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"ALL THESE THINGS ARE AGAINST ME""And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me." (Genesis 42:35-36)Driven by hunger, 10 of Jacob’s sons travel to Egypt seeking food. Upon arrival, they bow low before Joseph, the Egyptian official, who was overseeing grain sales. Joseph recognizes them immediately, but they did not recognize him. He remains disguised and speaks harshly, accusing them of being spies. We learn that Joseph kept their brother Simeon and sent his 9 brothers back home, telling them to come back with their youngest brother Benjamin. When the nine brothers come home, we hear Jacob's response with all that occurred in Egypt, "Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me." (v.36)At that moment, everything seemed to be going against Jacob. It appeared that way, but the reality was just the opposite. All these things that seemed to be hurting him, were actually working for his good. The famine and the future possibility of 3 sons missing in action were all that Jacob could take that day. But the Mighty Hand of God was once again moving him along the road of life.All of us have those trying times in our lives when it seems like everything is going against us. haven't we? Sometimes we will fall into that same trap Jacob did when we allow ourselves to think the way he was thinking. Now, I find it rather odd here that there is no mention of God in Jacob’s words. At that moment when Jacob thought all things were against him, he had forgotten God. That's kind of sad, isn't it. But God, Who remembers to forget our sins, will never forget His servants!Yet, Jacob had forgotten how the Lord had led him so many times before when he thought things were against him. He forgot how God had caused him to prosper during his 20 years working for his Uncle Laban. He forgot how God had blessed him after that tough nightlong wrestling match at Penuel. He forgot how God had protected him in his meeting with his brother Esau. But God was still right there with Jacob just as much as He had been with him in the past. Oh, how Jacob had forgotten the past goodness of God toward him.When we forget God and take Him out of what's going on in our own life, and when it seems that all things are against us, many good folks will continue to live day after day with no hope in sight. Paul reminded the saints there in Ephesus that there is no real hope apart from God: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians. 2:12-13).Friends, without God, there is ultimately no hope; but with God, all things are possible. With so much going on within and around us these days, and when it seems that all these things are AGAINST us remember this: "...GOD IS FOR ME."