January 5, 2026

Today's Reading: Genesis 46:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 65:8-25; Luke 3:1-20

“I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.” (Genesis 46:3-4)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Several years ago, I received a Divine Call away from my home state. It was an existential crisis for me to move away, even though I knew it was at the Lord’s direction and that He would guide me along the way. Now, I’ve returned “home” from that “exile” and everything is perfect, right? Of course not!

Jacob also doesn’t want to leave the Promised Land he had been given by God, even though it was God’s plan for him to do so. He wants to stay where he is because that was how he understood God’s promise to Abraham, his grandfather. But the Lord’s plans for us often follow unexpected detours.

Like Jacob, we want to bypass struggle and get straight to glory. We are sure we know better than God how our lives should play out, so we doubt God’s plans and direction. Except our all-powerful God isn’t tied to one place. Sure, Canaan is the land He promised to Jacob, but this time in Egypt is only one small step on the road of God’s people being established for eternity.

God told Abraham this would happen (in Genesis 15); it was the plan all along for Jacob’s family to live in Egypt for generations and to grow there into the nation that Moses and Joshua would lead back “home.” The Lord God did not desert His people, even when it seemed so. He had a future planned for them from the start, and He guided them to it.

In a similar way, the years away from family for me were difficult. Even so, the Lord’s work was being done; His great nation was being made in His way and on His schedule. Even now, I’m not really “home.” I won’t be until the Last Day when the true Promised Land is revealed in the New Creation.

That’s the underlying truth of Jacob’s move, and of your life. No matter how this world may change for Christians, God’s mercy remains unchanged. His guiding hand will lead you home to the inexplicable glory of His presence that you see veiled now in preached Word and Sacramental Gifts, but then face to face.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Collect for Steadfast Faith)

Author: Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wichita Falls, TX.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you’ll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.