As we journey closer to God, along the way we find it easier to believe the truth God knows about us. Drawing closer to God implies we see the amazing things He has done for us and for other people. We see His glory, and it becomes easier to believe
God wants us to be in relationship with Him, and He wants that relationship to be as profound as possible. In contrast to the kind of relationship limited human beings can make, we should desire the kind of relationship the God who created the universe can make. We should look
God wants us to talk to Him, to cast our cares upon His throne, and to celebrate life with us as we walk through it. God created creation and then created us to experience His creation. We should have joy with Him in His creation. Joseph can’t take it
We illustrate imperfectly what only God can accomplish perfectly. When we show love, we show God’s love. When we demonstrate grace, we give people an appreciation for God’s grace. When we sacrifice ourselves, we teach people to value sacrificial living. It was originally Judah’s idea to sell
The only thing required from us is to receive His grace. We cannot earn His love. We can desire relationship with Him, but we cannot earn it. He gives us His grace freely. When the brothers return to Joseph, he’s still in his house. Of course he is! He
God wants all our relationships to be restored, not just our relationship with Him. Our sin comes from our incredible ability to focus on ourselves and overlook others. When we impose our will over the needs of others, we sin. This breaks relationship. It causes friction in life. Left untended,
God intimately cares about our needs, hopes, and dreams. He created the entire universe, yet He cares about me and you. He knows everything that ever happened in His creation, yet He wants to know your hopes and dreams. He wants you to feel seen and loved. Joseph comes home.
God’s people should always leave evidence to the character of God as we live our lives. Since we are human, we cannot accomplish this perfectly. Our goal, however, is to live our life so that when people look at us, they see God’s character shining through as clearly
God desires for us to learn His ways, but He wants to give us the space to come to Him in a way that makes sense to us. Human beings are funny that way. We are happy to learn. Our brain likes figuring things out. For us to learn the
Living under the promise of God’s plan is always better than living under the results of our own control. God created us. He knows what satisfies us better than we do. His ability to work in this world is far greater and more rewarding than our ability to control
It can be hard to come to terms with what God wants in our life, especially if it means letting go of something we hold dear. God’s plans are seldom obvious in the beginning. They may make sense in the end, but they can challenge our understanding in the
Joseph’s ability to find forgiveness through God’s help is what makes him ready to save his family now. God’s people should seek forgiveness for our sake in addition to the sake of the relationships around us. When we hold onto grudges and refuse to forgive, we are
Genesis
Like Joseph, we can only follow God’s plan when we remain focused on God. With our eyes on God, we see His ways clearly. When we take our eyes off the world and focus our attention upon other things, we become distracted and pursue the lust of our eyes
Genesis
Joseph overcame what life gave him because his focus was on God. In our day-to-day life, it is easy to focus on the moment and get burdened down by the events and emotions of our life. It is easy to miss God calling us out of the quagmire of our
Genesis
The world is far too interested in its own agenda and its own worldview to genuinely bow to God and accept Him as God. The world wants what it wants, it is not interested in wanting what God knows is best for it. The world thinks it knows what is
Genesis
God is the one who places us in situations to demonstrate His greatness. His power encompasses the universe. He controls everything from the weather to our dreams if He wants. He is the focus. Joseph comes before Pharoah and provides a proper interpretation of the dream. He stands up, gives
Genesis
I may not know where God is leading me, but I can still be confident He is leading me somewhere. I don’t have the mind of God. I cannot possibly know about things with which I don’t interact. I cannot see into the hearts of people and know
Genesis
God will move in glory, but God moves according to His timing. God is the one in control. He is the omniscient one. His glory is most visible when He sets His plans into motion. Our job is to align with God’s plan, not venture out on our own.
Genesis
God’s hand is at work; Joseph must be patient and wait for God’s timing to be true. God is certainly with Him. God is doing great things through Him. Joseph simply needs to focus on God and let God take the lead in his life. Joseph is approached
Genesis
It is easy to think we know better than God what is good for us in our life. Today I’m coming at Joseph pretty hard. I’m disclosing this upfront to acknowledge I’m being unfair. Overall, Joseph is an upright guy. God uses him in an incredible way
Genesis
When we are mature in our righteous behavior, the world gets a glimpse of God as He works through us. This is faith in action; it is the model Jesus showed us when He came. Jesus’ life was all about servant leadership. He demonstrated God’s power through His righteousness
Genesis
It is always easy for God to use us when our eyes are upon Him. This makes sense. People are easiest to teach when they are focused on the teacher and ready to listen. People are easiest to lead when they are focused on the directions and willing to follow.
Genesis
Even when we behave righteously, the world can still attempt to bring us down. No good deed goes unpunished. In our righteousness, people choose to believe what they want instead of believing the truth. If Jesus’ righteousness could not spare him from the world’s wrath, why should our righteous
Genesis
God can easily use people in whom the world recognizes trust. Someone people are more trustworthy than others. Some people are more trusting than others. Some people are devious enough that they will readily take advantage of people who are trustworthy. Even so, when it comes to building relationships and