Genesis 37-38
Proverbs 19
Matthew 8
Today we will do something a little extra. I am feeling extra thankful for all of the writers who have written over the past 9 ½ years. So instead of posting just one devotion, here are three, one for each passage, from 3 different writers, originally posted for SeekGrowLove years ago. Read as much as you like or just pick one, your choice. And if you ever want a devotion from a certain passage, or writer, you can always use the search feature (it works best with quotation marks). God Bless You as You Seek Him in His Word.
JOSEPH: Trouble Comes…For a Time – From Genesis 37
One day Joseph’s brothers were out watching the flocks in the fields (and in the sun), and Joseph was kept at home to relax. Later on, their dad sent Joseph out to check on the brothers. When the brothers saw Joseph coming from a distance, they hated him so much that they talked about killing him. After some discussion, they decided to beat him up and threw him into a large, dried out, underground water storage container. Later, they pulled him back out. Joseph thought his ordeal was over, but instead his brothers sold him to a caravan of traveling merchants. Joseph pleaded with them for mercy, but his brothers just smiled and waved goodbye. You can read about this in Genesis 37 and some of the following chapters also reveal some of the details. Joseph had basically done nothing wrong, but he found himself betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery.
Sometimes people think that if they do everything right, then no bad things will ever happen to them. Sometimes people are very cautious in order to avoid problems or troubles. Some people think that if they serve God without making any mistakes, they will then have a nearly perfect life. But life doesn’t work in these ways. Joseph did nothing wrong, but he was sold into slavery. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” The Bible never promises us an easy, trouble free life. In fact, we are promised we will have trouble.
Joseph was taken to Egypt as a slave, but during his time there, he would see God’s plan unfold for his life. A much greater good would occur because of his time as a slave. Perhaps some day you will face tough times when God is trying to bring about long term good. It will be hard to face at the time, but in the long term, you will see God’s hand at work in your life.
-Jason Turner (originally posted October 22, 2018 for SGL)
CHECK YOUR SEED – from Proverbs 19
A person’s own folly (foolishness) leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord. Proverbs 19:3
When I was in college I remember sitting by a young lady who just loved Professional Wrestling. You know the form of athletic performance art with theatrical events and lots of shouting, not the sport of wrestling. She could tell you in great detail about the striking attacks, holds, throws and acrobatic maneuvers that she had witnessed while attending the recent matches. One day while she was telling me about what had happened last night during the wrestling match we received our graded science papers. That is when I saw her completely change. She had received a failing grade and she was furious. She became so angry at the teacher. She said things about him under her breath and in her mind he could do “nothing right” during that semester. Her reaction is still vivid in my mind. She began hating this professor because he had given her a grade that indicated her level of knowledge on the material. She completely removed herself from the equation. She put all the blame on the professor, but did not see that her lack of interest and absence from study was the cause of her grade.
Today we are exploring Proverbs 19. Verse 3 reminds us that oftentimes we are the ones deciding how our lives will go. God has created the world with governing principles and laws that manage the earth. Human beings are given free will so there is cause and effect from our actions. We might think of it as sowing and reaping. As Galatians teaches us, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (6:7) Rewards or negative consequences are the result of our actions. I think this statement says it best: If you don’t like the harvest you are reaping, check the seed you are sowing.
There are repercussions of our actions, but we want God to rescue us from the pain and consequences of our bad decisions. Many times we must experience the real pain to move us to the point where we desire to make lasting change.
Now there are many troubles that we will encounter in this fallen world and many of them we have no control over, but the advice of Proverbs is addressing the areas of our life that we can control. God is on our side and He wants us to make the best decisions. He provides correction through the scripture and if we want to be wise (and avoid a lot of pain and drama) we should follow it. Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise (verse 20).
Devotion by Rebecca Dauksas (SC) – originally posted Aug 23, 2017 for SeekGrowLove – then named Grow16Bible Reading)
WHEN GOD RESPONDS – from Matthew 8
In Matthew 8, Jesus is recorded as miraculously healing several distinct individuals that represent three classification of people who were viewed with lesser status in Jewish eyes. The first is a leper, who is considered unclean for a Jewish man to touch (vv. 1-4). Next is a servant of a Roman centurion, who was a Gentile foreigner and likely part of the oppressive Roman Empire, which Jews considered to be their enemy (vv. 5-13). Lastly, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law (vv. 14-15), which is unique as women were not looked upon with much recognition or significance in Jewish society. In addition, the passage also reveals that Jesus healed numerous other people who were demon-possessed around Capernaum as well (vv. 16-17).
In verses 5-10 when Jesus is approached by the centurion, he concedes to the centurion’s request to come and heal his servant. Jesus’ agreement to come to the centurion’s home is quite a startlingly turn of events in this passage as a Jewish person would be deemed ceremonially unclean if they entered the house of a Gentile (cf. Jn 18:28; Acts 10:28). But nevertheless, Jesus humbly agrees to go and heal the man (vv. 5-7).
But the centurion replies quickly to Jesus expressing his “unworthiness” for Jesus to make the effort to come to his house. Rather, the centurion reveals a keen understanding of Jesus’ authority to speak with the power of God. The centurion explains that he knows what authority means because he speaks, and someone obeys, and the task is accomplished. In the same way, he claims that Jesus only needs to speak the “word,” and according to the authority of his “word,” the centurion’s servant will be healed (v. 8).
This proclamation amazes Jesus because the centurion understood the power and authority of God that Jesus represented. And in response to the centurion’s understanding of this reality, Jesus declares, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith” (v. 10). What an unsuspecting pronouncement—that Jesus would confess such a great faith from this Gentile that superseded any he had seen in all of Israel. The emphasis here is that even a Gentile, who was not considered a member of God’s people, will see the power of God at work when they trust in Jesus, God’s Anointed.
What the passage can teach us is that God’s power flows in response to the exercising of faith (trust) in God as the source of all power and in Jesus as God’s Messiah. If we want to see God’s power at work in our lives, it begins by recognizing that God moves when we believe and trust in him, knowing that he is able to do even what may seem impossible in our eyes. Our trust in God doesn’t make God move; rather, God responds when we trust in him. And we must also trust in his character—that he responds as the good and loving God that we know he is.
-Jerry Wierwille -originally posted on March 11, 2018 for SGL
Reflection Questions
- What tough times (which came as a result of something you had no control over) have you faced which have brought about long term good?
- When have you received rewards as a result of your actions? When have you experienced negative consequences? What might you have done instead to avoid those negative consequences?
- On a scale of 1-10 where would you rate your trust in God and His character? It is hard to trust what we do not know. How can you learn more about God? How can You see Him at work? Are you willing to?
Prayer
Dear God, You are such a wise, all-powerful, all-knowing God who gives good gifts! We thank You for Your loving care and for those You have brought into our lives who speak Your words to us. Help us know You and Your ways more and more that we will trust You and follow in Your way. In Your Son’s name we pray, Amen.
Seek Grow Love 