Do you acknowledge God in all your ways so He can direct your paths? Genesis 44-47

Genesis 46:1-4 (NASBStr)

 So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “ Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “ I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.”

Solomon, in Proverbs, will eventually tell us that we are to acknowledge God in all our ways and that He will then direct our paths.   We couldn't have a more perfect example of that then in the above story of Jacob/Israel.  Israel has been informed that the son he thought was dead, Joseph, is not only alive but the second in command in the land of Egypt.   Joseph wants Israel to come to Egypt to live out the famine (five more years) and all the boys, the gifts from Pharaoh, the common sense of it all, tell him to go.    But, as he makes  his way to Egypt, Joseph stops to do what Solomon will tell us all later in his book (Proverb 3:5,6).   Joseph stops in Beersheba, apparently with second thoughts about leaving Canaan.   He previously would have had no intent of leaving the land.  This WAS the promise land.  This is where Abraham and Isaac were told to live.   Perhaps as the wagons started to roll he began to think about this "common sense" move (all the pieces were coming together ... he had a job lined up in Egypt, he had movers provided, his family was there for future support, he would avoid the famine ... everything that made the move common sense).   Israel knew that a move of this nature needed God's approval despite the fact that his son was in Egypt.  So, he stops in a place by Abraham and Isaac had talked to God; Beersheba.   There, in that sacred place, God told him it was okay to move to Egypt.  Joseph knew why he was there and informed the boys.   Jacob needed to hear it, however, from God himself.   (Remarkably this is the last recorded incident of a time God speaks to the patriarchs.  The next time He speaks it is to Moses in the bush.)  Jacob came to Beersheba and "acknowledged" God and God, in turn, "directed his steps."   When we see things line up in our lives in a common sense kind of way, it is still important to acknowledge God and allow Him to direct our paths, not circumstances.   We need to recognize that God is in each step we take, not just the difficult.  He is also in the steps that seem to line up perfectly.   In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.