Daily Bible Reading, August 2022: God’s Renewing Word of Mercy and ForgivenessMinta

August 29 Introduction In blessing Manasseh and Ephraim, Jacob bestows on his grandsons a status equal to his own sons and thus legitimizes their descendants as numbered among the recognized twelve tribes of Israel (see Numbers 26; Joshua 13—19). Jacob crosses his hands, placing his right hand on the head of Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son, and his left hand on Manasseh, the older son. Scripture Reading Genesis 48:1-22 Today’s Key Verse: Genesis 48:15 Then he blessed Joseph: “May God, whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac served, bless these boys! May God, who has led me to this very day, bless them!” Reflect The right side was the place of greater authority or power, and when Jacob crosses his hands and gives the firstborn's blessing to Ephraim, Joseph becomes upset. The incident recalls when Jacob himself, instead of his older brother Esau, received the firstborn's blessing from his father Isaac (Genesis 27). How does Jacob respond when Joseph seeks to reverse what Jacob had done? In what ways do you experience God’s blessings? Pray Almighty God, I thank and praise you for your blessings and that your mercies are new daily. Open my heart and mind to an awareness of your daily presence and grace. May all I do and say on this day be an act of worship to you. Amen. And now, join us in a prayer of thanksgiving for Scripture resources that minister to victims of natural disasters and crisis events. Compassionate God, the Bible is an anchor in times of crisis. We thank you, Lord God, that your Word gives victims of natural disasters and crisis events a sense of stability, offering comfort and hope to those who are suffering. And we thank you, loving God, that, through the generosity of caring supporters, the hope and healing that only your Word can provide is shared with victims both in the United States and worldwide. Amen. Tomorrow’s Reading Genesis 49:29—50:14: Jacob dies, and Joseph arranges for Jacob’s burial in Canaan.