I KNOW IT WAS THE CROSS

Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. – Genesis 48:14

REFERENCE
Genesis 48:9-19

Joseph here brings his sons for Jacob to bless them. And as a good father, he dutifully places the firstborn (Manasseh) under Jacob’s right hand and the second born (Ephraim), under his left hand to be blessed. He understood that by the position, age, qualification and person of Manasseh, he should receive certain blessings and certain rights…but God doesn’t always work like that.

God often gives the most to the least – He chooses the weak things of this world – He raises the poor out of the dust and sits them with kings – He doesn’t always prefer who we think is the fittest.

The bible says, Jacob ‘Knowingly’ crossed his hands. He reached over the qualified to the unqualified; he went past the greater to choose the lesser. The story of Ephraim is the story of the CROSS it was because Jacob crossed his hands that he became the favorite. In the same way, we are who and where we are today because of the CROSS of Jesus Christ.

The Law of Natural Selection is the fundamental basis for the theory of evolution – it simply says life will favor the best, strongest and healthiest. It is also referred to as “The Survival of the Fittest,” where you advance in life based on genetics, certain favorable conditions, family background, merits and qualifications.

But for us believers in Christ, God has not left our lives to the law of natural selection…we are products of His grace demonstrated in the cross. We were prisoners of sin, we were once not a people, we were aliens to the blessings of God and we were objects of God’s wrath, but the ‘cross’ of Jesus has turned us into God’s righteousness. Jesus ‘crossed’ out all our demerits and made us sons of the Most High God.

Don’t let any man or anything use your history (condition of birth or past sins) to determine your destiny or what you can have or become in life, God makes consultations with none of these – He looks ONLY at the CROSS of Jesus and finds in it a merit to make you what He wants you to be.

Therefore, you must not take the privilege(s) of sonship with God that you enjoy today for granted. This Easter season, pause and give God all the praise and say, “I know it was the CROSS!”

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Ecclesiastes 9:11, Ephesians 2:4-10, & Galatians 3:13-14.

TO DO
Reflect and thank God for everything (salvation, abundant life, peace, joy, sound mind, wealth, health, family, relationships, work, prosperity, properties, etc.), you enjoy today because of the CROSS. Also thank Him for every addiction, shame, sickness, accident, lack, that He has delivered you from.