The Bible
– The
Good News Translation
God’s people were few in number,
strangers in the land of Canaan.
They wandered from country to
country, from one kingdom to another.
But God let no one oppress them;
to protect them, he warned the kings:
“Don’t harm my chosen servants; do
not touch my prophets.”
The Lord sent famine to their
country and took away all their food.
But he sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.
Thoughts:
Can you imagine when Joseph’s father dedicated him to the Lord
for His divine plan, how much of a box he probably built around that
dedication? I’m sure that he would have felt honored if perhaps Joseph became a
leading cattle rancher, or perhaps followed in his footsteps, but do you think
in his wildest dreams, or in his most daring prayer he would have asked God
that his little shepherd boy would become a leader in the king’s palace? In
this particular Psalm, David reflected on the instruction given to the kings by
God about not touching His prophets, and here he was praising God for the provision
He made in the young boy, Joseph, to facilitate relief for the punishment he
was about to render on the king and his dominion. We all know the wonderful
story of Joseph, but in these verses I was reminded about the whole purpose for
his mission in life. It was all God designed and orchestrated. How often do we
stop and reflect on stories like this to energize our worship and praises of
thanksgiving for God’s perfect plan? It ignites in us a feeling of praise, excitement
and expectancy as we not only thank Him for His mighty works, but also look forward
to what He is already doing in our lives and the lives of our loved ones. When
disasters occur, like the famine that occurred in this story, are we bold
enough in our trust in God to know that God has already made provisions for His
people by having a plan ready, and a man ready to lead His plan? We have the
record book to show us that this is how He operates, so why doubt? Let’s ask
Him to do it again! We know He can!
Prayer:
Praise God that Your divine plan for Your children is so much
more than we, or our ancestors could ever have dreamed of. Reflecting on Moses,
he whined about the speech impediment that bothered him as a spokesman, yet You
used his ounce of faith to lead millions of people for years to the Promised
Land through many extenuating circumstances. Many of these challenges seemed
impossible to man, yet folk today are saved because of the power they saw in the
mighty power of God through Moses. Again in the story of Joseph, we saw where
men (his own brothers) meant evil for this young man, but praise God You had a
much bigger plan for this young man! Our small, insignificant minds are so
limited, but praise God we serve the One with all knowledge, all wisdom and all
power, and in light of another verse You led me to this morning (James 3:17)
You are a God who shows no favoritism and You are sincere in all that You do.
Wow, again I am reminded that I serve such an
awesome God! Please use me more every day for Your glory! My friends
reading this will be very much like me, so I ask You dear Lord to also place
Your miracle working hand on their lives so that they can be all that You planned
for them. Only You have the awesome power to accomplish all this that I’ve
asked dear Jesus, so I ask it in Your precious and holy name, AMEN!
NOTE: If you have been
challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak
with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or
encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words
underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote
the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to
read or pray.
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