Sunday, January 17, 2016

Sun.’s Devo - God’s Safe Haven

Read: Gen. 45:16-47:27
I can’t imagine what went through the minds of Joseph’s brothers when he revealed his true identity to them. Shock, quickly turning to guilt over what they had done, quickly turning to fear of what he might do to them. Joseph had now been the ruler for nine years so he had won the love and respect of all the officers and the whole kingdom. God placed him over all Egypt so that he could protect a small Jewish family of 70. God is always looking for the remnant. He will do anything that needs to be done to protect her. God had prepared the best land of Egypt for his little bride. It would be protected from the false gods of Egypt. She would be fed bread in a time where there was very little bread and she would prosper when everyone else was having to sell all they had to live. Their safe haven was called Goshen which means “drawing near”. That is what we do in our secret place - we draw near to God. It is usually trials and tribulations that make this place so sacred.
This is a picture of the end times. Jesus said it this way, “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Jesus went ahead of us into death and into glory to prepare a place for us. We can live in that glory here on earth if we learn to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth.
I wrote on January first that this was to be a landmark year and things would happen that we would mark on our calendar. Ours happened on January 8th. My youngest son, Daniel, had been out of work for two and a half years. He had tried selling insurance and some other non-profitable things and I would fall on my face and plead with God for relief and help. It finally came. He got the job that is not just a job; it is his calling. He will be coaching and teaching at a little one-A school in New Roads, Louisiana. He and his wife need a “new road” to travel on. It will be their Goshen. We couldn’t be more thankful and excited for them. The money is not much, but it is enough and it is never about the money. It is about the calling and the purpose of God. It was the same for Joseph. He learned like Paul to be exalted and to be abased and the only thing that was important was God’s plan.
Lord, your ways and your timing is all for the highest purpose. Thank you for keeping us in your divine plan.

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