Daily Devotion for November 2, 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.
A pretty baptism song for country music fans.
Prayer of Salvation
Heavenly Father, open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to You. For Jesus Christ is surely the gate of the Lord, and those that confess His holy name shall surely enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. No matter how weak I may be, I will always remember your words, that the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone of your church. This is your doing, and it is marvelous in my eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let me rejoice and be glad in it.
Prayer of St. Edmund
O Lord, into your hands and into the hands of your holy angels,
St. Edmund the MartyrO Lord, by the merits and prayers of your son, Jesus Christ, keep me today from all evil and unruly desires, from all sins and temptations of the devil, from a sudden and unprovided death, and from the pains of hell. Enlighten my heart with the grace of your Holy Spirit. Grant that I may ever be obedient to your commandments. Let me never be separated from you, O God, who lives and reigns forever, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Benediction
May the God who made me, the God who keeps me, and the God who will be my Lord through all eternity, shine down His blessings and wisdom upon me like the sun upon a field; and may I keep Him in the forefront of my every thought and deed, throughout this day, and evermore.
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.
Worry
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.”
~ Corrie ten Boom
Genesis 46:28-34 (ESV)
Jacob and Joseph Reunited
He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.
Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”
Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’
When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
Notes on the Scripture
Jacob had thought both of his sons by the true wife of his heart, Rachel, had died; but now, the bitterness of his life has been replaced by joy, for not only are they both alive, but Joseph has provided the means for his entire clan to survive the great famine.
Notice that it is Judah who is sent ahead. Reuben, not Judah, is the eldest son; Judah is actually the fourth-born. But if you read carefully, you will notice that Judah takes the forefront much of the time. He seems to be the natural leader and, in fact, his descendants, the tribe of Judah, will become the greatest of all the tribes of Israel. The tribe of Judah will be the home of Jerusalem and the tribe of King David; thus, it is the tribe of Jesus.
Moreover, although the unified kingdom was called "Israel" in honor of Jacob's alternative name, the Kingdom of Judah was always preeminent — larger, richer, and more inclined to keep God's commandments. After Solomon's death and the kingdom split, "Judah" embodied Hebrew faith and independence as the northern Kingdom of Israel became corrupt and weak. The Romans called their province Judea, after Judah. But Israel became the catchword for the Jewish homeland after the diaspora, in honor of Jacob's name.
