Devotional Thoughts

Genesis 49:19-27    "Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel): Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. B

Genesis 49:13-18    "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD." As Jacob continues to speak to his sons about things that will come upon them in their last days, we can clearly see the words of prophecy. According to scholars, it was two to three hundred years before the tribe of Zebulun dwelled “at the haven of the sea.” They became a safe harbor for ships.  The word of God tells us that this land fell to the tribe of Zebulun by lot. It was not assigned to them by Joshua. It was not chos

Proverbs 25:3    "The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable." We just read yesterday in verse 2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing." Today's verse is in relation to that second verse. It is God's glory to conceal the height of heaven and the depth of the earth. It is an honorable thing to try to search it out, but we shall never know the depth of those two truths. Man can guess as to what is at the absolute core of the earth, but God knows. Man has been able to explore great heights of the heavens, but God knows exactly how far they reach.  It is an honorable thing, but man must never come to the place where he thinks he knows as much as God. Remember, that's what got us in trouble at the beginning. Satan said to Eve, "God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods..." (Genesis 3:5)  My thought for today, and every day, is this: How grea

Genesis 49:8-12    "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk." At the end of his days, we find Israel prophesying concerning his sons. He has already dealt with Reuben, Simeon, and Levi in the previous verses. He has much more to say about Judah. Judah is seen in a more favorable light, not because of Judah himself, but because of the one who should be raised up

Proverbs 25:2    "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." I think it is very important that we never forget that God ----- is God!  His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. His glory is beyond anything we could ever begin to imagine. And it is very important to remember the words recorded by Moses, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29) Yes, there are things which we will never know nor understand in this life. But that does not give us the excuse to stop searching. I cannot recall the number of times I have heard it said, "I don't read my Bible because I just don't understand what it is saying."  May I say just now that we will never understand as long as we do not open our Bibles and read. Yes, God has

Genesis 49:1-7    "And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel."   Jacob had already spent some time with Joseph and Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and

Proverbs 24:30-34    "I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;  (31)  And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.  (32)  Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.  (33)  Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:  (34)  So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man." Solomon used both proverbs and parables to teach lessons given to him by the Holy Spirit of God.  We aren't sure if today's passages are given as a parable or an actual event. Surely, it could have been an actual happening where Solomon observed the field of a slothful, or lazy, man.  I'm sure we have all seen such examples as well. In my travels, I have passed by many fields and seen fences broken down. I remember seeing fields where stones had been gathered by a

Genesis 48:13-22    And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: f

Genesis 48:8-11    "And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed."   Joseph had come to visit with his aged father, Israel, who was very sick. Jacob had also brought his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him to spend some time with their grandfather. Joseph’s sons would probably be in their early twenties. Both were born before the famine (Genesis 41:50), Israel did not come to Egypt until two years into the famine, and he had lived in Egypt for seventeen years, so he had been able to watch Joseph’s sons grow up.  However, by this point Israel’s eyesight was fai

Proverbs 24:19-22    "Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;  (20)  For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.  (21)  My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:  (22)  For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?" We never want to admit that we "worry" about things, do we?  If we call it worry, then we would be admitting our faith is not what it should be. We aren't worrying if we do not speak it out loud, right? But how often do we fret about things?  What? What is that, you ask. Well, in my understanding, fretting is that time when something is eating inside of you and you just can't shake it off.  God tells us not to let those things grab us on the inside. Then He tells us not to be envious at the wicked. That word means that we are not to allow them to move us to the place where we act in a

Genesis 48:1-7    "And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in th

Genesis 47:27-31    "And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said. And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head."   Joseph was finally reunited with his family. He had brought them to the land of Egypt where he was dwelling. Even though Joseph was governor over the land, he was never an Egyptian. He was never referred to as a cit

Genesis 47:13-19    "And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year. When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how t

Proverbs 24:16   "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again..." Paul tells us in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..."  We often hear that verse quoted as, "We all FALL short of the glory of God." And it is a very true statement. We know it's true because the Word of God says it; but also, we know it is true because our lives bear it out.  Every day, we come short (fall short) of that glory which God has ordained for us to walk in. When we come up short, there are two ways to deal with it. We can either wallow in the fact that we failed to be what God has called us to be, or we can ask God for forgiveness, get up, and go again. God's Word says, "... a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again..."   What is the basis of our turning around and getting back up? Is it because we turned over a new leaf? Is it because we picked ourselves up by the bootstraps and kept on going?  Is it o

Genesis 47:7-12    "And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh. And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families." After introducing his brothers to Pharaoh, Joseph brought his father, Jacob (Israel), and presented (set) him before Pharaoh. Jacob had many reasons to thank Pharaoh on this occasion. Pharaoh had been

Proverbs 24:13-14    "My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:  (14)  So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off." There is something about the taste of honey that gives an immediate response of goodness at its first taste. It is smooth and sweet and gives a sense of pleasure to the taste buds. Not everyone likes the honeycomb, but there is something even more special about it. You can get that super sweetness, plus it hangs around in your mouth for you to chew on it and extend the experience of sweetness. Honey is the super "comfort food". Solomon then goes on to say, "So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul."  We have the saying that the "light came on" when things click together and begin to make sense. There is a sweet sense of satisfaction at that "Aha" moment. As I rea

G enesis 47:1-6    "Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them

Proverbs 24:7   "Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate." Let me quote the New Testament in the beginning of this writing. "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." (James 1:19) I seem to be quoting James a great deal as we travel through the book of Proverbs.  There is a time to speak and a time to refrain from speaking. There is a time to listen and then process what has been said.  James tells us to be quick to listen. I won't go back on my soapbox about the gift of listening is fast fading away. (Oops, I just got on that box, didn't I?)  We are to keep two ears open and sometimes keep our mouths shut. That's pretty straight words, but it's true. Not everything needs to be answered by me. And most times, I need to be listening instead of thinking about what I'm going to say. And then when I do not like what I am hearing, I need to be slow to let my anger speak f

Genesis 46:27-34    "And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten. And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive. And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, W

Proverbs 24:3-6   "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:  (4)  And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  (5)  A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength  (6)  For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety." These verses contain three important words for each of us: wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. No one is born with these attributes; rather, they are gained through experiences in life - both good and bad. Even Jesus learned these things as He grew into adulthood. . "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." (Luke 2:52) I admit that I do not fully understand this verse. It has always held an intrigue for me, but I believe it. "Jesus increased...."  He grew in those four areas of life which we could call a "four square" life. These things hold the elements for

Genesis 46:1-4    "And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes."   Israel, his sons, their families, flocks, and servants, and as much of their stuff as they could carry was loaded onto the wagons that Joseph had sent at Pharaoh’s command. They started on their journey to Egypt. It would appear that they made camp at Beersheba. There he offered sacrifices unto God.  Beersheba means “well of an oath.” It was in this place that Abraham (Israel’s grandfather) and Abimelech (then king of the Philistines) made an agreement concerning ownership of th

Proverbs 23:26    "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." Have you ever had a verse of Scripture that hit you square in the heart? I remember the day I read this verse and it jumped off the page at me. I was trying to lose weight. Yes, I'm still trying to lose that weight. But I was using a plan that incorporated reading Scripture whenever you felt hunger pains. The idea is to allow the Word of God to be that which satisfies when hunger is more in your mind than in your stomach. I was reading the designated verses for the day when I came across this one. I remember praying, "Lord, please take my excessive appetite from me so I can lose some of this weight." As I read this passage, I heard the voice of God speaking very clearly and distinctly.. His answer to me was, "No, I won't take it from you. Give it to me." This verse was one of those daily passages and it struck the bullseye of my heart. There are times when we ask

Genesis 46:1-4    "And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes."   Israel, his sons, their families, flocks, and servants, and as much of their stuff as they could carry was loaded onto the wagons that Joseph had sent at Pharaoh’s command. They started on their journey to Egypt. It would appear that they made camp at Beersheba. There he offered sacrifices unto God.  Beersheba means “well of an oath.” It was in this place that Abraham (Israel’s grandfather) and Abimelech (then king of the Philistines) made an agreement concerning ownership of th

Proverbs 23:17-19    "Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.  (18)  For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.  (19)  Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way." This entire 23rd chapter of Proverbs seems to be making a distinction between the things we have, the things we want, the things we cannot have, and the things we should not have. When you think about it, there is a clear difference in all those things. There are things which satisfy and there are things which promise satisfaction. There are things that are true and there are things which are elusive and can never be obtained. There are things which fulfill their promise  and there are things which are deceitful. How can we know what is to be desired and pursued? As I read verse 17, I see the strength of our daily relationship (walk) with God. We are not to envy men whose intention changes with the wind; rather, we

Genesis 45:25-28    "And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, and told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die."   Joseph’s brothers returned to Canaan where their father, Israel, and their families were living. They arrived with a caravan of wagons loaded with provisions. This must have been a wondrous sight for Israel and his family. But he was about to hear something too wondrous to believe. The first thing the brothers did was to tell Israel that Joseph was alive. Not only was he alive, but he had authority over all the land of Egypt. Israel had been convinced fo

Proverbs 22:17-19    "Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.  (18)  For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.  (19)  That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee." I knew a man once who would close his eyes the instant I began to preach. For the longest time, I thought he had slept all the way through my message. He explained that he was shutting everything else out when he closed his eyes. He could better concentrate on what was being said because all distractions were taken away. Have you ever had a time when you were determined to hear everything that the preacher was going to say, but before you knew it, your mind had drifted? Or, have you read a chapter in the Bible and realized that you couldn't remember what you had just read?  In today's passage, the wise man is reminding us to shut out all distractions as we lis

Genesis 45:19-24    "Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way." Joseph’s brothers were granted an abundance in order to bring their families to Egypt. Some commentators indicate that Pharoah had decreed that wagons loads of grain should not be