Scripture:

Exodus 8:15, 9:12

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said

12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

When we resist God and His ways, His knowledge, when we resist His Lordship, He honors our request and gives us over to.   In fact in you go over to Romans 1:21-29, you see this picture of the results of rebellion, and stubborn, hard hearts, they become calloused and resistant to the leading and direction of God.   The reason people don't hear God more is that they have stopped listening, stopped being obedient, and because God gave us free will, He gives us over to our decision.    The good news is that God is able to reverse this effect when we decide to turn back to Him.  Ezekiel 36:26  "I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

The application here is to guard our hearts, to give ourselves over to the Lord, to be humble, to be obedient, to be "surrendered" to Him and His ways.   Question:  If we believe His way is better, then shouldn't we step into it?

Lord, I pray that any place in us that is resistant to your leading be removed, any calloused area of our hearts be removed, let your fruit be evident in our lives, let the fruit of the spirit that is at work in us be the greater portion, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, let that be our portion, so that our hearts would always be turned towards you, in Jesus name, amen!

Scripture:

Genesis 45:8

8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

"Unstoppable" 

You cannot stop the plans of God. Joseph starts his journey with a dream and a vision from God; in fact, he has two visions that represent the same, both telling of what God would do.    Anytime there are two dreams, or visions, or two testimonies, this is God saying the matter has been decided and it "will" come to pass.    This is good news for you and me, as it reminds us that God has plans for our lives that will not be undone, not undone by circumstance, or people, not even the powers of this world.   Our God is "unstoppable" and His plans "WILL" be "DONE!"

The providential power of God in our lives, He will complete what He has begun in our lives, He will see it through, He will work it out for "OUR" good and His good "PURPOSE."  The application here is to trust the process that God has you in, that His plans are good and they will produce good in your life, trust Him, believe that the vision and the dreams He has placed in your life, He can bring them to fruition. 

Lord, I pray that we would always trust you, even when things don't look the way we think they should, cause us to see that you are with us, that in your great providence, you are forging out the plan, the way to bring us into the plan you have for us, it will be done, it will come to pass, it will be greater than we imagined it, in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

"the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden." — Genesis 39:21

"With You"

Joseph, other than boasting about what God would do to his brothers, he really did nothing wrong, certainly nothing deserving of the things they would give him over to.   We know in the end that God had a Romans 8:28 plan for Joseph, that even in this, God was working the bad that his brothers intended for not only Joseph's good, but the good of his family, his people, and many others.   It seemed like everywhere Joseph went, something not so right was happening to him. Can you relate?  From pits to Potophers, to Prison, it seemed like things were getting worse, but in "All that!"  God was with Him, and God's "FAVOR" was with Him.   

The God shot here today is that you could be really going through it, in the thick of it, the things you are going through are not of your own doing, or maybe even they are.  But you can find comfort knowing that God is with you, even giving you unmerited favor in your season, in your circumstance.

The phrase "the Lord was with him" is repeated throughout Genesis 39, emphasizing that God's presence does not vanish during dark or unjust circumstances.

Know that He is with you today, even though you may feel alone, "YOU'RE NOT!"  He is with you. 

One of the Key words in this scripture: Kindness (Chessed) 

Steadfast Love (Chesed): many translations use the term "steadfast love" or "loyal love." This refers to God's covenantal faithfulness, indicating He remained active in providing for Joseph even behind bars.  

Let that sink in, that is the action, the cut today is that God is Faithful and Kind, and Providing for you in the midst of your captivity, stuggle, circumstance.

Lord, I pray that today we would see your providence, your presence, your powerful, wonderful provision in the midst of no matter the circumstance, that we would find you good.   Thank you, Lord for your presence in our lives, in Jesus' name, Amen!