January 14
GENESIS 37:1-38:30; 1 CHRONICLES 2:3-6; 1 CHRONICLES 2:8; GENESIS 39:1-23
Life is filled with highs and lows and how we respond to these varying circumstances reveals a lot about our character and our relationship with God. Our reading today begins with Joseph as the spoiled, favored child of Jacob and seemingly gloating over his brothers. Yet quickly he is brought low as slave and prisoner in Egypt. In these humiliating circumstances we see him most clearly clinging to integrity and trust in God. In prominence pride grew up but in suffering came humility and faith. Joseph's story is interrupted by Judah numbing his grief through sex and Tamar turning to deception when she had been wronged. It is a bizarre story of two people in hard circumstances relying on themselves rather than trusting in God to meet their needs. Like Joseph, Judah, and Tamar every moment in life is an opportunity for us to run from God and towards self-reliance or to grow our faith and trust in God. You may feel like you're on top of the world like Joseph's childhood or at the bottom of a pit, but regardless of where you find yourself, you can turn to God. He is the same God we are told that was "with Joseph." In the highs and lows God never leaves us, so we can always turn to him. Our circumstances will certainly change but God remains faithful.
Father God, thank you that you are with me. Thank you that you never leave, forsake, or abandon me. Help me to trust you, walk with you and rely on you in all of life. Amen.
Question: Do you find it harder to trust in God during good times or bad? Why?
Life is filled with highs and lows and how we respond to these varying circumstances reveals a lot about our character and our relationship with God. Our reading today begins with Joseph as the spoiled, favored child of Jacob and seemingly gloating over his brothers. Yet quickly he is brought low as slave and prisoner in Egypt. In these humiliating circumstances we see him most clearly clinging to integrity and trust in God. In prominence pride grew up but in suffering came humility and faith. Joseph's story is interrupted by Judah numbing his grief through sex and Tamar turning to deception when she had been wronged. It is a bizarre story of two people in hard circumstances relying on themselves rather than trusting in God to meet their needs. Like Joseph, Judah, and Tamar every moment in life is an opportunity for us to run from God and towards self-reliance or to grow our faith and trust in God. You may feel like you're on top of the world like Joseph's childhood or at the bottom of a pit, but regardless of where you find yourself, you can turn to God. He is the same God we are told that was "with Joseph." In the highs and lows God never leaves us, so we can always turn to him. Our circumstances will certainly change but God remains faithful.
Father God, thank you that you are with me. Thank you that you never leave, forsake, or abandon me. Help me to trust you, walk with you and rely on you in all of life. Amen.
Question: Do you find it harder to trust in God during good times or bad? Why?
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