Week 7 Tuesday
Today Joseph can hold back the truth no longer and reveals himself to his brothers in tears, David rejoices that weeping only lasts for a night, and Jesus tells the puzzling parable of the shrewd manager.
Genesis 45
📖 What are we reading?: Joseph, overcome with emotion, finally reveals his identity to his brothers and sends for his father to come to Egypt.
✞ What does this passage say about God?: Verses 7 and 8 show how God's sovereign hand is over all things - even the brothers' cruelty became part of His plan to preserve life.
🛐 How does this passage teach us to live?: This is a deeply moving chapter. May we, like Joseph, learn to see God's hand even in the painful chapters of our own story.
Looking for some extra info?
➡️ The bigger picture: Genesis, meaning "beginnings", was written by Moses around 1400 BC, and covers the story of creation, the fall, and the origins of God's chosen people, Israel.
Psalm 30
📖 What are we reading?: David gives thanks for God's healing after a time of near-death distress, declaring that weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
✞ What does this passage say about God?: He is a healing and loving God, who turns our mourning into dancing.
🛐 How does this passage teach us to live?: I am praying that verses 11 and 12 become a reality in our lives today - that our own mourning would be turned into joyful dancing before Him.
Looking for some extra info?
➡️ The bigger picture: The Psalms is a collection of 150 poems and songs, written by David and others, expressing the full range of human emotion in response to God and to life.
📝 Devotions from Luke on how weeping may last the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Luke 16:1-13
📖 What are we reading?: Jesus tells the puzzling parable of the shrewd manager, who is commended not for his dishonesty but for his shrewdness in using worldly wealth wisely.
✞ What does this passage say about God?: He expects us to be faithful stewards of what's entrusted to us, even in the "worldly" things like money.
🛐 How does this passage teach us to live?: Perhaps we should memorise verse 13: "No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve both God and money."
Looking for some extra info?
➡️ The bigger picture: Luke's Gospel was written by Luke, a Greek physician and companion of Paul, around AD 60-62. It is the most detailed account of Jesus' life, and is especially attentive to the poor, to women, and to outcasts.
📝 Bud Robinson's words about being wise with money.
A Prayer for the Day
🙏 Lord, thank You that Your hand is at work even in our painful chapters, that our weeping turns to joy in the morning, and that You call us to be faithful stewards of all You've entrusted to us. Amen.
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