May 27: Genesis 43

Genesis 43 is our reading today. 

1. This chapter starts out with Joseph’s family back in the same place but much worse; without food and now not knowing if they’ll be killed when they go buy more.
2. After much discussion Joseph’s brothers come back and bring their youngest brother with them as well. Joseph is moved by seeing them and throws them a feast. But did you notice his brother’s thought he was going to make them slaves and steal their donkeys? I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t be too worried about donkeys if I thought I was in their position.
3. While they were worried about Joseph hurting them somehow we see that Joseph was barely able to control his emotions. The pressure of missing his family caught up with him and he had to run out and find a place to lose it for a second. Yet, Joseph still didn’t reveal his identity to his brothers yet.

This is a rather elaborate course of events Joseph is going through. Interestingly, his brother’s actions remind us of the dreams Joseph had that made his brothers so furious with him in the first place. So apparently this was in God’s plan all along. Often we get frustrated and think God has abandoned us when we go through tough times but we should remember that he’s always involved even when we can’t see him. What are you going through right now? Does it feel like God is a million miles away? It’s been my experience that later in life we see that God is sometimes never more at work then when we felt him strangely distant. Trust God.

May 26: Genesis 42

Back in Genesis today, chapter 42.

1. In this chapter we read about Joseph’s reunion with his brother who sold him into slavery.
2. Notice that Joseph’s brothers didn’t recognize Joseph. So he could have punished them, not sold them food or even had the killed and no one would have known; and he was in the position to do it now but he didn’t.
3. Instead, Joseph set out an elaborate plan to reveal his new self which we will read more about in the coming chapters.

This chapter starts a really good story of how Joseph reveals himself to his family. It’s so crazy that it should be in a movie. But interestingly you’ll notice that if his family had trusted God along the way the plan would have been revealed more quickly. We should take note that we should always trust God even when it would appear that all hope is lost. God is always in control.

May 20: Genesis 41

Genesis 41 today. 

1. It starts out with a dream the Pharaoh had that troubled him and no one could interpret it. Then the cupbearer, who had previously forgotten about Joseph, told the Pharaoh about Joseph interpreting his dream. Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph.
2. When Pharaoh bought Joseph in he said he heard Joseph could interpret dreams but Joseph gave credit to God for interpreting the dream. When Joseph was told about the dream he told the Pharaoh that God was about to give him seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine. Joseph also gave Pharaoh a plan to save his country from this famine.
3. Because of his ability to interpret the dream (which Joseph told him was from God) and because of his wisdom in handling the country; Pharaoh put Joseph second in command of all the country.
4. But Joseph did such a good job managing the country (and God blessed his efforts) that during the famine all of the world came to Egypt to buy grain.

God took care of Joseph beyond his wildest dreams. Joseph was put second in command of the most powerful country at the time. But notice that Joseph always gave credit to God and followed God even though everyone around him served other gods. It would’ve been much easier to go with the flow with everyone else but Joseph followed God and God took care of Joseph. I’m sure when he was sold into slavery or in the dungeons of Egypt Joseph must have felt like God was really far from him. But God always came through eventually. Maybe you’re going through a tough time right now and you feel like God is really far from you. Trust God like Joseph did. God probably won’t make you second in command of a nation but he will take care of you just like he did for Joseph.

May 19: Genesis 40

We’re reading Genesis chapter 40 together today.

1. The chapter opens with some unfortunate news for a couple people who worked for the pharaoh who were put in prison. In this sequence of events we see that Joseph has been trusted by the guards and raised to the highest position available in prison.
2. We also see by Joseph’s interaction with the prisoners that he still trusted God.
3. Joseph interpreted their dreams for them. Joseph’s only request was for the cupbearer to remember to tell the Pharaoh about him and try to get him out of prison but he forgot Joseph.

How amazing is it that Joseph was still fully trusting and following God in the midst of being sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape and thrown into prison being completely innocent? Honestly, he had many reasons to be mad at God but instead he chose to trust him. How quickly to we get mad at God over sometimes trivial things? Ask God to help you trust him more.

May 13: Genesis 39

Today we’re reading Genesis 39.

1. We’re reading about Joseph again. Remember the last time we read about Joseph he was sold into slavery by his brothers and assumed dead by his father.
2. We read about Joseph being sold as a slave to an Egyptian and Joseph did his best to serve his new master. God blessed Joseph and the whole household. Because of this Joseph was raised to the highest position in the house.
3. His master’s wife wanted to have an affair with Joseph but Joseph refused. Joseph didn’t want to dishonor his master or God.
4. Potiphar’s wife kept pursuing Joseph. When Joseph refused again she lied and said he had tried to take advantage of her. Why would she do something so wicked as this? We have no idea but she kept trying to cheat on her husband so clearly she didn’t have the best character. Because of her lie Joseph was thrown in jail.
5. But even in Jail God protected Joseph and he was raised to the highest position there. 

We see that God was with Joseph and blessed him. Notice also that Joseph wasn’t having a pity party even though he had been sold into slavery by his brothers and thrown into prison! Think about it, we all go through times of feeling sorry for ourselves and what better time could Joseph had to feel sorry for himself? Instead Joseph trusted God and lived everyday doing his best and God blessed him for it. Maybe you’re going through a tough time right now yourself. Don’t sit around and sulk about it. Instead follow Joseph’s example. Trust God and keep doing your best.

May 12: Genesis 38

Today we’re reading Genesis chapter 38 together.

1. First, you might be wondering who Judah is? He’s one of the sons Leah bore for Jacob which we read about back in Genesis chapter 29:35.
2. Next, you may be thrown off with God “putting people to death.” This is difficult for us to understand. Before Jesus came to earth, God was much less patient with people sinning who claimed to follow him. We’re not sure why Er died. We don’t know what “evil” he did in God’s eyes. But God killed Onan because he was refusing to take his brother’s widow, Tamar, and provide a better life for her. This may sound harsh of God but God was looking after Tamar. We have to understand that in that time and in their culture a woman had a very difficult time taking care of herself when her husband died. God made it clear that he wanted families to take care of widows and not to cast them aside as if they didn’t matter. It’s difficult to understand but God was looking after Tamar who was innocent.
3. Next, Judah clearly had a night when he chose to disobey God. During this night he unknowingly slept with his daughter-in-law. 
4. We’re not fully sure why Tamar was out that night. We don’t know if she was trying to marry Judah’s youngest son or what. But that night Tamar became pregnant by Judah. Again, it’s a really messed up situation.
5. When Tamar started showing she was pregnant she was accused of being a prostitute. The people told Judah about it and he commanded that she be put to death. Then he found out the whole truth, that it was his child (remember when he slept with Tamar he thought she was a prostitute). When Judah heard all this he declared that Tamar was the one who was better than he was. Judah was convicted of his sin. After this Judah obviously took care of Tamar but never slept with her again.

This is a crazy chapter. By the way reading the Bible is good for us even if it’s just to make us feel better about how “normal” our own families are. But I digress. . . A lot of insane things happen in this chapter but the main thing we can pull out to apply to our own lives is that what’s done in secret will be found out. Often we have things that we do thinking no one will ever find out. The truth is that our “secret” sins always impact our lives and those around us. And sometimes our sins can have devastating consequences like we read about in this chapter. Is there anything you’ve been hiding? Ask God to forgive you of it today. And find someone you can trust that you can talk to about it to keep you accountable with whatever you’re struggling with. 

Painting

This is a 8x10 watercolor painting I did for another tattooer friend of mine.