Genesis 48 talks about when Jacob was an old man and very close to death. His son, Joseph, came to visit him and say his goodbyes. Joseph and his father were very close. In fact, Joseph was Jacob's favorite child, the youngest, whom he had given the multi-colored coat many years prior. At one point, Jacob thought Joseph was dead and lived very sadly until he found out that Joseph was indeed alive and living in Egypt. They reunited and here Jacob was at the end of his life.
Joseph was standing before his father along with his own two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. They were, of course, Jacob's grandsons and Jacob said, "Joseph, I'm going to bless your sons as if they were my own children."
In those days, a blessing proclaimed with the right hand was always the greatest. It belonged traditionally to the firstborn son. So Joseph put his oldest son, Manasseh, in front of Jacob's right hand and his younger son, Ephraim, in front of his left. Jacob was nearly blind. He couldn't see. When he went to give the blessing, Jacob crossed his hands and put his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim, and his left hand on Manasseh, the older son.
Joseph said, "No, Dad. You can't see. I had them lined up. I put Manasseh in front of your right hand. He deserves it. Give him the greater blessing."
Jacob said something very interesting that gives us insight into our God. He said, "No, Joseph. I've crossed my hands on purpose. Ephraim may have come second, he may have been in the back, he doesn't deserve it, didn't qualify for it, he's not next in line, but I'm shifting him to a new position. I'm taking him from the back to the front. I'm going to give him what he doesn't deserve."
Friend, that's the way our God is. He has shifts in your future that will put you in a position that you didn't earn. Just like with Ephraim, God is going to cross His hands and say, "I'm going to move them from the back to the front; from being unqualified to being suddenly qualified; from being looked down on or disrespected to being esteemed and respected."
God is saying to you what Jacob said to Ephraim, "I'm going to bless you on purpose. I'm going to move you up. I'm going to accelerate your dreams. I'm going to give you what you didn't deserve. I'm going to shift you into a position that you could have never gotten to on your own." Now, get ready for it. Stay in faith, stay in the Word, obey His commands and stay faithful because God is going to shift you into a place of greater blessing!
Source: Joel Osteen
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