July 12, 2019
Acts 7:9-16 The Voice (VOICE)
When you face the hard places in life, do you still know God is with you and working in your behalf? Every place of trial stretches our faith and trust in God. I have many loved ones who are facing hard places right now. They must fight every feeling of having been forsaken by God. Jesus taught his disciples and he teaches us, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Yesterday, we explored how the Lord is our Rescuer. We touched on how sometimes the Lord rescues us by intervening in our circumstances. However, sometimes the Lord rescues us by covering us with his grace and wisdom, so we can stay in the hard places and be a witness to God’s power working in and through us. It is God’s heart to draw all people to himself; his ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8). If you are going through some hard times, please recognize you have an opportunity to reveal God’s presence to others. Stay humble and trust the Lord to overcome in your life. Be encouraged by our lesson today from the life of Joseph.
Acts 7:9-16
9 The patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, so they sold him as a slave into Egypt. Even so, God was with him; 10 and time after time, God rescued Joseph from whatever trials befell him. God gave Joseph the favor and wisdom to overcome each adversity and eventually to win the confidence and respect of his captors, including Pharaoh, the king of Egypt himself. So Pharaoh entrusted his whole nation and his whole household to Joseph’s stewardship. 11 Some time later, a terrible famine spread through the entire region—from Canaan down to Egypt—and everyone suffered greatly. Our ancestors, living here in the region of Canaan, could find nothing to eat.
12 Jacob heard that Egypt had stores of grain; so he sent our forefathers, his sons, to procure food there. 13 Later, when they returned to Egypt a second time, Joseph revealed his true identity to them. He also told Pharaoh his family story.
14-16 Joseph then invited his father Jacob and all his clan to come and live with him in Egypt. So Jacob came, along with 75 extended family members.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for seeing all things in this world so clearly. You see my life, my heart, and know where I find myself each and every day. Help me to trust and place my confidence in you. May my devotion to you be deep and unshakable. Rescue me day after day; together we will overcome. In Jesus’ name. Amen.