Tag: Joseph

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Genesis Devotions

Remembering whose we are

worship

Joseph said to the people, “Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh.” (Genesis 47:23)

“You have saved our lives,’ they said. ‘We have found favor with our lord and will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” (Genesis 47:25)

Whenever I read those words, I can’t help but think of what Jesus did for us.

Like the Egyptians, we were dying, and Jesus purchased us for himself and his Father, saving our lives. (Revelation 5:9; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

Whenever the Egyptians gave the fifth of their harvest to Pharaoh, it was a time to reflect on Pharaoh’s goodness to them.

In the same way, whenever we give our tithes and offerings to God, it’s a time for us to remember his goodness to us.

But the awesome thing is that Jesus didn’t purchase us to become God’s slaves, but to become God’s children.

As Paul wrote,

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ… (Romans 8:15-17)

So with joy each day, let’s remember whose we are and honor him with our lives. As Paul also wrote,

You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

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Genesis Devotions

“Come near me.”

Jesus' throne

[Joseph’s brothers] could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me.” (Genesis 45:3-4)

Imagine being in Joseph’s brothers’ shoes.

One moment, they’re talking to this powerful Egyptian ruler through an interpreter. (Genesis 42:23)

The next thing they know, the interpreter and everyone else is sent out of the room.

Then this Egyptian ruler starts speaking to them in Hebrew. And not only does he speak to them in Hebrew, he says, “I am Joseph.”

Now they’re terrified. This is the brother they had sold as a slave all those years before. They were well aware of their guilt and how deserving they were of Joseph’s wrath.

But Joseph says to them, “Please…come near me.”

It’s the same with us and Jesus.

We stand before him with all our sins and failures laid bare, and we see just how deserving we are of God’s wrath.

But Jesus looks at us and says, “Please…come near me. God sent me ahead of you to save you with a great deliverance. The Father has made me Lord of all. (1 Corinthians 15:27)

And now you can draw near. You can dwell near me, walking with me moment to moment, day to day without fear.

I will sustain you through all the struggles and trials of your life.

Now go, tell your family and all those around you about my glory and all you have seen so that they may draw near me too.”

That is awesome to ponder. The Psalm I was praying today is so apropos.

Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord!

Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we are his,—
his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.

For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever;
his faithfulness, through all generations. (Psalm 100)

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Genesis Devotions

Though I may face troubles in this world

grapevine bearing fruit

Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (which means “forget”) and said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and my whole family.”

And the second son he named Ephraim (which means “fruitful”) and said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” (Genesis 41:51-52)

Jesus, you said that in this world I would see suffering, and I have. (John 16:33)

But as with Joseph, the day will come when all my troubles will be in the past and they will no longer be able to touch me. (Revelation 21:24)

Thank you that my present sufferings cannot compare with my future glory. (Romans 8:18)

Thank you that in the midst of my sufferings, when I don’t know how to pray, your Spirit prays for me. (Romans 8:26)

Thank you that you will work all things for the good of us who love you, whom you’ve called according to your purpose. (Romans 8:28)

That’s my hope. You are my hope.

So as I still remain in this land filled with trouble, I choose to trust you. Fulfill your purpose in me and make me fruitful. In your name I pray. Amen.

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Genesis Devotions

Holding on to faith in hard times 

In prison hope

I really wish sometimes that we could see what was going on in Joseph’s heart. We do see a hint of it in chapter 40, and a lot more of his heart in chapters 42-45.

But we have no idea what’s going on in Joseph’s heart in chapter 39.

Because of that, it’s easy to think, “Man, Joseph was such a godly man. No matter what he went through, he was so faithful to God. He never wavered.”

But today I was thinking, “Was it really so easy for him? In his first days as a slave in Egypt, did he ever struggle with bitterness towards his brothers? Did he ever ask God, ‘Why?’

“When he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and he was sitting in his cell, was he ever tempted to be bitter towards God. ‘I did things God’s way, and now look what happened.'”

My guess is yes. He wasn’t perfect. He was human.

But ultimately, he held on to his faith and remained faithful to God.

In that way, he mirrored David. The both experienced mistreatment by others (Psalm 62:3-4).

They both had reasons to be bitter towards others and to God.

But they both chose to keep trusting God. And in the end, God proved himself worthy of that trust.

I was reading Psalm 62 today, and I could just imagine Joseph singing to himself something similar to what David did.

Rest in God alone, my soul,
for my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will not be shaken.

My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock.
My refuge is in God.

Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before him.
God is our refuge. (Psalm 62:5-8)

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Genesis Devotions

When you’re sitting in the pit

Depression

Today, along with reading Genesis 37, by chance, I was also praying Psalm 118.

And as I read it, it struck me that it could have been Joseph’s song as he looked back on the darkest time of his life. (To be clear, this psalm was actually written hundreds of years later.)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1)

I called to the Lord in distress;
the Lord answered me
and put me in a spacious place,

The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid.
What can a mere mortal do to me?

The Lord is my helper;
therefore, I will look in triumph on those who hate me. (Psalm 118:5-7)

They pushed me hard to make me fall,
but the Lord helped me.

The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation. (Psalm 118:13-14)

The interesting thing is that Joseph’s life mirrors Jesus’. And a prophesy about Jesus could also be said of Joseph who would later save his brothers who had rejected and betrayed him.

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. (Psalm 118:22)

All this would have been easy to sing for Joseph looking back. But in that moment, first sitting in that pit, and then being sold into Egypt as a slave, it would have been hard for Joseph to sing any of that.

And yet somehow, he held on to his faith. He kept believing God was good and that his faithful love endures forever. And his actions reflect that throughout the next few chapters. The result? He learned what Paul did.

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

It’s easy to say, “God is good” and believe in his love when things are going well. But when we’re in that pit, can we still say that?

Can we sing with Joseph,

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever.

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Matthew Devotionals

The message of Christmas

Mary and Joseph

She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

“He will save his people from their sins.”

How much did those words shock Joseph?

“My son will save his people from their sins? How is that possible? What does that mean?”

He certainly had no concept of the cross at that point.

Had the angel told him, “He will save his people from the Romans,” similar to what God had said concerning Samson (Judges 13:5), I’m sure Joseph would have had no problems understanding that.

But, “He will save his people from their sins?”

How many people today would be as confused as Joseph was?

If they think they need salvation at all, it might be salvation from government oppression. Or salvation from financial problems, health problems, or family problems.

They think joy and peace in their lives would come from having all those issues taken away.

And so if they ever ask God for anything, that’s what they pray for.

But it never occurs to them that the number one issue in their lives is their sin. They need salvation from their sin.

So many take their sin lightly. Many refuse to even admit their actions are sinful.

On the other hand, there are those completely burdened with guilt and regret because of their sin, but they can’t see what can be done about it.

To both, the message is the same: Jesus came to save his people from their sins.

So as we think about Christmas and how to share with the people we love its meaning, let us remember what is at the core of the Christmas message:

Jesus came to save his people from their sins.

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Genesis Devotions

God’s gracious plan

Genesis

In a lot of ways, Joseph was a picture of Jesus.

Beloved by his father. (Genesis 37:3, Matthew 3:17)

Rejected by his own people. (Genesis 37:8, John 1:10-11)

Sold for silver. (Genesis 37:28, Matthew 26:14-16)

Falsely accused. (Genesis 39:16-18, Matthew 26:59-61)

Raised to power. (Genesis 41:37-44, Philippians 2:9-11)

Bringing salvation to his people. (Genesis 45:7, Matthew 1:21)

And here in chapter 45, we see a picture of our own salvation.

Like Joseph’s brothers, one day we will stand before Jesus, so aware of our own guilt, knowing we deserve death.

But like Joseph, Jesus will say to us gently, “Please, come near me. God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.” (Genesis 45:4, 7)

As with Jacob and his family, there is now a remnant of Jews saved by grace. (Romans 11:5)

And by God’s grace, we are part of that family too, saved by the great deliverance Jesus brought about. (Ephesians 2:11-13)

None of this was an accident either. As in Joseph’s case, it was all part of God’s gracious plan toward us. (Genesis 45:5-8; Acts 2:13-18, 4:27-28)

So let us sing with Paul, rejoicing in our salvation:

Oh, the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments
and untraceable his ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?

And who has ever given to God,
that he should be repaid?,

For from him and through him
and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

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Genesis Devotions

How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves?

Genesis

“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ iniquity.” (Genesis 44:16)

Aren’t those words representative of us all? When we stand before God, and God opens up the books that show our entire lives, there will be nothing we can say. No defense we can give.

Judah’s words to his father Jacob in verse 32 also strike me.

If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father. (32)

It seems to me there was a double meaning there, although Jacob didn’t see it at the time.

It was Judah who had suggested selling Joseph as a slave. (Genesis 37:26-27)

And we see in this chapter how heavily he wore the weight of that guilt.

He had sinned against his father by selling Joseph. There was nothing he could do to change it. And I think he was trying to atone for his sin by guaranteeing Benjamin’s safety.

I think his hidden message to his father was, “If I do not bring Benjamin back to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you by selling Joseph.”

But the truth is, even if he had brought Benjamin back safely, it would not have truly paid for his sin.

How often do we try to do what Judah did? We try to “make up” for the wrong we did.

But nothing we do can take our sin away. God exposes our iniquity and there is no way to justify ourselves.

But the good news is that Jesus lifted the weight of our sin, put it on himself, and paid for our sin at the cross.

All we have to do is trust and rest in what Jesus did for us.

And so Paul tells us,

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

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Genesis Devotions

God’s discipline

Genesis

This is truly a fascinating chapter when you think about it.

For in it, you see Joseph being confronted with his past hurts.

He sees his “honest” brothers (verse 11) for the first time in 20 years. (“Honest? Did you tell Father the truth about me?”)

He is confronted with how they sold him into slavery. “One of our brothers is no longer living.” (Genesis 42:13)

Then you have his brothers. God confronts them with the guilt that they have tried to bury for years. “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother.” (21)

And finally Jacob. Ever since Joseph disappeared, his life has basically stopped because of his grief. And he is probably wondering where God is in all his pain.

“Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!” (36)

Often times we confront pain in our lives.

Sometimes it’s things people have done to us.

Sometimes it’s the consequences of our own guilt.

And so we wonder, “Does God really hate me that much?”

And yet, God does not confront us with our pain to make us suffer. He does it to bring about our healing and salvation.

For Joseph, he finds out for the first time that Reuben was not involved in selling him. That he in fact had defended Joseph.

More, Joseph finds out his brothers were not as callous as he had thought. That all these years they had been wracked with guilt for what they had done to him. (21-22)

All that, I think, helped him to forgive.

For his brothers, they thought they were seeing God’s judgment. (21, 28)

In reality, they were seeing his salvation.

And for Jacob, though God had been silent during those 20 years of pain without Joseph, he would soon find out that God had been working for his good all along.

So let us remember the words of exhortation from the author of Hebrews:

“…we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them.

Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?

For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness.

No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.” (Hebrews 12:9-13)

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Genesis Devotions

The hope we have

Genesis

Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon. (Genesis 41:32)

Those words of Joseph are very interesting.

He had gone through so many hardships, one wonders how he held on to hope.

From what he said to Pharaoh, I think it had to be those two dreams he had when he was a young man. Dreams that showed the future hope he had. A hope based on the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Joseph’s “soon” took roughly 20 years. But it did come.

We too, have a hope. And that hope is certain.

Why? The writer of Hebrews tells us: God’s unchangeable promises and oath. (Hebrews 6:17)

We could probably add one more unchangeable thing to that: God’s unchanging good purposes.

Through these unchanging things, we have a high priest in Jesus who has become our source of eternal salvation. (Hebrews 5:5-10, 7:11-28)

For this reason, the writer of Hebrews tells that we who have fled to God for refuge have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.

For this hope is “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:18-19)

So whatever struggles you may be going through, hold on to the hope we have in him, just as Joseph did.

For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.

For yet in a very little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.

But my righteous one will live by faith;
and if he draws back,
I have no pleasure in him.

But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved. (Hebrews 10:36-39)

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Genesis Devotions

Remember me

Genesis

“But when all goes well for you, remember that I was with you. Please show kindness to me by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison.”…

Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. (Genesis 40:14, 23)

It must have been discouraging to Joseph that the cupbearer forgot him.

How much hope did he have those first few days after the cupbearer was released, especially when Joseph undoubtedly heard that he was restored to his position, just as Joseph had said?

But days passed. Weeks passed. Nothing happened.

People are fallible. They will fail us.

The good news is, God doesn’t.

Four times it says in chapter 39 that he was with Joseph.

And he would continue to be with Joseph throughout his life, even though Joseph couldn’t always see it.

Thousands of years later, another man begged, “Remember me!”

And on the cross, Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

But unlike the cupbearer, Jesus remembered him and interceded for him before the Father.

He does the same for us. (Hebrews 7:22-25)

So whatever we’re going through, let us always hold on to the hope we have in him.

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Genesis Devotions

Unseen, but present

Genesis

What was Joseph thinking when his brothers seized him at Dothan and sold him to the Ishamelites?

“Where is God?” would be the likely response.

Strangely enough, it was at Dothan hundreds of years later that another person was wondering, “Where is God?”

The prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the enemy’s army, and his servant was filled with fear. But Elisha reassured his servant,

Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them. (2 Kings 6:16)

Then Elisha prayed,

Lord, please open his eyes and let him see. (2 Kings 6:17)

Suddenly the servant saw that they were protected by the Lord’s army. God hadn’t abandoned them. He had been there all along.

So he was with Joseph.

And so he would be with Jesus thousands of years later even as Jesus cried out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”

And just as he used the evil of the brothers to save Jacob’s entire family including those brothers, he used the evil of the Jewish leaders to save us from our sin.

So whatever you’re going through remember: You may not be able to see God in your circumstances. But he is present. And he is working for your good. (Romans 8:28)

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Matthew Matthew 1

A selfless life

Matthew

“It’s my life.”

“My rights.”

“My happiness.”

How often do we hear those words from those around us. How often do they come out of our mouths?

But as one author put it, “It’s not about you.”

Rather, this life is about God, and the story he is weaving in us and around us.

When I think about Joseph, I see someone who understood this.

Think about his initial reaction to Mary. They were engaged, and in their culture, it was far more binding than in ours.

Though they were still not living with each other or sleeping with each other, by Jewish law it still required a divorce to dissolve the engagement.

But during that time, Mary is found to be pregnant.

How does Joseph feel? Probably hurt. Betrayed. Angry. And as I’ve mentioned before, by law, he had the right to have Mary stoned for her unfaithfulness.

But it says in verse 19,

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. (Matthew 1:19)

Obviously, he didn’t want to marry her anymore. What man would? But hurt as he was, he didn’t seek revenge. He didn’t seek “justice.” He didn’t insist on his “rights” as the injured party.

Rather, he planned to show mercy to her. He wasn’t even going to make a big show of the divorce proceedings. He was just going to have it quietly done to spare as much pain as possible to Mary.

I wonder if Mary even tried to explain. How in the world do you say, “Don’t worry Joseph. I wasn’t unfaithful to you. God did this.”

Would you believe that? No reasonable person would. And because God knew that, he intervened, sending an angel to tell Joseph,

Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20-21)

Now on one level, I’m sure that it did bring some comfort to Joseph to hear this. But on another level, it would have been really easy to wipe his hands clean of the whole situation.

If he took Mary as his wife, there was a good chance that the people around would start to suspect that he was guilty of sleeping with Mary before they got married, and to stain his reputation.

What’s more, he could’ve easily said, “That may be true, God, but it’s not my baby. I didn’t ask for this. And you certainly didn’t ask me about it. Why should I take responsibility for Mary and the baby?”

But difficult as it was, Joseph took Mary as his wife. Despite the rumors. Despite all the difficulties.

Why? Because he knew this life wasn’t about him. That God had a bigger plan in which he wanted to save Israel, and the world.

So Joseph put aside his rights, his plans, and his life to serve God and Mary. But in doing so, I have to believe that he also found joy and fulfillment.

How about you? Are you living for yourself? If you do, ultimately, it leaves you empty. But by living for God and his purposes, you find life. As Jesus himself put it,

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. (Matthew 16:25)

Who are you living for?

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Genesis

Forgiveness

forgiveness

As I read the story of Joseph dealing with his brothers, this is yet another time when I wish we could look into the mind of a character in the Bible.

What was Joseph really thinking throughout this entire episode of arresting his brothers, threatening them, sending them away, putting their silver back in their bags, falsely accusing Benjamin of theft, and finally revelation?

Had Joseph completely dealt with his anger and bitterness toward his brothers by the time they first arrived in Egypt?  Or was he still struggling with it all?

Was he simply testing his brothers to see if they had changed?  Or was he trying to take some measure of revenge, trying to make them suffer as he suffered?

I really don’t know.  Sometimes I think he had completely forgiven them; sometimes I’m not so sure.

But whatever his feelings throughout these chapters, I think there are some things we can learn about forgiveness.

First, forgiveness doesn’t mean ignoring what the other person did to you, or saying it never happened.

Joseph says to his brothers quite clearly, “I am Joseph.  You know.  The one you sold into Egypt as a slave.  I am the one that you wronged.”

Sometimes people try to avoid feeling pain by refusing to acknowledge that they were hurt.  But before the pain you feel can be dealt with, you have to acknowledge it, not ignore it.

And things can never be made completely right with the person who hurt you, unless you are willing to admit, “You hurt me.”

That’s what Joseph did.

Second, it’s saying to the other person, “You don’t owe anything to me anymore.”  He told his brothers,

And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here. (Genesis 45:5)

So often, we want people to be angry at themselves.  We want people to feel guilty for what they’ve done to us.

But here, Joseph says, “I’ve forgiven you.  Don’t beat yourself up for what you’ve done to me.  I’m certainly not.”

Third, it’s letting go of the past and embracing the future.

Joseph didn’t dwell on how wrong his brothers were in selling him as a slave.

Instead, he pointed out how God was able to turn their actions into something that would save their family.

He said,

It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.  For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping.

But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  (Genesis 45:5-7)

God has a plan for each and every one of us.  And he wants to work in us and through us to touch lives.

But unforgiveness is like a chain that binds us to our past.  And as long as we are chained to our past, we can’t move forward into the future God has for us.

So in order to move forward and find God’s blessing in our lives, we must let go of the past.

One person put it this way, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

But one thing that forgiveness does not mean is recklessly putting yourself in harm’s way.

God calls us to forgive, whether the other person is sorry or not.  As long as we don’t forgive, we’re a prisoner to our past, and we can’t move on into our future.

But if the other person is not sorry, then they can be a danger to us, both physically and emotionally.

Forgiveness doesn’t require repentance by the other person.  But full restoration of a relationship does.

I believe that’s why Joseph treated his brothers the way he did.  He wanted to see if they had really changed.  And when he saw that they had, full restoration was possible.

It’s very possible that if there had been no change, Joseph would never have revealed himself to them.

When someone hurts you, forgive.

But unless they are truly sorry and are committed to change, you would be wise to be very cautious in your relationship with them.  If you’re not, you’re just opening yourself up to being hurt again.

Too many people get hurt, because they want to restore a relationship before there is repentance.

As long as the other person doesn’t acknowledge that they’ve hurt you, as long as the other person refuses to acknowledge there needs to be some change in their behavior and are making serious efforts at change, you’re much better off keeping your distance from them.

If that’s not possible, then at least don’t fool yourself into thinking that things will get better.

Know what they are like and prepare yourself in your heart for the kinds of things they’re capable of.

At least that way, you’re not caught completely off guard when something happens, and you can prepare yourself emotionally.

But once again, repentant or not, we need to forgive.  Not so much for the other person’s sake.  But for ours.

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Genesis

A powerless past. A fruitful future

fruitful

Joseph went through a lot in 13 years.

Sold off to be a slave in Egypt by his own brothers.  Made the head of one of Pharaoh’s official’s household, only to be framed for rape and thrown in prison.

And now, here he is second in command only to Pharaoh in Egypt.

Now he marries the daughter of Pharaoh and has two sons.

One he names Manasseh, which means “forget,” because “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”

The second son he names Ephraim, which means “twice fruitful,” because,  “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” (Genesis 41:50-52)

Did Joseph really forget his past?

No.  But it’s influence over him was rendered powerless when he considered the blessing he had now.

Joseph said, “Not only am I fruitful in this land of my suffering, but I am twice fruitful.”

In Romans 8, Paul writes,

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Paul here is specifically talking about the glory that will be revealed in us when Christ returns.  As it says in another scripture,

But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  (1 John 3:2).

And at that time,

[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.  (Revelation 21:4)

Will we completely forget our past?  I don’t know.  Possibly.

But I think it’s just as possible that we’ll remember it only as a part of the tapestry of our life that God wove while we were here on earth.  One whose pattern will only be remembered for it’s overall beauty.

But as with Joseph, I believe we can find a glimpse of that glory even here on earth.  That even here on earth, through all the sorrow and pain that we go through, we can find peace, joy, and contentment as we know the touch of God in our lives.

And so whatever sufferings we’re going through, we have hope for the future, both here on earth, and in the life to come.

But what do we do now during our times of suffering?  It helps to remember we’re not alone.  It continues on in Roman 8, saying,

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.  (Romans 8:26-27)

There are times in our lives when our suffering is so great, we don’t know what to pray for or even how to pray.

But during those times, God’s Spirit prays for us, and he prays for us according to God’s will.

That’s why Paul can say in verse 28,

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

It is because the Holy Spirit is praying for us that we can know that God will work for our good.

I’m sure the Holy Spirit was praying for Joseph during his times of trial.  And I know the Holy Spirit is praying for you.

Because of that, we can know that whatever we’re going through, God’s going to bring us through.

It may be in this life.  It may be in the next.

But whenever it is, we’ll be able to look back as Joseph did and say, “My past no longer has power over me, and I have now become twice fruitful.”

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Genesis

Telling it like it is

Genesis

“REPENT!  YOU’RE ALL GOING TO HELL!!!”

Sounds kind of like the thing you’d hear from one of those street preachers on a soap box in the States.

But one day I was walking with a Christian friend in Kobe, and we saw a car going by with some kind of message going over a loudspeaker.

Usually when you see that in Japan, it’s some kind of politician trying to get votes at election time.

But I heard something about Christ being mentioned, so I asked my friend what it was about, and he said, “They’re basically saying you’re all going to hell and need to repent.”

“I see,” was all I could say.

I can’t say that it’s something I would do.  Quite frankly, I strongly question its effectiveness, especially in this country.

On the other hand, one thing that Christians need to take into consideration is that there are often two sides to the messages of God.  And the message is not always happy, happy, joy, joy.

Joseph certainly learned this.  He received messages from God to give to people, and they certainly weren’t all happy, happy, joy, joy.

For the cupbearer, Joseph gave a message of forgiveness, and restoration.  Though the cupbearer had angered the Pharaoh, he was going to be forgiven and restored to his former position.

For the baker, however, there would be no forgiveness from Pharaoh, only judgment, and death.

I’m sure Joseph wasn’t filled with joy that he had to give such a message to the baker, but he did.  Because it was the truth.

The same was true with God’s message to Pharaoh.  There was good news, but there was also bad news.

There was going to be 7 years of abundance in Egypt, but that was going to be followed by 7 years of famine.

I’m sure Joseph didn’t think Pharaoh would be overjoyed to hear about the years of famine to come.

But he didn’t hide this from Pharaoh.  He told him everything, the good and the bad.  Because it was the truth.

And because he told Pharaoh the truth, Egypt was able to prepare for the famine to come.

Just as there were two sides to the messages that Joseph gave, there are two sides to the Christian message.

Yes, there is forgiveness, restoration, and joy found in Christ.  But there is also judgment and punishment to come for those who don’t believe.

When we share God’s message to people, are we giving both sides of the message?

Perhaps the most famous passage in all of scripture is John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

People love this passage because it tells of God’s love for us, and how we can have eternal life through Jesus Christ.

But there’s another side to that verse.  It says, “whoever believes in him shall not perish.”

What about those who don’t believe in him?  The answer is very clear.  They will perish.  They will be separated from God forever when they die.

In case you missed that point, John makes it crystal clear two verses later.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.  (John 3:18)

Time and again, you see both sides to the message of the gospel.  Forgiveness and salvation for those who believe.  Judgment and wrath for those who don’t.

So what am I saying?  Tell the people around you, “You’re going to hell?”  Well, yes.

When we share the gospel message, people need to be aware that there is a problem.  That there is sin in their lives, and that because God is holy, he must punish sin.

The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death.”  (Romans 6:23)

There is no way we can skip this part of the message.  Why?  Because we’re preaching a message of salvation.  And how can we be saved if there is nothing to be saved from.

People need to be saved if they’re drowning in the ocean, not if they’re standing safely on dry land.  People need to be saved if they’re trapped inside a burning building, not if they’re standing safely outside it.

People need to hear the gospel message because they are not safe.  They’re trapped in their sin, and they’re going to hell.

You can say that anyway you want to.  Eternal death.  Eternal separation from God.  It all amounts to the same thing.

So why am I not all for the people in their cars blaring out over the loudspeakers “You’re going to hell?”

I suppose it’s because as one person put it, they’re trying to “scare the hell out of people.”

Jesus wasn’t in the business of trying to “scare the hell out of people.”

He was in the business of trying to “love the hell out of people.”

When you look at all his interactions with sinners, he always reached out with love to try to turn them from their ways.

That said, Jesus repeatedly talked about hell and judgment throughout his ministry.

But it should be noted that despite the fact that he did so, sinners were still attracted to him.  Because they sensed he really cared about them.

I strongly doubt the passersby get that sense from the people driving by blaring out on loudspeakers, “You’re going to hell!”

Are you afraid of what people will think of you if you give them the whole truth?

It was because Joseph gave Pharaoh the whole truth that Egypt was able to be saved from the famine.

And if you give people the whole truth, it gives them the chance to be saved too, but from a fate much worse than just physical death.

But in order to do that, we must give them the whole testimony of God.  What is it?

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  (1 John 5:11)

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Genesis

Faithful under fire

Genesis

If there was someone that had a right to be bitter, it was Joseph.  His biggest crime was that he had a loud mouth.

And for that “crime” he was thrown into a cistern and left there for a few hours, and then he was shipped off to Egypt to be a slave.

Now he’s in a foreign country, doesn’t know the language, and is forced to serve people he doesn’t know.

It would’ve been so easy in his situation to become bitter.  To rage at God saying, “This isn’t fair!  I don’t deserve this!  How could you do this to me?”

But he didn’t.  Instead he served both God and his new master faithfully, and because he did so, God blessed not only him, but his new master as well.

But then trouble comes. His master’s beautiful wife becomes attracted to him and tries to get him into her bed. 

Again, it would’ve been so easy for Joseph to say, “Well, I’m far away from my home.  Nobody here really knows God.  My father and my brothers will never know what I’m doing.  Why not have a little fun?”

But instead, Joseph refused, saying, “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And despite the fact that day after day, this beautiful woman kept chasing after him, he refused to give into temptation.

But the day comes when she manages to corner him while no one else is in the house, and this time she is very insistent, grabbing him by the cloak and saying, “Come to bed with me!  Nobody’s here!  I arranged everything.  Nobody will ever know we’ve been sleeping together.”

And again, it would’ve been so easy for Joseph to just give in and say, “Okay, I’ll do it.  Just this once, I’ll do it.  She is beautiful after all.  And no one will ever know.  I deserve a little fun after all I’ve been through.”

But instead, Joseph turned and ran.

Unfortunately, however, his cloak is left in her hand, and she gets so angry at being rejected once again, that she tells everyone that Joseph tried to rape her.

And so once again, through no fault of his own, Joseph gets in trouble and is thrown in prison.

How would you have felt?  I would’ve been pretty bitter.  Here I am, trying to do the right thing, trying to doing things God’s way, and now look what’s happened!

But Joseph refused to let bitterness linger in his heart.  Instead, he remained faithful to God.  And as a result, God blessed him even while he was in prison.

The key phrase through this whole passage is this, “The Lord was with Joseph.”

God didn’t prevent problems from coming into Joseph’s life.  He didn’t promise Joseph that by doing things His way, everything would go smoothly.

But through it all, God was there.  And because Joseph was always aware of God’s presence in his life, he remained faithful to Him no matter the circumstances.

How about you?  Are you bitter about the circumstances you’re in?  Perhaps you’re in trouble through your own mistakes.  Maybe you’re in trouble despite the fact that you always tried to do things God’s way.

Stay faithful.

Don’t let bitterness control you.

Stay faithful.

And whatever you’re going through, God will bring you through the fire.

God never promises that your life will always be perfect.

God never promises that bad things will never happen to you.

What he does promise, is that through everything you go through, he’ll be with you every step of the way.

Categories
Genesis

Cold hearts

Genesis

In Japan, the divorce rate is way lower than it is in the States.  However, the number is going up.

I read a while back that divorces by people in their 60s are on the way up, especially since a law was passed that allowed for a more equal divvying up of the pensions.

Apparently, in a lot of households, husbands and wives aren’t really communicating much, and the relationships just aren’t going well.

As a result, the wives are dreading the day when their husbands retire and will be home all the time.  So, after their husbands retire, the wives file for divorce.

I suppose that’s better than the story of another woman that I read about.  She said that she’s deliberately feeding her husband a lot of greasy foods in the hope that he dies early.

It’s pretty sad, but from what I’ve seen of some husbands, they haven’t been treating their wives very well either, and that’s partly why all of this is happening.

I mentioned in an earlier blog a man that loves fishing so much that he’d rather do that than spend time with his family.  And whenever his wife complains, he just ignores her and goes off anyway.

His attitude towards his wife and children just strikes me as so cold.  I can’t believe there are people out there like that.

Well, Joseph’s brothers were also pretty cold.  After years of jealousy towards their brother, they see him coming out to them and decide to kill him.

Reuben manages to keep them from doing that, but it seems he’s more worried about his own hide than the safety of Joseph.

As the oldest son, Reuben knew he would be held responsible by his father. So he convinced them to just throw Joseph into a cistern, with the idea of rescuing him later.

Reuben then goes off somewhere, and Joseph is pleading with his brother to let him out, but they just ignore him, and perhaps even laugh at him.

Then, a bunch of merchants pass by, and Judah gets the bright idea of selling Joseph off as a slave.  Not only do they get rid of him, but they get paid to do so.

Again, Joseph pleads with them not to do that to him, but they shut their ears to his pleas and send him off.

They then dip his coat in blood and take it to their father and cold-heartedly let him assume the worst about Joseph.

Jacob weeps for days on end, and while they attempt to comfort him, no one even considers going to try and get Joseph back.

Jesus said that in the last days,

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12)

How does love grow cold?

Selfishness is one reason.  We start putting our own desires and needs above others, and as we do, not only does our own love grow cold, but their love grows cold too.

My student’s relationships with his wife and his daughters are in danger, but the real danger comes when his wife and daughters stop saying anything at all.

At that point, the heat of anger is gone, their hearts have become numb to the pain he’s caused them, and all that’s left are cold hearts that don’t care anymore.

Jealousy is another reason.

Instead of being happy at another person’s good fortune, we allow our jealousy to put a wall between us.

Often times, the other person doesn’t even know what happened.  All they know is that something happened to the relationship, and that something is seriously wrong.

That happened between Joseph and his brothers.  You also see it later in the relationship between Saul and David.  (1 Samuel 18-19).

Anger and unforgiveness, whether deserved or not, are two more things that can cause our hearts to grow cold.

Someone wrongs us or hurts us, and we hold our anger inside.  The anger then leads to bitterness towards that person.  And bitterness can lead to hatred.

You see that in Joseph’s brothers.

Anger at the special treatment Jacob gave Joseph (very bad judgment on Jacob’s part).

Bitterness that they couldn’t receive the same kind of love from their father.

And as a result, hatred toward their brother.

All of that showed in their coldness to their brother’s pleas for mercy.

How about you?  Are you allowing your hearts to become cold towards the people in your life?

Towards your husband?

Towards your wife?

Towards your children?

Towards the people at work?

Towards the people at church?

All of that grieves the God who sent his Son because of his love for you and them.

Let us always remember Paul’s words to the Ephesian church.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:30-32,)

Categories
Genesis

Learning when to keep your mouth shut

Genesis

I kind of wonder if Joseph was just really cocky or really naive when he told his brothers about his dreams.

Did he say it like, “Hey guys!  Listen to this cool dream I had!  I had this dream where all your sheaves of grain bowed to mine.  And then I had this other dream where the sun, moon and stars all bowed down to me.

“What do you suppose it means?  Whatever it means, it sounds pretty cool, huh?”

Or did he say, “Hey guys!  Listen to this dream!  Heh, heh, heh.  You guys are all going to bow to ME someday!”

Well, however he said it, he got into trouble, not only with his brothers, but with his father as well.  Everyone got upset with him.

Which just goes to show that there are times when it’s better to keep your mouth shut, even if you think God is telling you something.

There was a friend I once knew when I was in university, who one day went up to a girl at church that he really liked and said, “God told me that I’m going to marry you some day.”

Her immediate reply was, “Well, God didn’t tell ME that.”

As it turned out, they never did get married.  But I think my friend learned his lesson that day.

The book of Proverbs talks a lot about watching what you say.  Among them are verses such as

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18)

Joseph would’ve been wise to have heeded those words.  His brothers were already jealous of him because his father favored him more than them.

But instead of saying things that calmed them down, his words pierced their hearts like a sword and only made them more angry, because it seemed like he was shoving his favored position down their throats.

How often do we say things that, instead of bringing healing to our relationships, bring more hurt.  It’s very easy, especially when we’re fighting, to say hurtful things to others.

“You’re so stupid!  I can’t believe you!  How could you have done such an idiotic thing!  You’re so inconsiderate!  I’ll never forgive you for this!”

As another verse says in Proverbs 15:1,

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

What kind of words come out of your mouth?  Are they healing to your relationships?  Or do they tear them apart?

It’s difficult sometimes to hold our tongue, especially when we’re angry.  But other kinds of words can be hurtful too.  Gossip can do great harm to a relationship.  It says in Proverbs 16:28,

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.

Sarcastic or mocking words can also do great damage, even if said jokingly.  I’ve gotten into trouble more than once for that.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, and am still learning, it’s this:  “It’s much better to build up in love than to tear down in fun.”

In our culture, we sometimes delight in making fun of our friends.  Roasts at weddings or other events are somewhat traditional.

But sometimes when you’re tearing down in fun, you hit a chord in a person that you didn’t expect and you can really hurt them.

But when you build others up in love, people always come away from you blessed and encouraged.

What comes out of your mouth?  Blessings or curses?  Hurt or healing?