Fri.’s Devo - The Great Reveal

Read: Genesis 44: 1-45:28; Matthew 14:13-36; Psalm 18:37-50; Proverbs 4:11-13 Yesterday, our Psalm said, “To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.” Today, God is shrewdly giving Joseph’s brothers a chance to show themselves pure. Joseph instructs his servants to put the silver back into their bags and to plant his silver cup in Benjamin’s. This was their ultimate test. Before their bags were searched they promised that the person’s bag they found the cup in would die and they would be Joseph’s servants. That is how convinced they were of their innocence. When the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack, they tore their clothes in despair and returned to the city to be Joseph’s slave and watch their brother Benjamin killed. Instead, they were met by Joseph who fell to the ground before them, wanting to know how they could have done something like this to him. (Joseph was a good actor.) Judah answered Joseph and told him that they had all returned to be his slave. Joseph disagreed and said he would only take Benjamin. Judah explained that Benjamin was their father’s life and it would kill him if Benjamin didn’t return. Judah offered to stay in his place. This was the repentance Joseph was looking for and he couldn’t hide his true identity any longer. He revealed himself to them and the reason God had sent him to Egypt. He was the preservation of their family. The famine would last another five years so God had sent him ahead of them to sustain them during this time. Joseph sent them back to get their father and bring him to Egypt. There was a piece of land called Goshen where they could farm and live during the famine. Joseph hugged and wept over each of his brothers and especially Benjamin. When the Pharaoh found out, he was elated and gave them instructions to bring their father and they would be given the best land in Egypt and eat from the best that the land produced. He sent them back to the father with wagons of Egypt’s finest products along with the grain they had come to buy. When they told their father that Joseph was alive and the governor of Egypt, he couldn’t believe them until he saw all the gifts and supplies he sent. In Matthew, Jesus was compelled by the crowd to minister to them. He stepped into a boat where he taught and healed them. When it was late and the people were hungry, his disciples came to him and told him to send everyone home because they needed to eat. Jesus told the disciples to feed them. !!! They explained that they only had five loaves and two fish. Jesus told them to bring it to him. He blessed the food and broke it. Then he gave it to the disciples and they broke it and gave it to the disciples who gave it to the people. There was enough for the over 5,000 people with 12 baskets left over. After supper, Jesus insisted that the disciples leave him there and go to the other side of the lake. Jesus went on the mountain and prayed while they got in their boat and soon found themselves in the middle of a storm. They were on their way to the same place that they had fought the storm before. This time, Jesus came walking on the water. At first, the disciples thought it was a ghost but Jesus assured him it was him. Peter was so pumped, he wanted to do what Jesus was doing and Jesus told him to come. He was doing it until he let the fear of the waves get to him. He sunk. Jesus rescued him and they both got in the boat. When they reached the other side where the demoniac had been saved. He had evangelized the whole area and they were glad to have Jesus return. Amazing, how perspectives change when you see results. Lord, blessed are those who believe who have never seen. Help us to walk in faith and not forget the things the Lord has done for us.