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!

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!

Scripture:

Genesis 35:7

There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

In Genesis 28, Jacob has an encounter with God just shortly after he flees from His brother, where he sees the heavens open and angels ascending and descending, and God speaks to him and tells him that he will not leave him until He fulfills the promise.   And here in Genesis 35, God speaks to Jacob again and tells him to go back and settle in Bethel (House of God), and Jacob here in the key verse, calls the place "El Bethel."  Two things here, one is God told Jacob and you and me that we should dwell in the "House of God," that is the place of worship, and then Jacob reminds us that we should be at "El Bethel," where we experience the revelation of God, where we can connect with Him. 

"Bethel" focuses on the place of worship, "El Bethel" emphasizes the God who revealed Himself there, highlighting a personal, relational connection between Jacob and the Creator.  So the application here is that you and I would live in a place of worship (Bethel) where we would allow the presence of God to change our lives, who we are, and that we should seek after (El Bethel) to be in a place of revelation, where we seek to connect with Him, hear from Him, be influenced by Him, to live in His purposes and plans so that we would be blessed in the land that He has placed us in.

My prayer today is that we would live in the presence of God here on earth, that we would pursue a personal relationship with Him, that we would seek His revelation (El Bethel) that our pursuit would be with all that is within us, that it would be transformational, that our lives would never be the same because of it, in Jesus' name, amen!

Scripture:

Genesis 28:15-1615 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

"Sempre Fidelis" 

It is our circumstances that steal our focus, leave us thinking that we are alone in our journey, the troubles of yesterday, the troubles of today, and what is ahead that is troubling us.   When we focus on them, we lose sight of the fact that we are not alone.   The good news is that we are never alone, and God is working out His purpose in our lives (Romans 8:28) for good.   And the good work He began in us, He will see to its completion (Philippians 1:6). His word promises that.   Even though the mess Jacob was in was his own doing, God still had a purpose for Jacob, and that is true with you and me. No matter what our past looks like, God has never lost His purpose in our lives, nor has He abandoned us or His good work, His promises for us.  Listen to the word of the Lord: "I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you." 

We should cling to that...

The application here is not to let your circumstances, whether created by you or life, or even someone else, cause you to lose a sense of God's presence in your life, His direction for your life, His purpose, and His promise for your life, for your future.   You are NOT alone, your PAST does not have to dictate your FUTURE, most importantly, GOD IS FAITHFUL (Sempre Fidelis)

Lord, we all know that we can get into messes, we can get off track, and lose sight of your presence in our circumstances, but today is a day to remember no matter where we are now, on the mountain top, or in the valley, I pray we would have a great sense of your presence, that we would know without question of your faithfulness, that your promises are still good for our lives, no matter the place we find ourselves, in Jesus' name, Amen!