Genesis 37:1-38:30, Matthew 12:22-45, Psalm 16:1-11, Proverbs 3:27-32
Pray: Our families shape us to a large degree. As we open in prayer today, let us ask God to reveal His grace to us on this day through the text. The stories we read will confound us as the people in this story are the descendants of Abraham and this is the family which God has chosen.
Read: Joseph has several dreams which sound incredibly narcissistic. His brothers become very jealous. Judah’s wife dies, and he has sex with his daughter-in-law who is a widow wanting a child. You can’t make this stuff up. Jesus is once again accused of being the “prince of demons” because He has the power to cast out a demon who has caused pain and suffering to a man. In these stories we find hope that God’s purpose is still unfolding even in the midst of sin and brokenness.
Edify: Joseph’s dreams are paradoxical for they seem unbelievable in that both his parents and siblings would bow down to him one day. This stirs jealousy in his brothers which causes them to betray him and sell him into slavery which takes him to Egypt. While in Egypt Joseph is known for his skill in interpreting dreams, so when the most powerful man in the known world has nightmares it is later Joseph who is summoned to Pharaoh’s palace to interpret the nightmare of Pharaoh.
Practice: When Joseph is able to interpret this dream he is placed in the second seat and put over the government’s work of storing the grain so Egypt will not perish. Thus, God’s will is accomplished and Joseph’s dream doesn’t seem so unbelievable now. Could God be at work now in your life, desiring to accomplish something great in you? Can you believe or align yourself with a God of miracles? Today, would you dare to share your dream with another person and ask them to pray with you about what you believe God may want to do in your life? Remember, God often wants to do a great work in you, before God does a great work through you.
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