Post by Woody Williams on Aug 21, 2006 7:22:16 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Genesis 43:1-10
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Now the famine was severe in the land. And when they had eaten up the
grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them,
'Go again, buy us a little more food.' But Judah said to him, 'The
man solemnly warned us, saying, "You shall not see my face unless
your brother is with you." If you will send our brother with us, we
will go down and buy you food; but if you will not send him, we will
not go down, for the man said to us, "You shall not see my face,
unless your brother is with you." ' Israel said, 'Why did you treat
me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?' They
replied, 'The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our
kindred, saying, "Is your father still alive? Have you another
brother?" What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we
in any way know that he would say, "Bring your brother down"?' Then
Judah said to his father Israel, 'Send the boy with me, and let us be
on our way, so that we may live and not die-you and we and also our
little ones. I myself will be surety for him; you can hold me
accountable for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him
before you, then let me bear the blame for ever. If we had not
delayed, we would now have returned twice.'
Devotional
----------
God goes to great lengths to enable his chosen to survive so that the
redemptive story can go on. A severe famine had threatened Palestine.
Long before, Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers and he
ended up in Egypt. Joseph became second-in-command to Pharaoh and
administered the relief program. When his brothers came for food,
Joseph sets in motion a plan, not for revenge, but for keeping the
family alive. Who could have known what God had in mind when Joseph
was sold into slavery. God does have a plan for God's purpose.
Prayer
---------------
Stir my heart to trust in your plan for my life, O Lord. Amen
----------
Now the famine was severe in the land. And when they had eaten up the
grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them,
'Go again, buy us a little more food.' But Judah said to him, 'The
man solemnly warned us, saying, "You shall not see my face unless
your brother is with you." If you will send our brother with us, we
will go down and buy you food; but if you will not send him, we will
not go down, for the man said to us, "You shall not see my face,
unless your brother is with you." ' Israel said, 'Why did you treat
me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?' They
replied, 'The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our
kindred, saying, "Is your father still alive? Have you another
brother?" What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we
in any way know that he would say, "Bring your brother down"?' Then
Judah said to his father Israel, 'Send the boy with me, and let us be
on our way, so that we may live and not die-you and we and also our
little ones. I myself will be surety for him; you can hold me
accountable for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him
before you, then let me bear the blame for ever. If we had not
delayed, we would now have returned twice.'
Devotional
----------
God goes to great lengths to enable his chosen to survive so that the
redemptive story can go on. A severe famine had threatened Palestine.
Long before, Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers and he
ended up in Egypt. Joseph became second-in-command to Pharaoh and
administered the relief program. When his brothers came for food,
Joseph sets in motion a plan, not for revenge, but for keeping the
family alive. Who could have known what God had in mind when Joseph
was sold into slavery. God does have a plan for God's purpose.
Prayer
---------------
Stir my heart to trust in your plan for my life, O Lord. Amen