Daily Devotion for August 21, 2017
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.
All I can say about Hezeziah Walker is: WOW!
Thanks for Life
O mighty God, I was born a weak, defenseless child, but Your angel spread his wings over my cradle to defend me. From birth until now Your love has illumined my path, and has wondrously guided me towards the light of eternity; from birth until now the generous gifts of Your providence have been marvelously showered upon me. I give You thanks, with all who have come to know You, who call upon Your name. Through Christ I pray,
To Be Powerless
Lord Christ, may all of my expectations be frustrated. May all of my plans be thwarted. May all of my desires be withered into nothingness, that I may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child, and sing and dance and pray utterly in the love of God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
For Unity
Heavenly Lord, let me always remember that the Holy Spirit who guides and protects me is the same Spirit who guides and protects all Christians. We are one in your Spirit, and the differences that divide us are the work of Satan. He is powerful in the world, Lord; and only you are strong enough to protect us against him.
Let me always seek unity. Let me call on your Spirit for power when I feel separated from my brother or sister, the power of reconciliation, that we might find the unity and harmony in which you have commanded us to live. Let me never think that the Spirit conforms to my individual personality; but let me seek to conform myself to the one true Spirit of God. In Christ's name, I pray.
Meditation
[The disunity of Christians caused by prideful opinions.]
Benediction
Almighty God, by your Holy Spirit you have made me one with your saints in heaven and on earth. Grant that in my earthly pilgrimage I may always be supported by this fellowship of love and prayer, and know myself to be surrounded by their witness to your power and mercy. I ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns for ever 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.
Proverbs 16:32 (NKJV)
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Genesis 42:9-17 (ESV)
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt [2]
And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”
He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.” And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.”
But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies. By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”
And he put them all together in custody for three days.
Notes on the Scripture
ur first impression of Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers is that he wants to take revenge, that he takes delight in being able to throw them into fear and confusion. But as we will see later, during his emotional and unguarded speech after Jacob’s death, that is not his true feeling. Genesis 50:19-21 will show us what is deep in his heart: “But Joseph said to them, [his brothers] ‘Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”
It is natural that when Joseph so suddenly encountered his brothers, whom he had not seen for something like 15 years (and then, they were holding him captive and considering murder), he would test them. He had an easy vehicle to interrogate them, because Egypt was vulnerable. It was a time of constant war and Egypt was especially vulnerable, since the famine was widespread and Egypt had huge storehouses of grain. The land was “naked” — i.e. there were no crops in the fields — so the stored grain was both a great hoard of wealth to be coveted, and a vulnerability, for if it were seized, Egypt would be powerless. Spies were a legitimate concern, and gave him the excuse he needed to examine foreigners closely.
Of course, Joseph knows his brothers are not spies; but he cannot be sure they do not wish him personal harm. This is a personal, emotional matter: He realizes that they cannot actually hurt him, but he cannot know whether they continue to bear him ill will.
So, he tests them. He puts them into prison for three days (fittingly, the length of time Christ would be dead before His resurrection). He also destroys their family insurance policy, for Jacob had kept back his youngest son Benjamin; if disaster should strike and all ten brothers be lost, their would still be an heir to take over the family. So Joseph requires his family to make itself as fully vulnerable as he himself had been, when sold to the slavers.
