Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images and lyrics from the group, The Isaacs, singing … In HIs Hands … singing of how we, as surrendered Christians, are completely in our Lord’s hands.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 50:20 [NLT] … 20 You [Joseph’s brothers] intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
… Oh so often, we can’t see God’s intent in the moment; but God’s work for our good may become obvious down the road of life.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 15:18-21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The story about how the long saga of Joseph’s life unfolded with him being able to forgive and save his brothers.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 16:9 [NLT] … 9 We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
… God is in control!
Reference Passage : … Isaiah 55:8-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Isiah, declares His sovereign view of our lives, … far above what we can see!
Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [NLT] … 28 And we know that God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
… Yes, EVERYTHING!!
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, relates a personal story to illustrate God’s sovereign control over all the aspects of our lives. The ODB author writes … Not long ago I was working on a construction project at my son’s home three hours away. The job took days longer than expected, and each morning I prayed we would finish by sunset. But every evening there was more to be done.
I wondered why. Could there be a reason for the delay? An answer came the next morning. I was picking up a tool when my phone rang and a stranger’s voice spoke urgently: “Your daughter was injured in an accident. You need to come immediately.” She lived near my son, so it took just fourteen minutes to reach her. If I had been home, I would have been three hours away. I followed the ambulance to the hospital and comforted her before surgery. As I sat holding her hand I realized if my project hadn’t been delayed, I wouldn’t have been there.
Our moments belong to God.
The reality of God’s sovereignty and my free will has always - and will always - be source of tension or confusion in my (or your) life.
Reality: … stuff happens!!
And often what happens seems unfair or painful or just plain wrong! But as in today’s ODB entry, later we may be given the insight to find out that these painful or seemingly unfair circumstances work out for our good or for the good of others. That was certainly the case, as we read about the life of Joseph, whom we know went thru many pitfalls in life; but in the end God had weaved his life to be able to forgive his brothers and help many others [see highlight passage].
For years I’ve contended that Romans 8:28 was one of the toughest truths for we Christians to live out, … especially when the immediate circumstances seem so painful or wrong in our limited perception. But as it says in Isaiah 55:8-9, God has no limitations on the way He sees our lives; and He can see far into our future to allow us to deal with certainly confusing or painful circumstances now … so that those circumstances will be for our good later.
I pray that we all can trust God to be in control now and that we’ll be able to see why, tho we might have trouble dealing with life right now, … our now is for God’s glory later.
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for knowing EXACTLY what we need in our now … for Your glory later.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here surrender to Your sovereignty now so that we can be used for Your glory later. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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