Listen, Jack, here's the deal. Genesis 47 starts with a real heartbreaker. Old man Jacob and his son Joseph go to Egypt and Joseph reveals to Pharaoh that he's his brother. Pharaoh is so taken aback he literally doesn't know what to say. So, Joseph provides food and shelter to his family and Pharaoh gives him the best land in Egypt. But then, things start to go downhill.

Folks, the famine is so bad that the Egyptians are literally starving and they have to give up their livestock and land in exchange for food. Jacob and his family are no exception. They're down to their last few cows and are forced to give them to Pharaoh in exchange for food.

My father used to say that the Lord will provide, and that's exactly what happens in this chapter. Pharaoh gives Jacob and his family the best of the land and allows them to keep their cattle and sheep. But it gets worse. Pharaoh then takes a fifth of all their produce as taxes, and I'm not joking.

No malarkey, Pharaoh takes their land, their cattle, and their produce, and still they survive. That's resilience folks. Then Pharaoh gives Joseph a wife and he has two sons. So, after all the hardship, Joseph ends up having a family. See here, Jack, it's a testament to the power of hope and faith.

What was that? Joseph's family are so successful that Pharaoh gives them the best land in Egypt and eventually, they become the ruling class. I tell you what, the Lord sure works in mysterious ways. Excuse me, but it's a real testament to the power of the Lord and his protection.