Daily Devotion for October 13, 2012
Prayers
Scripture
Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
An anabaptist hymn of prayer for strength and protection, written by Leonhart Sommer, who died in prison, December 1573, because of his belief.
Prayer for the Morning
Lord, teach me to number my days aright, that I may gain wisdom of heart. Help me do today the things that matter, not to waste the time I have.
The moments I have are precious, Lord, see that I count them dear. Teach me to number my days aright. Fill me this day with your kindness, that I may be glad and rejoice all the days of my life. Through Christ I pray,
Prayer for Purity of Thought
Almighty God, who alone gave me the breath of life, and alone can keep alive in me the holy desires your Spirit brings; I pray to you, in the name of your infinite compassion, to sanctify my thoughts and endeavors this day; that I may not begin to act without a pure intention or continue it without your blessing. And grant that, having the eyes of my mind opened to behold things invisible and unseen, I may in heart be inspired by your wisdom, and in work be upheld by your strength, and in the end be accepted by you as your faithful servant; through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Prayer for Family and Friends
Blessed are you, loving Father, for all your gifts to me and those close to me. Blessed are you for giving me family and friends to be with me in times of joy and sorrow, to help me in days of need, and to rejoice with me in moments of celebration.
Father, I praise you for your son Jesus, who knew the happiness of family and friends, And in the love of Your Holy Spirit. Blessed are you for ever and ever.
Benediction
Now unto him that is able to keep me from falling, and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
When to Pray
“Don't pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.”
~ Corrie Ten Boom
Genesis 42:1-8 (ESV)
Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt [1]
When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”
So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them.
“Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them.
Notes on the Scripture
If you can recall what we read in Genesis 37, the main reason Joseph got into so much trouble with his brothers, and was sold to slave traders, was the haughty-sounding dreams he kept having. For example:
Now the dream has finally come to pass, after 13 or 14 years! The drought, which has extended from the headwaters of the Nile all the way through the Middle East, has forced the tribes of Canaan to come to Egypt, the only place in reach that has stored food. In fact, the dream now seems to have an extra level of meaning, for Joseph appeared in it as a sheaf of grain which stood upright while those of the others bowed down; his dream foretold that he would not only rule, but also be the supply of life-giving food.
One might wonder that the ten brothers might not recognize their own brother, but it is not merely age that has changed Joseph. He is dressed as an Egyptian noble, very different in appearance from a shepherd of Canaan; and plus, the brothers can hardly stare at him, since they are kneeling with their faces in the floor!
We must remember, although Joseph has saved Egypt from starvation, he has also saved his family from starvation. "God works in mysterious ways," it is often said, and none more mysterious than this. By plotting to murder him, and giving him in chains to a slave caravan, his brothers have played their part in God's plan to ensure the prosperity of Abraham's seed.
