What's In Your Wagon

What's In Your Wagon
By Eddie Smith

You remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. He was a prideful little brat, wasn’t he? Daddy’s favorite—with a coat to prove it!

You’ll remember how he was sold into slavery; and how his brothers brought his bloodied coat to their father and told him that Joseph was dead.

Once enslaved in Egypt, Joseph served in Potipher’s house where he rejected the seductive advances of Potipher’s wife. She grabbed his coat as he fled and falsely accused him. His coats kept getting him into trouble.

From there he was cast into prison where he made a name for himself as an interpreter of dreams. In time, Joseph was released with the favor of the Pharaoh, and was made second in command of Egypt! Perhaps he wasn’t as prideful a brat as we’d thought.

Now we get to my point. Do you recall how his brothers came seeking relief from the famine and stood before him, not even recognizing who he was. I love Genesis 42:7 where we’re told that Joseph “spake roughly to them”. To have a little fun, he disguised his voice. He played with and tested them until he could do it no more.

In Genesis 45:1-2, Joseph asked his staff to leave his brothers and him alone while he wept and revealed himself to them. Again, I love verse two where we read, “And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard him.” Apparently, they were eavesdropping through the keyhole!

We finally get to the place where Joseph sent his brothers to get their families and his father, Jacob, to bring them to safety in Egypt. In fact, it was Pharaoh’s suggestion that Joseph do so. And Pharaoh commanded Joseph to give them wagons loaded with the best of everything Egypt offered. They had clothing, silver, corn, bread and meat for their father.

Joseph sent them off with this warning. “See that ye fall not out by the way.” You see, they had an important task to do that would be lost if they’d fallen by the wayside.

Many of God’s servants have “fallen out by the way” lately. Referring to one of them, I was asked, “Were you surprised to hear that Bro. XX fell into sin?” First, no one falls into it. We deliberately walk into sin. But I answered, “No. I’m not surprised that he has fallen. I’m surprised that we’re still standing. What he did was natural. The fact that we haven’t fallen is supernatural!”

Please don’t fall by the way because we have an important message to deliver. Our message is the same as theirs. They were to tell their father, Jacob:

“Joseph isn’t dead—he’s alive!” Jacob had vowed to mourn Joseph’s death to his grave. We must deliver this same message to our generation: “Jesus, our Brother, isn’t dead—He’s alive!”
Then they were to tell their father:

“Joseph has forgiven us for the bad things we did to him.” Our message is the same: “Jesus has forgiven us for all those bad things we did to Him!”
And finally, they would tell Jacob…

“Joseph, our brother, has prepared a place for us.” And, of course, our message is: “Jesus, our Brother, has prepared a place for us!”

Despite all that good news, Jacob didn’t believe them. Verse 45:26 says that his heart fainted and “he believed them not”! So, don’t be surprised if you find that the people with whom you share your message don’t readily believe you.

But verses 26-27 say, “When he (Jacob) saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob was revived: and Israel (Jacob) said, ‘It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.’”

My question for you today is: “What is in your wagon?” What do you have that validates your message? Paul didn’t come with persuasive words only; but with demonstrations of the Spirit’s power.

What is the Church looking for today? Are we looking for more persuasive words, for a more gullible audience, or for greater demonstrations of the Spirit’s power?

What do the lost see in your wagon that causes them to say, “It is enough; Jesus IS alive: I will go and see Him before I die!” May the Father fill our wagons to astonishing levels for His sake!

Eddie and Alice offer a F-R-E-E-E-E 52-week school of prayer at: www.TeachMeToPray.com