DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY JANUARY 15:
WORD OF WISDOM
Don't be impressed by folks who have a lot of "things." Most of them are
lying awake at night trying to figure out how they're going to pay for
all that stuff.
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DAILY DEVOTION
The Value of Struggle
"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes
which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye
fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith
worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be
perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
James 1:1-4
In 1921, Franklin D. Roosevelt was a rising star in the political world. But
when he contracted polio and was left unable to walk on his own, it seemed
that his dreams had been shattered. Roosevelt embarked on a grueling
physical rehabilitation program, and though he never regained the use of his
legs, he was able to return to public life. He would be elected president in
1932, overcoming great obstacles to reach the peak of the political world.
Roosevelt said, "A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor."
Given the choice, most of us would not select great trials and hardship in
our lives. Yet, God often uses difficulty to accomplish growth that cannot
come any other way. Like a sculptor chiseling away at a block of marble, God
sometimes strikes us with what seem to be heavy blows to remove the things
that are not part of His design. The process of growth and spiritual
development is not painless, nor did God ever guarantee that it would be.
In our moments of pain and trial, it is vital that we not lose sight of
God's plan for our lives. Bad things are not necessarily a sign of His
displeasure or punishment, though we should examine our lives to see if we
are being chastened. But often they are simply God bringing us to a higher
level of faith and trust in Him, as He uses struggles to shape and refine
our character. There is a great comfort in knowing that nothing takes God by
surprise, and that we can always trust Him to do what is best for us.
Rejoicing in trials only happens when we recognize God's control and purpose
for what is happening.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Genesis 43-46The Message (MSG)
43 1-2 The famine got worse. When they had eaten all the food they had
brought back from Egypt, their father said, "Go back and get some more
food."
3-5 But Judah said, "The man warned us most emphatically, 'You won't so much
as see my face if you don't have your brother with you.' If you're ready to
release our brother to go with us, we'll go down and get you food. But if
you're not ready, we aren't going. What would be the use? The man told us,
'You won't so much as see my face if you don't have your brother with you.'"
6 Israel said, "Why are you making my life so difficult! Why did you ever
tell the man you had another brother?"
7 They said, "The man pressed us hard, asking pointed questions about our
family: 'Is your father alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered
his questions. How did we know that he'd say, 'Bring your brother here'?"
8-10 Judah pushed his father Israel. "Let the boy go; I'll take charge of
him. Let us go and be on our way-if we don't get going, we're all going to
starve to death-we and you and our children, too! I'll take full
responsibility for his safety; it's my life on the line for his. If I don't
bring him back safe and sound, I'm the guilty one; I'll take all the blame.
If we had gone ahead in the first place instead of procrastinating like
this, we could have been there and back twice over."
11-14 Their father Israel gave in. "If it has to be, it has to be. But do
this: stuff your packs with the finest products from the land you can find
and take them to the man as gifts-some balm and honey, some spices and
perfumes, some pistachios and almonds. And take plenty of money-pay back
double what was returned to your sacks; that might have been a mistake. Take
your brother and get going. Go back to the man. And may The Strong God give
you grace in that man's eyes so that he'll send back your other brother
along with Benjamin. For me, nothing's left; I've lost everything."
15-16 The men took the gifts, double the money, and Benjamin. They lost no
time in getting to Egypt and meeting Joseph. When Joseph saw that they had
Benjamin with them, he told his house steward, "Take these men into the
house and make them at home. Butcher an animal and prepare a meal; these men
are going to eat with me at noon."
17-18 The steward did what Joseph had said and took them inside. But they
became anxious when they were brought into Joseph's home, thinking, "It's
the money; he thinks we ran off with the money on our first trip down here.
And now he's got us where he wants us-he's going to turn us into slaves and
confiscate our donkeys."
19-22 So they went up to Joseph's house steward and talked to him in the
doorway. They said, "Listen, master. We came down here one other time to buy
food. On our way home, the first night out we opened our bags and found our
money at the mouth of the bag-the exact amount we'd paid. We've brought it
all back and have plenty more to buy more food with. We have no idea who put
the money in our bags."
23 The steward said, "Everything's in order. Don't worry. Your God and the
God of your father must have given you a bonus. I was paid in full." And
with that, he presented Simeon to them.
24-25 He then took them inside Joseph's house and made them comfortable-gave
them water to wash their feet and saw to the feeding of their donkeys. The
brothers spread out their gifts as they waited for Joseph to show up at
noon-they had been told that they were to have dinner with him.
26 When Joseph got home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought
and bowed respectfully before him.
27 Joseph welcomed them and said, "And your old father whom you mentioned to
me, how is he? Is he still alive?"
28 They said, "Yes-your servant our father is quite well, very much alive."
And they again bowed respectfully before him.
29 Then Joseph picked out his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son. He
asked, "And is this your youngest brother that you told me about?" Then he
said, "God be gracious to you, my son."
30-31 Deeply moved on seeing his brother and about to burst into tears,
Joseph hurried out into another room and had a good cry. Then he washed his
face, got a grip on himself, and said, "Let's eat."
32-34 Joseph was served at his private table, the brothers off by themselves
and the Egyptians off by themselves (Egyptians won't eat at the same table
with Hebrews; it's repulsive to them). The brothers were seated facing
Joseph, arranged in order of their age, from the oldest to the youngest.
They looked at one another wide-eyed, wondering what would happen next. When
the brothers' plates were served from Joseph's table, Benjamin's plate came
piled high, far more so than his brothers. And so the brothers feasted with
Joseph, drinking freely.
44 1-2 Joseph ordered his house steward: "Fill the men's bags with food-all
they can carry-and replace each one's money at the top of the bag. Then put
my chalice, my silver chalice, in the top of the bag of the youngest, along
with the money for his food." He did as Joseph ordered.
3-5 At break of day the men were sent off with their donkeys. They were
barely out of the city when Joseph said to his house steward, "Run after
them. When you catch up with them, say, 'Why did you pay me back evil for
good? This is the chalice my master drinks from; he also uses it for
divination. This is outrageous!'"
6 He caught up with them and repeated all this word for word.
7-9 They said, "What is my master talking about? We would never do anything
like that! Why, the money we found in our bags earlier, we brought back all
the way from Canaan-do you think we'd turn right around and steal it back
from your master? If that chalice is found on any of us, he'll die; and the
rest of us will be your master's slaves."
10 The steward said, "Very well then, but we won't go that far. Whoever is
found with the chalice will be my slave; the rest of you can go free."
11-12 They outdid each other in putting their bags on the ground and opening
them up for inspection. The steward searched their bags, going from oldest
to youngest. The chalice showed up in Benjamin's bag.
13 They ripped their clothes in despair, loaded up their donkeys, and went
back to the city.
14 Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers got back. They threw
themselves down on the ground in front of him.
15 Joseph accused them: "How can you have done this? You have to know that a
man in my position would have discovered this."
16 Judah as spokesman for the brothers said, "What can we say, master? What
is there to say? How can we prove our innocence? God is behind this,
exposing how bad we are. We stand guilty before you and ready to be your
slaves-we're all in this together, the rest of us as guilty as the one with
the chalice."
17 "I'd never do that to you," said Joseph. "Only the one involved with the
chalice will be my slave. The rest of you are free to go back to your
father."
18-20 Judah came forward. He said, "Please, master; can I say just one thing
to you? Don't get angry. Don't think I'm presumptuous-you're the same as
Pharaoh as far as I'm concerned. You, master, asked us, 'Do you have a
father and a brother?' And we answered honestly, 'We have a father who is
old and a younger brother who was born to him in his old age. His brother is
dead and he is the only son left from that mother. And his father loves him
more than anything.'
21-22 "Then you told us, 'Bring him down here so I can see him.' We told
you, master, that it was impossible: 'The boy can't leave his father; if he
leaves, his father will die.'
23 "And then you said, 'If your youngest brother doesn't come with you, you
won't be allowed to see me.'
24-26 "When we returned to our father, we told him everything you said to
us. So when our father said, 'Go back and buy some more food,' we told him
flatly, 'We can't. The only way we can go back is if our youngest brother is
with us. We aren't allowed to even see the man if our youngest brother
doesn't come with us.'
27-29 "Your servant, my father, told us, 'You know very well that my wife
gave me two sons. One turned up missing. I concluded that he'd been ripped
to pieces. I've never seen him since. If you now go and take this one and
something bad happens to him, you'll put my old gray, grieving head in the
grave for sure.'
30-32 "And now, can't you see that if I show up before your servant, my
father, without the boy, this son with whom his life is so bound up, the
moment he realizes the boy is gone, he'll die on the spot. He'll die of
grief and we, your servants who are standing here before you, will have
killed him. And that's not all. I got my father to release the boy to show
him to you by promising, 'If I don't bring him back, I'll stand condemned
before you, Father, all my life.'
33-34 "So let me stay here as your slave, not this boy. Let the boy go back
with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me?
Oh, don't make me go back and watch my father die in grief!"
45 1-2 Joseph couldn't hold himself in any longer, keeping up a front before
all his attendants. He cried out, "Leave! Clear out-everyone leave!" So
there was no one with Joseph when he identified himself to his brothers. But
his sobbing was so violent that the Egyptians couldn't help but hear him.
The news was soon reported to Pharaoh's palace.
3 Joseph spoke to his brothers: "I am Joseph. Is my father really still
alive?" But his brothers couldn't say a word. They were speechless-they
couldn't believe what they were hearing and seeing.
4-8 "Come closer to me," Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. "I
am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But don't feel badly, don't
blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead
of you to save lives. There has been a famine in the land now for two years;
the famine will continue for five more years-neither plowing nor harvesting.
God sent me on ahead to pave the way and make sure there was a remnant in
the land, to save your lives in an amazing act of deliverance. So you see,
it wasn't you who sent me here but God. He set me in place as a father to
Pharaoh, put me in charge of his personal affairs, and made me ruler of all
Egypt.
9-11 "Hurry back to my father. Tell him, 'Your son Joseph says: I'm master
of all of Egypt. Come as fast as you can and join me here. I'll give you a
place to live in Goshen where you'll be close to me-you, your children, your
grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and anything else you can think of.
I'll take care of you there completely. There are still five more years of
famine ahead; I'll make sure all your needs are taken care of, you and
everyone connected with you-you won't want for a thing.'
12-13 "Look at me. You can see for yourselves, and my brother Benjamin can
see for himself, that it's me, my own mouth, telling you all this. Tell my
father all about the high position I hold in Egypt, tell him everything
you've seen here, but don't take all day-hurry up and get my father down
here."
14-15 Then Joseph threw himself on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and
Benjamin wept on his neck. He then kissed all his brothers and wept over
them. Only then were his brothers able to talk with him.
16 The story was reported in Pharaoh's palace: "Joseph's brothers have
come." It was good news to Pharaoh and all who worked with him.
17-18 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'This is the plan: Load
up your pack animals; go to Canaan, get your father and your families and
bring them back here. I'll settle you on the best land in Egypt-you'll live
off the fat of the land.'
19-20 "Also tell them this: 'Here's what I want you to do: Take wagons from
Egypt to carry your little ones and your wives and load up your father and
come back. Don't worry about having to leave things behind; the best in all
of Egypt will be yours.'"
21-23 And they did just that, the sons of Israel. Joseph gave them the
wagons that Pharaoh had promised and food for the trip. He outfitted all the
brothers in brand-new clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of
silver and several suits of clothes. He sent his father these gifts: ten
donkeys loaded with Egypt's best products and another ten donkeys loaded
with grain and bread, provisions for his father's journey back.
24 Then he sent his brothers off. As they left he told them, "Take it easy
on the journey; try to get along with each other."
25-28 They left Egypt and went back to their father Jacob in Canaan. When
they told him, "Joseph is still alive-and he's the ruler over the whole land
of Egypt!" he went numb; he couldn't believe his ears. But the more they
talked, telling him everything that Joseph had told them and when he saw the
wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the blood started to flow
again-their father Jacob's spirit revived. Israel said, "I've heard
enough-my son Joseph is still alive. I've got to go and see him before I
die."
46 So Israel set out on the journey with everything he owned. He arrived at
Beersheba and worshiped, offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2 God spoke to Israel in a vision that night: "Jacob! Jacob!"
"Yes?" he said. "I'm listening."
3-4 God said, "I am the God of your father. Don't be afraid of going down to
Egypt. I'm going to make you a great nation there. I'll go with you down to
Egypt; I'll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with
you; with his own hand he'll close your eyes."
5-7 Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel's sons loaded their father and their
little ones and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
They arrived in Egypt with the livestock and the wealth they had accumulated
in Canaan. Jacob brought everyone in his family with him-sons and grandsons,
daughters and granddaughters. Everyone.
8 These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who went
to Egypt:
Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.
9 Reuben's sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 Simeon's sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a
Canaanite woman.
11 Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 Judah's sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had already
died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
13 Issachar's sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.
14 Zebulun's sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These are the sons that Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram. There was also
his daughter Dinah. Altogether, sons and daughters, they numbered
thirty-three.
16 Gad's sons: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 Asher's sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Also their sister Serah,
and Beriah's sons, Heber and Malkiel.
18 These are the children that Zilpah, the maid that Laban gave to his
daughter Leah, bore to Jacob-sixteen of them.
19-21 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph was
the father of two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, from his marriage to Asenath
daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. They were born to him in Egypt.
Benjamin's sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim,
Huppim, and Ard.
22 These are the children born to Jacob through Rachel-fourteen.
23 Dan's son: Hushim.
24 Naphtali's sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These are the children born to Jacob through Bilhah, the maid Laban had
given to his daughter Rachel-seven.
26-27 Summing up, all those who went down to Egypt with Jacob-his own
children, not counting his sons' wives-numbered sixty-six. Counting in the
two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family who ended up
in Egypt numbered seventy.
28-29 Jacob sent Judah on ahead to get directions to Goshen from Joseph.
When they got to Goshen, Joseph gave orders for his chariot and went to
Goshen to meet his father Israel. The moment Joseph saw him, he threw
himself on his neck and wept. He wept a long time.
30 Israel said to Joseph, "I'm ready to die. I've looked into your face-you
are indeed alive."
31-34 Joseph then spoke to his brothers and his father's family. "I'll go
and tell Pharaoh, 'My brothers and my father's family, all of whom lived in
Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they've always made their
living by raising livestock. And they've brought their flocks and herds with
them, along with everything else they own.' When Pharaoh calls you in and
asks what kind of work you do, tell him, 'Your servants have always kept
livestock for as long as we can remember-we and our parents also.' That way
he'll let you stay apart in the area of Goshen-for Egyptians look down on
anyone who is a shepherd."