Wed.’s Devo - Fulfillment

Read: Genesis 44:1-45:28; Matthew 14:13-36; Psalm 18:37-50; Proverbs 4:11-13 Joseph tested his brothers one more time to see if they would do to Benjamin what they had done to him. He sent them on their way loaded down with provisions and had his palace manager hide his silver cup in Benjamin’s bag. *** When they had just left the city, the office manager arrested them and accused them of stealing the cup. He promised that whoever stole it would be his slave, and the rest could go free. He found it in Benjamin’s sack, but the brothers refused to leave Benjamin and returned to defend his case. When they faced Joseph, Judah spoke up and admitted they were being punished for their sins. He told them that all of them would be his slaves - they were not leaving Benjamin alone. Judah told Joseph the whole story of losing Joseph and how it broke their father’s heart. He left out their part in the story, but Joseph could tell they were repentant. *** Joseph told all his servants to leave the room and revealed to his brothers who he was. They were speechless! He explained that God had saved him to go before them to preserve them during the famine. It would continue for 5 more years. Everything that had happened in Joseph was for this very time in history. What they meant for harm, God used for good. *** He told them to go and get their father and bring him to Egypt. There was a a region called Goshen that was fertile and they would live there, near him. *** Joseph embraced them all and sent them home. News about Joseph’s family reached the Pharaoh and he was delighted they were coming to live in Egypt. He gladly gave them the land of Goshen and was prepared to give them the very best he had. He provided his wagons for them to take with them to bring their belongings back with them. He gave them supplies for their journey. Joseph gave Benjamin five changes of clothes and 300 pieces of silver. He sent donkeys loaded with the best Egypt had to offer. *** When they got home and told Jacob everything, he was stunned at first but when he saw all the wagons from Egypt he believed. *** The story of Joseph was a precursor to the story of Christ. Joseph suffered for the sins of his brothers over their jealousy of their father’s love for Joseph, just as Jesus suffered under the hands of his Jewish brothers who were jealous of his authority with his Father, God. Joseph was sent to go ahead of them and prepare a place for them when the whole world was under a famine, just as Jesus was sent to prepare a place for us not only in heaven but here on earth right now. He has prepared a “Goshen” for us in this time of great tribulation for the wicked. We are being preserved and set up to prosper while those who have been prospering through deceit are being judged and found guilty. Great tribulation is falling on the wicked at this time, while we are being preserved to continue God’s kingdom on the earth. *** In Matthew, Jesus had just learned that John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod. He went to be alone and talk to God about it, but the crowds followed him. He had so much compassion on them, he spent the day healing the people instead of mourning his own loss. It was getting late in the day and the disciples suggested that Jesus stop the ministry and send the people home to eat. Jesus told the disciples to feed them. The disciples explained that they only had five loaves and two fish. *** Jesus asked for the food and sat the people down on the grass. Then he took the five loaves and two fish and looked up to God and blessed them. He broke the loaves and fish and gave them to the disciples to give to the people. Everyone ate all the wanted and they picked up 12 baskets of leftovers. They had fed about 5,000 men that day in addition to their wives and children. *** Jesus sent the people home and had the disciples get into the boat and go to the other side of the lake. He went on a mountain to pray. *** A storm arose on the water and the disciples were fighting huge waves. Jesus came walking on the water. When the disciples saw him, they first thought he was a ghost. Jesus told them it was him and told them not to be afraid. Peter asked Jesus if he could come out on the water and Jesus told him to come. He walked right out on the water and was doing well until he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the waves and the storm. Then he began sinking. He cried out to Jesus who reached down and saved him and helped him back into the boat. Jesus rebuked him for wavering in his faith. As soon as Jesus stepped into the boat, the waves stopped. The disciples worshiped Jesus as the Son of God. *** They reached the area of Gennesaret where Jesus had cast the demons out of them men and now the people were ready to receive Jesus. They had seen how the two demon-possessed men were sane and filled with God’s spirit now and they believed that Jesus was good and not evil. Many brought their sick to him to be healed. *** In the Old and New Testament today we read stories of victory and fulfillment. We will not always live in times of struggling and famine. There are times of refreshing and fulfillment to God’s promises and he wants us to experience both. Both are gifts from him. Our test is to live in the now with expectation of a great future, and not in the past. We learn from our past and we take the wisdom from the past into the present and the future. *** Lord, help us to embrace the fulfillment of your promises. Teach us to walk in the times of abundance and plenty. May we help in fulfilling your plans for the future. May we keep our eyes on You and not the storms around us.