These Are The Best Years

We read in Genesis 47:9, "And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." (KJV)

Few and evil were the days in my life?

This is Jacob who had been a deceiver and supplanter. He deceived his father to obtain the blessing meant for the older son, in this case, Esau. Then there was Laban, a relative, who deceived him by giving away his daughter Leah instead of Rachel. Laban caused Jacob to work additional seven years before he could marry her. Jacob in turn deceived Laban before departing with his wives and children along with their possessions. Later his sons wanted to kill Joseph, his favorite son, but decided to sell him as a slave. Jacob was inconsolable when his sons lied by saying an animal killed him.

It was a troubled life marked by deception, broken relationships, hateful sons, his adoring son allegedly killed and a famine that drives his family out of the promise land into Egypt.

Can we say right now looking over our lives despite failure, pain, broken relationships, hardships and uncertainty that few and evil are the days of my life?

I believe Jacob could say so because he understood God's grace and goodness. And likewise we can say these are the best years of our life because God is good to us! Our life experiences are not marked by sin, shame and regret but by God's grace and goodness.

Beloved, think of it. We are still here. Our hearts are beating and so we are breathing, still living after all we have gone through and experienced. Jacob said, "my pilgrimage is 130 years," in essence, my days are short, just a mere breath compared to my fathers but for God's grace and goodness. Jacob understood this same favor of God carried them through their journey and extended their years as it did for him.

We need to remember this precious promise every day: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalms 23:6, KJV).