize the power of God and the deliverance that He wants to give all of mankind. Let them hear wit

Open your mouth and speak! Heard that before? Perhaps it was when you were having stage fright and you froze and did not remember your lines. It can be quite embarrassing to face an audience and wonder how you are going to start, or let alone finish. Moses was facing the same predicament. Exodus 6:30, But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?” The people of Israel were not listening and here was being urged to speak to Pharaoh after the first rejection. In fact because of his audience with Pharaoh the trouble for the people was increased. God reassured Moses and showed that he was special in God. Exodus 6:3, I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them. The promises of God was revealed to his forefathers, but the name of the Lord was revealed to Moses. The battle of the heart and mind for Moses is great and he needed to overcome this. Open your mouth and speak is

Have you made a wrong turn in your life? I made one wrong turn in Chicago. We were supposed to go visit a factory many years ago with 3 others in my car (guess who was driving), and I took the wrong exit. Don't blame Garmin or Google Maps, because we did not have either. We entered a strange and dark neighborhood where everybody looked at us funny. I quickly turned around and got out of there. Moses must have felt the same way after meeting Pharaoh. Exodus 5:22, So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? You have to read the whole chapter to feel what Moses felt. If you were Moses you would have cried out and said this is a big mistake. Have you felt this way before. Wrong job, wrong ministry, wrong house and, maybe even wrong family? Exodus 5:23, For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.” Moses felt very bad for h

Have you ever been quoted as a spokesperson of an organization for a newspaper or other media organization? I have been in many occasions, and I used to run a number of media organizations. But the first time I was ever quoted was the most memorable. My first job was with a management consulting firm that I joined at the age of 23. A cold call came in asking for our opinion on some information technology matter. The operator passed the call to me and the next day my name and my quote was in the papers. I became the talk of the firm. There is another man who was not so ready to talk. Exodus 4:15, Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. Moses had two great objections. Speech and authority. God promised him words and Aaron. The very words of God will fill his mouth. Nothing missed and full of power. God decided to call Aaron to come to the wilderness to meet Moses and bless him

Does anyone listen when you talk? Perhaps people don't like what you say. Or, they think of you as being a little queer. When no one is listening you tend to cry out to get attention. The people of Israel cried out and God heard them. Exodus 3:7, And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. God speaks to Moses after he has been in exile for 40 years. He is picked at age 80 for this daunting task of getting Pharoah to release the people of Israel out of Egypt. But Moses questions his call. Exodus 3:11, But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” What is your call in life? We always feel that the job is better done by somebody else. We cannot move out of our comfort zone. Moses was happy tending sheep and growing his family. But God has a bigger plan for his life. And yours too! Wh

When you are in the midst of suffering you wander how long this is going to last. Sometimes the suffering is so great that it cripples your faculties, including your ability to think straight to be able to relieve your suffering. The people of Israel were in Egypt for 400 years as told to Abraham. But God heard their cry. Exodus 2:24, So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. Like the people of Israel, when we are suffering we cry out. But many times we cry out aimlessly and even cry anger to God. God is ever ready to hear our cries for help. His way of dealing with the matter, in many instances, could be very different from what we expect. But, He is there listening to our cry. Father, I thank you that you listen to my cry .

Is there a crime for having big families with many children? In today's culture in urban areas a family with many children is looked upon oddly. They say that you are not being responsible. It is expensive. They will not get the right amount of education and care. Lee Yen and I have 4 children, and we are blessed with them as God's gift. Likewise, the people of Israel had many children. Exodus 1:7, But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. The only fear in the land of Egypt is that the Jews would one day rise up against the Egyptians. The new king of Egypt was determined to limit the birthrate of the Jews but he seemed to be falling. He tried hard labor to control them but this did not help control their population growth. All this was really in keeping with the promise God gave to Abraham. Are you married and considering all the practical aspects of raising a family? I sugges

Whenever we approach a situation we always fear for the worst. Sometimes it is because we have done something wrong in the past and we fear that it will one day catch up with us. That seemed to have been always in the back of the minds of Joseph's brothers. Genesis 50:20, But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Joseph was clear. He held no grudge for the lost years of his life. What they had intended for evil was actually for good. Joseph lived to be a hundred ten years old. From the age of 17 he journeyed with an anointing that made him the envy of his brothers. Despite their ill intentions, God's intentions were fulfilled. Are you wallowing with some guilt in your past. God is ready to forgive and allow His blessings to follow you the rest of your life. They will not be counted. You have the assurance of eternal life. Father, thank you for your love for me and your great

Are you ready to die? There is a great fear of death. Much of it is because people are uncertain of life, or the lack of it, after death. What will happen? Will I get reincarnated into an animal or poor family? Will I go to hell, because I committed more sin than good? These are serious questions, and man tries to manage this with his own ability. But Jacob went peacefully. Genesis 49:33, And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. What gave him such great assurance? Before he entered into his "rest", he blessed each of his sons. He gave each their prophesy. Genesis 49:28, All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing. Jacob could only do this because he had full assurance of God's promises for him and his descendents. He served the God of Abraham, his grandfather,

Are you the first born in your household? Don't treat it as a special birthright unless God is determined to bless you. God blessed Jacob, Ephraim and David. He does not necessarily go in birth order. He looks at other considerations. Jacob blessed Ephraim  ahead of Manasseh . Genesis 48:17, Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. Jacob was determined to bless the younger boy. Why did he do that? Jacob probably had a special sense that was going to be distinctly different from the other brother. A similar thing was played out when Jesse was approached by Samuel to talk about blessing a son. David was totally ignored but God instructed Samuel to keep asking if there were other sons. God's ways are not necessarily consistent with our logical mind. Therefore, we need to hear the Lord well for all directions. Father, I

Every parent's dream is that their children will one day be successful in their own right, and perhaps more successful than them. Jacob is no different. His favorite son, from the time he gave the tunic of many colors, was Joseph. And he managed to see him be very successful and was ready to die peacefully. Genesis 47:28, And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years. Wow, almost 150 years. My prayer is that I can live long to be able to serve the Lord well for many years ahead. This can only happen with the Lord's blessing. Sometimes He wants us to leave for heaven early. This was the case with Nabeel Qureshi who just died at the age of 34. He was a great witness for the Lord to Muslims, but his videos and writings will outlive him. The Washington Post carried a great article on him. What legacy are you planning to leave behind? It is never too late to start. God wants to use you to be a blessin

It is not easy to move an entire family to a new place. Lee Yen and I have moved many places. We have lived in 13 homes in the almost 26 years we have been a family. Don't ask how that is possible. It's complicated. Jacob also had some major moves and he was about to embark on his last living move. Genesis 46:3, So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. As was told to Abraham, Jacob was about to commit his family to a 400-year stay in Egypt. The official family count was 70 not including, among others, the wives of his sons. God appeared to Jacob to confirm this plan. I am very grateful to Lee Yen for her demonstration of flexibility and endurance. She has journeyed with me through thick and thin. This includes Sharmaine, Sherman, Shawn and Shane. Reading this chapter tells me that God is promising that he will be with us through this journey of faith. You and your family can also trust in thi

Have you watched a movie without a happy ending? They are making many of those today and it is not helping people in their demeanor and in fact it is only promoting depression. Soap operas that run into many episodes do the same thing. But praise God when it comes to the affairs of God with man, He is always wanting to orchestrate good things. Genesis 45:8, So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Joseph had forgiven his brothers. He knew that his journey of faith had to include the rough moments of life that he experienced. God only has the good for you. But your journey can include some very low moments. But God is ready to splurge on you. Genesis 45:18, Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. Pharoah blessed Joseph's family tremendously. The 5 remaining years

There are moments when you are faced with tough decisions. You thought that you have it all managed, but something unexpected crops up. The 11 Brothers were confident of a successful trip to Egypt, but it was not too be. Genesis 44:33, Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. Judah pleaded with Joseph for his brother and presented the whole family scenario. His offer was to be a substitute for Benjamin. This could mean an uncertain situation for Judah, but he obviously loved his father greatly. He did not want him to go to the grave early. He reminds us of someone else that came through his descendents. Jesus. Jesus came so that we may experience the love of God and have eternal life with Him. In this situation, God knew it all. He knew that death on the cross was inevitable. God has it all managed in this situation. Are you prepared to now accept His love for you. I have. Father, Judah's wi

Are you listening to the young people in your household? They have much to share. If you instill in them Godly values and a hunger for God they will speak innocently about the things of God that even a learned Pastor would be amazed. Joseph spoke innocently about his dream at the age of 17. And now in this chapter it is coming to past. Genesis 43:28, And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. Our young people are capable of great exploits. They just need good mentors. Are you, as an older person, willing to give up some time to do this? We need to follow the biblical model of discipleship. Older men, especially fathers, discipling younger men. They need to become models in everything. Father, help me to step up to the plate and develop my Joseph.

Have you tried to read someone's mind? We try to do it by "reading between the lines" of whatever they are saying, including trying to interpret their body language. There are people who do entertainment shows reading the minds of people in the audience. Can you read God's mind? Joseph's brothers had a big task and they faced complications in a business transaction. Genesis 42:28, So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?” Many times we approach a situation with full confidence about how it will be handled but somehow it works out differently. I am always reminded that I only control so much, the rest is unpredictable and depends on how others respond. In addition, God is working many things in the background. We try to reduce the uncertainties with contingency plans, but it is never possible to know or r

Yesterday I said, do not forget. Many of us suffer from forgetenitis. A new disease? No, it existed in ancient times as well. A butler in the King's court, who is supposed to remember many things, forgets an important request made of him. Finally one day he remembers. Genesis 41:9 Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day. As I reflect on this passage I realize that there needed to be the right time for Joseph to be released from prison. The chapter is such a rich presentation of how the timing of Joseph's release coincided with the Pharaoh's dream, the need for Egypt to have a wise leader and the fulfillment of God's promises. I believe when Jacob gave Joseph a tunic of many colors, it was an anointing of Joseph at the age of 17. And he became second in command in Egypt at the age of 30. Pharoah knew that he was a foreigner and a Hebrew. But all this did not stand in the way of God's plans for the people of Israel. Father, y

Are you a forgetful person? I am and therefore I must write everything down to ensure I do not miss any detail. There are many tools you can use to remind yourself. This includes your electronic calendar and tasks list. But the best is my notebook that I carry everywhere. Joseph had to deal with someone who is forgetful. The Butler! Genesis 40:23, Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. You may ask, how can the butler forget? His job requires that he have great memory. Especially, in those days when there were no notebooks. I suppose his dream and his job were more important. In Joseph's case he never forgot his God. Genesis 40:8, And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.” As he went through his troubled period in the prison, Joseph never forgot his God. When we face troubles, our immediate response is to solve it with our huma

I just read about a lady in New Zealand that cheated two organizations off more than a million dollars. She managed to do this even with all the usual controls in place. Reminds me of my statement to a senior government leader that no amount of controls and education can help if the person's character is flawed. Joseph on the other hand was par excellence. Genesis 39:2, The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. As you read the first part of this chapter you will see a slave become the managing director of a very important man in the Pharaoh's palace. I like the way this verse reads. Genesis 39:6, Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. Potiphar had nothing to worry about in the management of his assets both in the house and in the field (his business). But with greater prominence came

Are you doing something in secret that no one should know about? The Bible is clear. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Me included. And Judah included. Judah is David's ancestor. Jesus came from his line of ancestry. But, Judah slept with his daughter in law who acted as a prostitute. He was going to be shamed. Genesis 38:25, When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.” As a result, twins were born and Perez came forth as the first born to carry the lineage. It is amazing that in spite of Judah's impropriety, God blessed his descendents. God again demonstrates His sovereignty in the matter. He has His plan that will get executed in spite of our mistakes and disobedience. Judah demonstrated his Godly conscience when he saved his Brother Joseph from being killed by his other brothers in the previous chapter.

Have you been dreaming? I have, but I can never remember my dreams unless I am dreaming while I am awake. :) The bible has a well known dreamer. Genesis 37:5, Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. Joseph, being the 11th son and born in Jacob's old age, was Jacob's favorite son. He made him a multicolored tunic and was not made to work like his brothers. He was Papa's boy. But he had one problem. He was not discrete in sharing the dreams that he got. It ended up with him being sold as a slave to Ishmaelite traders who in turn sold him to an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. Joseph was elevated in a very unique way and now lived in the Pharaoh's household. His dream was starting to get fulfilled but not in the way that he would have imagined. His brothers who hated his dreaming contributed to it being fulfilled. But obviously God had a lot to do with it. Are you dreaming? You may be seeing an end state that is

Have you failed in your work or assignments before? I have. But I am grateful that people did not give up on me. I did badly in mathematics in Form 2 (equivalent to 8th grade), but Mrs Terlochan Singh helped me break that by encouraging me to practice more. When I finished university I got a minor in mathematics. Amazing. Esau failed big time but he and his family get a huge mention for a whole chapter. Genesis 36:43, Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. Esau was the father of the Edomites. This is the first time that the prefix "Chief" is used. It is clear that the children of Esau became prominent in the land and given high standing with titles. God remembered him and was prepared to bless Esau. Genesis 36:7, For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock. He had so much li

Is it time yet to prepare life resolutions? It is only September, and we still have a little less than 4 months to go for the year. What about last year's resolutions? Well, we have a little less than 4 months to finish them. Israel is having to bring his family through some resolutions to get right with God. Genesis 35:2, And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. God meets with Jacob in Bethel. He loses Rachel in Bethlehem during child birth but Benjamin is born there. But he as his family move through Canaan, the people of the land fear them and do not engage them. The promises for Jacob renamed Israel is huge and keeping with the promises to Abraham and Isaac. Genesis 35:5, And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. Genesis 35:11, Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fr

When I wanted to court Lee Yen (my wife) I had to seek permission from her father, because I am Indian and she is Chinese. I made an appointment to see him but while I was at Lee Yen's house, not only did the mother join us, but also her uncle, aunt and grandmother. It became quite an interview. But, praise God we finished well and I was accepted. End of that year (1991) we got married. This was not to be the case with Shechem and Dinah, Jacob's daughter. Genesis 34:2, And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her. Dinah was raped and, the manner the story was written, Shechem wanted to take one step further and marry her, instead of just stop with the crime. Jacob, being a small family living in a foreign land, had to be careful about how he reacted to the matter. His sons convinced them to get circumcised but Dinah's two brothers avenged the matter by killing all the men of the land and rescu

Being generous is a virtue. But before you can be generous you need to carefully manage your resources. It does not help if you are in debt. Being generous while in debt is not a good idea. And because being generous is a great blessing, we need to make great effort to stay out of debt. Jacob was blessed by being generous with his brother, Esau. Genesis 33:10-11, And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” So he urged him, and he took it. With this generosity Jacob won great favor with Esau and he managed to cross into Canaan and settle in Succoth and build an altar to the Lord. Genesis 33:20, Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel. The last phrase means, The God, the God of Israe

Have you ever been desperate? Perhaps, you lost something. Or, you are so sick that you cannot move? Or, people are pursuing you and you don't know where to turn. I have met people who have taken large loans with loan sharks. They do this to help get themselves out of trouble with the banks but end up paying so much more, and risk being physically harmed if they do not pay up. Jacob was desperate too. Genesis 32:11, Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. He ran from Laban and settled that, but now he has to face Esau as he crosses to return to Canaan. He understands and reiterates God's promise to him but still devises his own scheme to protect himself. He sends everyone forward before him and ends up meeting with an angelic being that he refers to as God. Genesis 32:30, So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is p

Business transactions in the old days are always done with a handshake. In major ones a ceremony will be conducted. Each culture is a little different but generally this is how it is done. However, people discovered how to make parchment and eventually paper, and started writing on them. The verbal contracts became written. When Jacob reconciled with Laban they came to an agreement that was concluded with a ceremony and a symbolic structure. No paper was used then. Genesis 31:44-46, Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me. ”So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap This was an important milestone for Jacob. After 20 years of being away from his family and Canaan the promised land, Jacob is called back by God. Genesis 31:3, Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your fa

Keeping peace in the family is an important thing for every husband and father. When you do not fulfill that role well, it can be very unsettling. Yes, the Sreedhar Family has its challenges, but by God's grace and as we look to God daily, we see things worked out. Jacob had to do the same but he ended up in a complicated family structure. Genesis 30:2, And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” This is the issue of having 2 wives and eventually another 2 servants mixed in. I am not sure how Jacob managed all this but I am sure with God's wisdom he managed. He demonstrated his wisdom with the way he managed to negotiate the deal with his uncle, Laban. In the process he became very rich. Genesis 30:43, Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys. Yes, managing a household or business may not be easy but with t