Focus
Stop and thank God for being present with you today. Ask for God’s guidance as you hear God’s voice through scripture and the writer.
Read
Acts 7:9-16
9 “The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and enabled him to win favor and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering, and our ancestors could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on their first visit. 13 On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five in all; 15 so Jacob went down to Egypt. He himself died there as well as our ancestors, 16 and their bodies[a] were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
Reflect
A father and mother set their daughter down and begin to explain to her that they are always thinking about her even when she may not be thinking about them. They explain that they are always working, though unseen by her, to take care of her. She may not see the truth of their work now, but as time and life goes by, she will understand. She will understand that in the background they have been busy preparing a way for her to have a future. The child sets in silence for a moment and then asks, “If I do something wrong, will you stop what you are doing?” To this, the father and mother replied, “You are our child, and we will never stop loving and caring for you. We will never stop working to give you an opportunity at a future. This we promise.” In the story of Joseph, we find that there is Joseph, there are his brothers, and then there is God. In our story there is us, there is the world, and then there is God. We must never forget that God is a part of our story.
Pray
Thank you, God, you gave your one only son to die for us while we were yet sinners. You have always worked that way God. Despite our weaknesses and failures, you never stop working, you never stop loving. You just keep trying to take care of us, even when we do not yet see your hand at work. Help us to trust in your grace, your love, and you continued work in our lives. Help us to see that you are a part of our story. Amen.
Go with God!
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