01/22/19 God’s Hand and His Word

READING: Genesis 45-46, Matthew 14:13-36

His brothers had sold him into slavery. He had been falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned. Now, though, Joseph could look back at his experiences, see God’s hand therein, and trust Him with the present and the future. Three times, in fact, Joseph spoke to his brothers about recognizing God’s hand in his life:

  • “And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life” (Gen. 45:5)
  • “God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance” (Gen. 45:7)
  • “Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Gen. 45:8)

I must assume that God’s granting Joseph authority over Egypt helped him to see God’s plan apart from the difficulties he experienced, but the lesson remains the same to us: the God who sovereignly worked through Joseph’s struggles is the same God who leads us. Even when we don’t understand why He allows things to happen, we can trust that He has a plan. Whether or not we have the opportunity to see God’s plan come to fruition (as Joseph did), we can lean on Him because we’ve learned about His care through Joseph’s story.

That is, our reading of God’s Word can encourage us to trust God. He inspired His Word to guide us, encourage us, correct us, and teach us – and we can trust Him in the present tense because of what He has done in the past and promises to do in the future. Disciples of Jesus not only read God’s Word, but they also apply it to their lives every day.

Prayer: “Father, help me not only to read Your Word, but to apply its truths to my life.”

Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis 47-48, Matthew 15:1-28

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