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Christian Devotional – October 16, 2018
Death and loss. Next into Joseph’s world came death and loss. In Genesis chapter 35. We see how Jacob cleaned out all the other idols that were in his household, but then shortly after that Rachel, Joseph’s mom, dies giving birth to his brother Benjamin. Later, some time after they arrive at the place where Jacob grew up, Jacob’s father Isaac dies as well. Joseph saw how Jacob dealt with disappointment and grief. It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. Genesis 35:18 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.35.18.NASB As Rachel was dying, she gave her new son a name…
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Christian Devotional – October 13, 2018
Does your relationship with God impact others? As Joseph was growing up, we see that his mother Rachel wasn’t focused on God, but what about his father? Not long after Joseph was born, Jacob had a life-altering experience with God. Reading through Genesis 31 and 32 you can see the whole set up, but take a look at Genesis 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” Genesis 32:30 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.32.30.NASB Jacob knew about God and had even prayed to God before, but that was when He really committed himself to God. You gotta admit,…
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Christian Devotional – October 12, 2018
The life of Joseph. Over the next several days, I am going to be looking more closely into the life of Joseph and how God worked through him. Taking a look back at his birth in Genesis 30:22-24 we see: Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb. So she conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” She named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lord give me another son.” Genesis 30:22-24 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.30.22-24.NASB To look back at the story, Rachel couldn’t have children. Locked in a battle with her sister of who can have the most male children,…
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Christian Devotional – January 3, 3017
Today as we start on our journey to look at purpose, I decided to start back at the beginning. Take a few minutes and read Genesis chapters 1 and 2. We see God, the One who has always existed and always been, and then we see that He gets busy creating. God is our Creator and He had purpose as He went through the steps to speak into existance everything that we see and don’t see around us. The Spirit of God hovered around and we see the Spirit of God moving directly with all that God has and is doing. In Genesis 1:26, God talks about the discussion that…
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Christian Devotional – February 5, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 50 VERSE: Genesis 50:20–“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” TRUTH: The intentions of others towards us are miniscule and unimportant compared with God’s intentions for us. As Joseph was able to say here, even when others had done something that they intended for evil and harm, God is able to take that and use it to bring about good. We must be careful not to get hung up on what others are intending to do with us. If we do, we may not be able to catch what God is…
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Christian Devotional – February 4, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 49 VERSE: Genesis 49:29–Then he gave them these instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.” TRUTH: Jacob recognized that his time was about to come and he would die. He was in Egypt, but he also knew that God had promised that his descendants would return from there back to the land that God had promised his fathers Abraham and Isaac. As a result. He made plans to be returned there himself. Are we so confident in the promises of God that we will stake our life and our…
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Christian Devotional – February 3, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 48 VERSE: Genesis 48:4–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.’ TRUTH: Jacob was reminding his son Joseph of the promise that God had made to their family. When we understand and experience the blessing and promises of God, it is important to be sure we share that with those who are coming up behind us so that they, too, can understand and share in the blessing of God. If we don’t teach them, how will they…
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Christian Devotional – February 2, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 47 VERSE: Genesis 47:10–Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. TRUTH: While it is typically customary for someone who comes into the presence of royalty to bring a gift, instead Jacob brought a blessing for Pharaoh. I find it interesting since Pharaoh considered himself God and here was this person coming before him and blessing him with a blessing from a different God. Yet, Jacob knew and understood that he had something that Pharaoh did not had. Jacob had a relationship with the true and living God. As a result, Jacob did seek to share a piece of that with the Pharaoh. Regardless of…
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Christian Devotional – February 1, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 46 VERSE: Genesis 46:30–Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.” TRUTH: Joseph had grieved for his son that he thought was dead, now he found out that he is still alive. It was a beautiful reunion of father and son. In many ways, this parallels the story of Christ. Jesus was dead, but now he’s really alive and no one is prepared to meet death until they have experienced for themselves the living Savior Jesus Christ. Have we experienced the joyous reunion of us with our Heavenly Father through the Son Jesus Christ?…
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Christian Devotional – January 30, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 45 VERSE: Genesis 45:7–But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. TRUTH: Joseph had waited several years through captivity and bondage to be able to speak with his brothers. Now that he had the chance, he didn’t waste time on anger, bitterness and hate. Joseph had allowed God to heal his heart long before he even saw his brothers the first time so Joseph could honestly and truly mean these words. Joseph saw the bigger picture that God had planned for him. He may not have even realized it until he…