Devotional Thoughts

Genesis 45:4-5     "And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.  (5)  Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." I want us to see how God was developing the life of Joseph even through all the hardships and disappointments. For just a quick overview, we remember that Jacob loved Joseph. We read in Genesis 37:3, "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours." Israel was God's name for Jacob. This show of love set up a jealousy among the brothers toward Joseph. The very next verse tells us, "... when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him." When the opportunity presented itself, they sold Joseph into slavery. Through the next years Jo...

Matthew 11:7-10     " And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?   But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.   But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.   For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness wearing rough garments of camel’s hair and a leather belt (girdle). John’s appearance was similar to the description we have of Elijah (Elias in the Greek language) found in 2 nd Kings 1:8. John was well-known among the Jews and considered by them to be a prophet. Because John was held in regard by the people, Herod was afraid to have him executed (Matthew 14:5), so he was holding John in prison. ...

Genesis 22:1-4     "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  (2)  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  (3)  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.  (4)  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off." "God did tempt Abraham." We need to investigate anytime we have a question about a particular word. For most of us, there is one word that glares back at us as we read this passage. Yes, that word is "tempt." Why would God tempt Abraham? We are told in the book of James 1:13, "L...