2009 - Day 18 - Giving For His Glory

January 18, 2009 … Swindoll’s Topic for Today: Giving For His Glory

Passage of the Day: Genesis 41: 53 - 57 ... 53 Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.” 56 The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. 57 So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.

My Journal for Today: Let me begin today’s journal entry, quoting from what Chuck Swindoll wrote at the end of his devotional for today: “With authority comes the need for accountability. With popularity comes the need for humility. With prosperity comes the need for integrity. … Joseph passed all three (of these) character tests with flying colors.”

After reading the passage for today, no one could logically, or even emotionally, dispute Swindoll’s contention above. Egypt and the surrounding lands apparently experienced one of the worst famines ever experienced by these people [see verse 56]. And here was Joseph, … exactly the right man in exactly the right position [obviously by God’s mercy and providence] to make a difference; and yes, he comes through with God’s flying colors. In verse 57 we read how Joseph, who not only didn’t hoard the proactively stored grain and food for himself or merely for Pharaoh’s court; but he opened the Egyptian storehouses for anyone who needed the food and for other neighboring lands who might want to purchase the excess to meet their needs. That’s humility, for sure. That’s accountability, to God and to his fellow man. And that’s integrity from God’s hand, through Joseph, to all who were in need.

Right now, as I write this, we are going through hard times economically. And in such times there are always those who have come into these times with more of God’s abundance than others. Some in the latter category of need are there because they have made poor economic choices. Some are in need because they couldn’t help it or because they couldn’t compete in a competitive world due to some handicap. And these times tempt and/or test those who HAVE to choose whether they are going to help those who HAVE NOT or merely to hoard the excess for themselves And as Swindoll indicates, Joseph came through this test of human temptations with the pure gold in his God-developed character. He prepared for the tough times; and when they came, he became a light of helpfulness in the darkness of privation.

I hope all can see, who read of Joseph, in the pages of God’s word, that he was an arch type of Jesus Christ. We see in, Joseph, Christlikeness like we never see in other Old Testament figures. Even great figures like Moses, David, or Solomon had their periods of human weakness and ill-begotten choices. But Joseph was a man like no others of the Old Covenant. He was like Christ; and we read from his life much of the character which we would read of in Christ in the New Testament. So, as we read his story, we need to pay attention to learn of the character of the coming Messiah who would become THE PERFECT picture of character for us.

And to close this entry, let me quote from Swindoll’s devotional, a prayer of aspiration to Christlikeness …

My Prayer Today: “Jesus Christ, I need You. I have all of this [Your providence] to account for; and I can’t take any of it with me. Please use me as you see fit.” Amen