Thirteen Years

In Genesis 37:2, we learn that Joseph was 17 years old when he had the dreams about his family bowing down to him. Then he was sold into slavery at 17.

For the next thirteen years Joseph is a slave and then imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. In all that time he continued to be faithful to God. And God was with him.

What are you awaiting from God and it’s taking “too” long to come to fruition? Be patient like Joseph, God is at work. When the time comes it’s going to be magnificent. Let the life of Joseph be your inspiration to wait patiently. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 41:46

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 41

God’s Intricate Plans

This passage makes me smile. Because I’ve read the story of Joseph so often, I know what this leads to. The way God intertwines lives seemingly so coincidentally is a work of art. 

Knowing what I know, how could I ever doubt God? I don’t. This stems from reading my Bible daily and having a relationship with God in which I talk to Him and He talks to me. 

As you continue to see the life of Joseph unfold and God’s intricate plan be revealed, I pray that your faith would grow and you would allow God to draw you closer to Himself. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 40:1-4a

Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angrywith his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph,and he attended them.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 40

Always With You

If Genesis 39 teaches you only one lesson, let it be that God is always with you. We sometimes get so focused on our circumstances that we don’t realize that God is with us so we need not worry. 

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, but he did not worry because God was with Him. He had favor in every circumstance. Including when he went to prison after his master’s wife falsely accused him. 

At no point do we read that Joseph lost faith in God. 

What circumstance is weighing on your heart? Put your trust in God, praise Him, then leave it to Him. He is more than able to guide you through it. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 39:2; 20b-21

2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindnessand granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 39

Spoiler Alert

You already know how important genealogies are to me. If you read the genealogy of Jesus, you will come across the name Perez. That is the same Perez from this chapter of Genesis. 

Take a moment to ponder how Perez was conceived. If you were writing a story about the Savior of the world, you probably would not include someone who was conceived in the manner that Perez was. Furthermore, you would probably not give him the “nickname,” Lion of Judah considering the way Judah behaved. 

But God would! Consider this as you put yourself down as not worthy of God’s love. God’s capacity to love far exceeds our capacity to understand His love for us. 

Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 38:27-30

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. 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 38

Joseph

When I think about Genesis chapter 37, my first thought is Joseph. With the exception of Jesus, Joseph is my favorite person to read about in the Bible. I could not tell you the number of times I’ve read his story. Talk about an overcomer. 

As we spend the next fourteen days reading about the life of Joseph (minus tomorrow when we read about Judah and his knucklehead self) I encourage you to pay attention to how Joseph responds to hardship. Also notice how God responds to Joseph’s hardship. Then be reminded that if God responded that way for Joseph, He will respond that way for you when you display the character and faith of Joseph. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 37:10-11

10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 37

Faithful To His Promises

Chapter 36 of Genesis screams one simple truth: God is faithful to His promises. 

In this chapter we see how God allowed Esau to prosper. He was a very wealthy man. His lineage had kings before Israel ever had a king. He had sons and daughters who were prosperous as well. 

But one important thing was missing from Esau’s lineage. He had no relationship with God. His success was strictly material. Contrast that with Jacob’s success, which was wholly spiritual. 

Esau’s life can be a reminder that material success does not equal spiritual success, or rather a relationship with God the Father through Christ the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit the Helper. 

Be careful! It can be easy to look at your material success and assume your relationship with God is fine, “I mean, look how much He’s blessed me with.” Please do not make that mistake! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 36:1

This is the account of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom).

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 36

Follow Godly Examples

This passage is interesting. All these people have been around Jacob and seen his relationship with God. Why do they have foreign gods in their presence. That doesn’t make sense to me. 

Surely many of them have seen the favor of God on Jacob’s life. They know the goodness of God, yet they still turned to idols. 

Unfortunately, we do that in our lives as well. We put things in our lives before God. We excuse it by saying, “God knows my heart.” But the reality is we are seeking to have God the way we want to have God in our lives. He can come with as long as He doesn’t interfere in the fun I’m having or the money I’m making. 

Do an inventory of your heart. Is God first in your life? If not, make that change immediately. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 35:2-5

2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 35

Your Response

Chapter 34 of Genesis is one from which we can learn quite a bit. In one section we read that the sons of Jacob spoke “deceitfully.” Hmmm, isn’t that fascinating. I wonder where they got that trait from?

But the section I want to highlight is the last two verses. After Jacob’s sons responded poorly to what happened to their sister, Jacob warns them that they have brought trouble on him and the family.  

Their response to this egregious act was wrong. If this was your family, what would be your response? I’m certain my first thought would be like Simeon and Levi’s. But, prayerfully, I would allow God to avenge in the way He sees fit. 

When we are wronged, we immediately want to take matters into our own hands. Trust me, that is ALWAYS the wrong response. When we are wronged, our first response must be to hit our knees and seek guidance from the Father. If we don’t, we are 99% likely to respond wrong. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 34:30-31

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number,and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 34

Aren’t They Twins

As I read this chapter, I had this image of Esau being Jacob’s wiser much older brother. And then it hit me; aren’t they twins.

Jacob gave Esau respect because he was the older brother, but he also had deceived Esau and stole his blessing; he was afraid. 

As we continue to read, we realize that all Jacob’s worry and concern were for nothing. God had gone before Jacob and cleared up the matter. 

What “old concern” are you holding on to? Seek God. It’s possible that He has already cleared the path to complete reconciliation. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 33:3-5

3 (Jacob) himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 33

Alone With God

Jacob was a wealthy man, surrounded by four wives, more than eleven children, servants, and countless animals. Yet, he had to get alone to have an important encounter with God. 

As Jacob prepared to meet his brother, Esau, he was afraid. God came to him in his fear and reassured him. 

God will do that for you as well. The key is to get alone with God. In this alone time, focus on Him. Be careful not to be distracted if you choose to listen to music during your alone time. It’s easy to find yourself “worshipping” God instead of listening to what He’s trying to tell you. 

You might ask, what’s wrong with worshipping God. The answer is nothing, unless it distracts you from what He’s trying to tell you to do and it ultimately leads to disobedience. For reference, look at the life of the reluctant king, Saul. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 32:24

24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 32

Pass It On

In Genesis 31:42 and 31:53, we see Jacob say, “The Fear of Isaac.” This is an interesting way to describe God. Jacob is saying the God whom his father Isaac revered. Jacob witnessed that reverence and sought to embody it. 

We do not read much about Isaac’s life in the Bible, but he is mentioned several times when people write, “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Because we know very little about Isaac, it could be easy to consider him a “small player” in the story. 

However, Jacob’s use of the word “Fear” shows us that Isaac had an intense faith in God. One that he passed on to his son, Jacob. 

Are you passing your faith on to others? This means that people see your faithfulness to God and want to know the Father more. I pray this is happening. Remember, we are to be making disciples, it starts with sharing our faith. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 31:42;53

42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”

53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”
So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 31

Blessed Through Someone

I have longed believed that God blesses us through people and circumstances. Where we run into problems is when we think God is blessing us because of us. 

It sounds crazy until you notice this passage in the Bible. Laban realizes that he is being blessed by God because of the presence of Jacob in his life. He’s a smart man. 

Through whom is God blessing you? Odds are, you have no idea. It could be a number of things. I encourage you to ask God to show you who He has placed in your life to bless you. When He reveals this, honor God in that relationship or circumstance. He is the one blessing you. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 30:27-28

27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” 28 He added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 30

Pot, Meet Kettle

This is one of the “funniest” passages in the Bible. The hypocrisy of Jacob is thick. It reminds me of the saying, “what goes around comes back around.” It seems that Jacob is getting a taste of his own medicine. 

Jacob has lived a life of deception and now he’s experiencing what it feels like to be deceived. He didn’t like it. 

In your quiet time with God, ask Him to show you areas of your life where you may be a hypocrite. Then ask Him to help you overcome your hypocrisy through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 29:25

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 29

Rebellion

This passage shows us classic rebellion. The problem is, Esau does not understand that he’s actually rebelling against God. He is taking himself out of God’s favor. Unfortunately, he actually believes he’s justified in doing this. 

Here’s the history. Day becomes a nation called Edom. Eventually, that nation gets wiped out. It no longer exists. Let that marinate. 

Before you willfully rebel, you should count the cost of rebellion. It cost Esau everything! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 28:6-9

6 Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram.8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; 9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 28

Deceivers

Years ago we had a Krispy Kreme donut shop on the south side of our city. If you’re familiar with Krispy Kreme you know that they have what’s called a “Hot Light.” When the hot light is on it means there are fresh, hot donuts being made. Let’s just say a fresh, hot Krispy Kreme donut is a culinary experience everyone should have at least once. 

However, the hot light at this particular Krispy Kreme was not genuine. They made no donuts on sight. In reality, they should have never turned on their hot light, yet every time I passed that shop, the hot light was on. I began saying the word, “Deceivers” every time I passed. 

As I think about Jacob, that word comes to mind. He took advantage of his brother, twice. He then deceived his father. As you read the story, Isaac asked specific questions. Jacob lied with his answers. His name is a Hebrew idiom which means “he takes advantage of” or “he deceives.” 

Is there an area in your life about which you are not being honest? Allow this story to encourage you to remove that deception out of your life. Nothing good is going to come from it. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 27:33
 
33 Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me?I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 27

Like Father, Like Son

We read earlier in Genesis about two times Abraham said that is wife was actually his sister. In this passage we see Isaac do the same thing with his wife. 

Fortunately, no one took Rebekah before Abimelek realized that Isaac was lying to them. Praise God because we know what God said to the other Abimelek. 

What do you do that’s the same thing your parents did, but in your heart you know it’s not right? Make a change today. God wants us to do the right thing always. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 26:7-11

7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

10 Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

11 So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 26

Flesh Victories

Some of our worst defeats have nothing to do with the enemy. It is our flesh that has many victories over our pursuit of righteousness. This passage is a perfect example. 

Esau was so “hungry” that he was willing to give up his firstborn birthrights for a bowl of stew. Let that marinate…A BOWL OF STEW!

His family was wealthy. Surely there was food a plenty. Why would he do such a drastic thing? 

Are you guilty of allowing your flesh to have victory over your pursuit of righteousness? I am! Maybe not as much now as it used to be, but it still has victories in my life. 

This begs the question, how do we defeat our flesh. The answer is simple, follow the example of Jesus Christ. He denied His flesh so we must deny our flesh. 

There are many things our flesh desires that simply waiting and not giving in will become a victory over your flesh. Once you start having those wins, you won’t want to stop. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 25:31-34

31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 25

Homework Review

I had some good responses to the homework the other day. This chapter holds the answer to the homework question of the importance of the genealogy found in Genesis 22. The writer slips Rebekah into the story for seemingly no particular reason. Until we read Genesis 24. Then we understand why the writer mentioned that genealogy. 

As you read the Bible, seek to understand why things are written where they are written and why things are said the way they are said. To me it’s fascinating. It reminds me of the sovereignty of God. He prepares us for everything He plans for us to do. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 24:15-16

15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekahcame out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. 16 The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 24

What’s The Cost

In this world, it seems like everyone wants free! I too enjoy free things. In fact, yesterday I went into Dunkin to get a free donut for Veteran’s Day. It was quite tasty. 

In this passage, however, we learn the importance of paying a fair price for our wants and needs. Abraham could have received the burial land he needed for free, but he understood the importance of paying a fair price for your wants and needs. God had provided for him well. It was necessary for Abraham to make sure no one could say they provided for him. He wanted God to receive all the honor and glory for his possessions. 

Clearly I’m not against free, but I do believe it is important to pay the fair price for your wants and needs. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 23:12-16

12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 23

*Homework Alert*

In past texts, I’ve stressed the importance of reading genealogies. Your homework assignment is to study to learn why this particular genealogy is important for this specific part of Genesis. 

I’ll give you a hint: It is significant to the life of Isaac and Abraham’s lineage. Please private message me when you figure it out or if you have any questions. 

All will be revealed in the coming days. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 22:20-24

20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 22