We are finishing the story of Joseph, but I wanted our passage to come from Exodus. During Joseph’s time in Egypt, God did a miracle work through Joseph when He saved Egypt from seven years of famine. God, through Joseph, was the reason why Egypt prospered. Yet, as with anything, time went by, people did not remember, or never knew, what God had done through Joseph. Therefore, they turned against the Israelites. 

As you live your life, be mindful that jealousy and envy are terrible things. Be careful not to take things for granted. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Exodus 1:6-8

6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 50

Read this passage multiple times, if you need to, but make sure you understand it. If you do not understand the significance, then ask someone. But make sure you glean the wisdom in this passage. It speaks to the sovereignty of God! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 49:8-12

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. 9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. 11 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 49

As you read this passage, think about the life of Jacob and what he went through to get to where he is at the time he’s talking to Joseph. It seems unlikely that when he got this word from God, he thought it would go how it went. In the process of seeing God’s promise take root, he lost his true love and thought he had lost his favorite son.

But God!

What has God placed on your heart as something He is going to do for you? Trust Him. In Christ, what you see isn’t always what you get. If you want what He’s called for you, faith must lead the way. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 48:3-4

3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 4 and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 48

Genesis 47 is interesting. Especially to US Christians with our history of slavery. When that institution was thriving in our country, enslavers would use the Bible to encourage their enslaved workers that they were doing the work of God. 

A passage like this one would probably not be placed in the Bible made for US based enslaved Christians. It shows a humanity that was not desired by enslavers in that era. 

The lesson I peal from this is to be compassionate in all circumstances. No matter your lofty status, treat those in your charge with respect and dignity. This is how God treats you. And NOBODY has a loftier “status” than He. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 47:23-24

23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 47

Fun fact: The Promise Land God told Moses to take the Israelites to was their land in the first place. The Promise Land was Canaan, the land Jacob left to go to Egypt. It was the land God had given to Abraham. 

It’s interesting to me that the Israelites rebelled as they did when God was returning them to the place He had already given their ancestors. 

What doubts do you have about God’s capability to perfectly guide your life? Find a mature Christian and discuss these doubts. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 46:6

6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 46

Imagine the shock Joseph’s brothers must have felt as he revealed himself to them. Unlike their father, they knew Joseph could still be alive, but certainly they had no idea that he had risen to such a high status. When he told them who he was, they probably thought, “Uh oh, we are dead men walking.”

But notice Joseph’s response to them. His focus was God. He understood that his brother’s actions would be used by God to bring Joseph to such a lofty position. Pharaoh had complete trust in Joseph. The timing needed to bring about that level of trust could only be orchestrated by God. What area of your life might you be holding back from God because you think that it is too much for you to release control to Him? Let the story of Joseph increase your faith in who God is and how He can work in your life. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 45:8

8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 45

I find it fascinating that the brother who spoke with Joseph was Judah. Notice the honor with which he speaks. This is the same man who did a dishonorable thing about which we read in Genesis 38. There’s a lesson to be learned. 

How you were doesn’t have to be how you are. Give yourself the grace to learn and grow from your “mistakes.” Many people cannot walk right with Christ because they have deemed themselves too much of a sinner. 

Let me set the record straight. There is no sin so great that the blood of Jesus Christ cannot overcome it when it is applied. Meditate on that reality. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 44:18-20

18 Then Judah went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 44

Ponder this: how someone thinks about you says more about them than it does about you. Notice the response/concern Joseph’s brothers have to his kindness. They think he’s plotting against them. We have read nothing in this story that would lead us to believe that Joseph would plot to overthrow anyone, much less his family. 

However, we have clear evidence that his brothers would plot against someone, including their family member. Subsequently, this is how they think about others. Remember this the next time you find yourself accused by someone. It says more about them than it does about you. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy.

Genesis 43:18

18 Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 43

I pray that you are enjoying the story of Joseph. I have a question. Why does Jacob say of Benjamin that he is the only one left? The answer is interesting compared to something we will read in later chapters. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 42:38

38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 42

Where are you in your life? Do you sometimes feel like God is far away? Think about the distance Joseph traveled to get to the point mentioned in this passage. He trusted God, when nothing in front of him said that he should. 

He was thrown in a well to die by his brothers. He was “rescued” from the well and sold into slavery. He was falsely accused by his master’s wife and subsequently thrown into prison. Then he was forgotten by a person who had access to the “power” that could free him. 

But God!!! 

God’s timing is ALWAYS perfect. There is no other time that Joseph could have met Pharaoh and it end with him becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt. 

Wait on the Lord. It is always worth the wait. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 41:39-40

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 41

I recently heard someone talk about a correlation between this chapter of Genesis and the last supper. I will soon be doing a Word Wednesday about it. But that’s not the point I want to make this morning. 

Notice that the cupbearer forgot about Joseph. As we continue to read in a chapter to come, two years pass before he remembers Joseph and what Joseph told him. That raises a question for me. How could he forget Joseph when he watched everything Joseph said play out right before his eyes. I would think he would have Joseph at the front of his mind. But he did not. He forgot about Joseph. 

Before you get indignant about the cupbearer, think of all the good God has done for you. Now think about the times in your life when you willfully made decisions that go against His word. In those moments you are “forgetting” about God. This should not be. There will be times in life when you fall short of what God has for you. But we should never have such a self-focused mindset that something as amazing as what God did through Joseph happens in our life and we forget God. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 40:23

23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 40

I have two words for you that get so many of us in trouble: Impulse Control.

Potiphar had no impulse control. He forgot, in an instant, who Joseph had been during his time working for Potiphar. His emotional outburst, anger, cost him dearly. How?

What happened to Potiphar’s household while Joseph was there? The Lord blessed everything Potiphar owned, both in the house and in the field. However, because Potiphar showed no impulse control, we can assume that once Joseph was no longer in his household, the Lord removed the blessing on all he owned. We can confirm this by noticing what happened when Joseph went to prison. The favor of the Lord went with him. 

Think about times where you did not exercise good impulse control. How did things turn out? How can you better exercise impulse control? 

My suggestion is seek God constantly. When a situation arises, seek His guidance in that moment. Ask Him, “Lord what shall I do.” He will answer. It will always be the response that gives you peace. You will not need to rationalize the peace, you will just have it. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 39:19-20
 
19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 39

Genesis 38 reads like a modern day soap opera. As you read it, be mindful of a few things. 

1. It begins with the words, “At that time,” or something similar depending on your translation. This means that at the time Joseph was sent off to Egypt, Judah left his father’s land and went to Adullam. We see that his behavior was that of low character. 

2. Contrast Judah’s departure from his father’s land, leaving of his own free will, with the way Joseph left, sold into slavery. As we watch the life of Joseph unfold, we will see a man of high character. 

3. Consider the events that led to the birth of Perez, then note that Perez is in the lineage of Jesus Christ. He is the Great (7x) Grandfather of King David. 

Yes, chapter 38 seems to be out of nowhere, but as you look at the big picture, it provides context to the story of Joseph and just how good a man he was. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 38:27-29

27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 38

It is appropriate that we are starting the life of Joseph the day after Father’s Day. This passage is a reminder to us of the importance that fathers have in the lives of their children. In the case of Jacob, it was more vital as he had twelve sons by four different women. He was the only constant in all their combined lives. 

His special love for Joseph teaches us why we should not show favoritism. It can be dangerous to the object of this favorite status. Notice we never read that the sons hated their father, who was the person who had the favorite son. Joseph did no wrong in this situation. 

Joseph’s innocence is the backdrop of all we will learn as we read about his life. I encourage you to keep that in mind as you ponder your life. Do you seek God first and work to do what He’s called you to do? This must be your priority. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 37:3-4

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 37

As I read this passage, two words stood out to me. Worship God! No matter what happens in your life, worship God. If things are going great in your life, worship God. If things are not going well in your life, worship God. 

To worship God means to honor Him, to speak well about Him, to look to Him for guidance, to live your life in obedience to His word. Notice, I did not say, “sing songs.” That is a part of worship, but it is only a part. 

Every time you share the gospel, you worship God. Every time you share your testimony, you worship God. Every time you choose God’s commands over your wants, you worship God. 

Is worshipping God a priority of yours? Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Revelation 22:8-11

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

Today’s Reading:

Revelation 22

*We have finished the New Testament. Over the next week or so, we will study the life of Joseph, then read through the book of Psalms from early July until the end of the year.

This passage seems small and maybe even insignificant. However, if you understood why the gates to a city were closed every night, the hope found in this passage would fill you with joy. 

I encourage you to learn why people in Biblical times closed the city gates at night. Then reread this passage. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Revelation 21:25

25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.

Today’s Reading:

Revelation 21:9-27

Recently, God has placed a word on my heart, urgency. You may have noticed it in the devotions I’ve been sharing lately. I believe that we think we have all the time in the world to share Christ with others. That’s not true. You never know when someone’s last moment on earth will arrive. Young people are dying daily. They wake up not knowing that this is their last wake up. They think they have “all the time in the world.” Unfortunately, they didn’t. 

As you read this passage, think about the reality of the non-believer. Look around your life and see if you have people in your life who do not believe in Jesus or worse, don’t know Him. If you have them, spend time with God so you may learn how He wants to use you in their lives. 

Remember this thought: Jesus is God’s plan to redeem His creation. The Church is God’s plan to spread  God’s salvation message. We do not have the option of sharing or not. We are commanded to share (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). What benefit is it for you not to share. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Revelation 21:6-8

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Today’s Reading:

Revelation 21:1-8

Earthly wisdom will get you sent where you don’t want to go. As you read Revelation 20, pay attention. 

Yes, you may be saved, but what about your family, friends, co-workers, and all of the people in your sphere of influence? Be intentional about your witness. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Revelation 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small,standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 

15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Today’s Reading:

Revelation 20

If you know that this is the fate of the non-believer, why would you hesitate to share the gospel and your testimony. The life you live in Christ should be so consistent and unwavering, that people in your sphere of influence must make a decision, choose life or death. Do not live an ambiguous life that leads those around you to confusion. Their eternity depends on it. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Revelation 19:19-21

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signson its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beastand worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Today’s Reading:

Revelation 19:11-21

I see two things at work in this passage. I see a person who means well, but begins to worship the wrong one. Again, this from a good place. I also see a humble being, used by God, recognizing their place. We must always remember that it is God alone who deserves to be worshipped and honored. When we get that backwards, we have set ourselves up for a bad season of life. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Revelation 19:10

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

Today’s Reading:

Revelation 19:1-10