Joseph's Dilemma

 

"The Anxiety of Saint Joseph" by James Tissot (1836-1902)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 1:18-25

TO CHEW ON: "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly." Matthew 1:19

Joseph has always intrigued me. I think of him as thoughtful and deep, the strong, silent type. Here he faced the dilemma of his life: his beautiful fiancee was pregnant.

My Bible's study notes explain about Jewish betrothals:

"In Jewish law, betrothal involved a formal binding contract before witnesses but the betrothal abstained from sexual relations and the woman remained at her father's house until the actual wedding ceremony. The betrothed referenced each other as husband and wife (vs. 19,20), and the contract could be terminated only by death or a formal divorce decree" - J. Lyle Story, New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 1290.

Did the culture allow private conversations between engaged young people? If it did, I can imagine Mary's explanation, probably tearful (how could you not be emotional when the love of your life, the man who had your future in his hands, was looking at you with utter shock, disbelief and...revulsion?) even though this was a holy, joyful thing that had happened to her.

What to do? Joseph was considering putting her away secretly—divorcing her—the solution described in Deuteronomy 24:1. But just in time, "while he thought about these things" an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to confirm Mary's claim that this baby was indeed what she had said and not the fruit of a sinful union. So Joseph married her and the rest of the story played out.

Have you noticed how God showing up here just in the nick of time, just as He often comes to us in our emergencies. It never feels soon enough for our likes, but neither is it too late for the situation. God could have alerted Joseph to what was about to happen before any of it transpired, saving him the stress, worry, and crisis. But He didn't. Why? I believe it was because God was developing Joseph's faith at the same time He was working out His plans for the earth in sending Jesus.

God's response to Joseph reminds me of some paragraphs I came across in J. I. Packer's Knowing God. Packer, speaking of another Joseph and his reaction to his brothers in Genesis 45:4-8 says:

"Once again we are confronted with the wisdom of God ordering the events of a human life for a double purpose: the man's own personal sanctification and the fulfilling of his appointed ministry and service in the life of the people of God....


These things are written for our learning: for the same wisdom which ordered the paths which God's saints trod in Bible times orders the Christian's life today. We should not therefore be too taken aback when unexpected and upsetting and discouraging things happen to us now. What do they mean? Why, simply that God in His wisdom means to make something of us which we have not attained yet, and is dealing with us accordingly....


But how are we to meet these baffling and trying situations if we cannot for the moment see God's purpose in them? First by taking them as from God, and asking ourselves what reactions to them, and in them, the gospel of God requires of us; second by seeking God's face specifically about them" J. I. Packer, Knowing God, pages 103-105, 1975 edition (emphasis mine).

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to go to You when life is puzzling and full of questions. Then help me to, in faith, obey what you reveal, as Joseph did. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Making plans

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Romans 15-16; Psalm 140

TO CHEW ON: "...and having a great desire these many years to come to you, whenever I journey to Spain I shall come to you." Romans 15:23,24


When Paul wrote Romans he had not yet met the Christians there. In his letter he introduces himself to them in anticipation of seeing them — and it sounds like he hopes it is soon.

Our reading today is full of his plans. He wants to go eventually to Spain and his visit of Rome will be on the way. Presently he is anticipating a trip to Jerusalem (from Corinth where scholars believe Romans was written). In the meantime, he asks them to help Phoebe a businesswomen from Cenchrea, and to give his greetings to fellow tentmakers Priscilla and Aquila.

It is a normal and good thing for us to make plans. They help us look toward to the future with expectation and optimism, and to tailor the present with realism. For example, our plan to buy a car next year will give us the discipline to live frugally this year so that we can save the needed money for our purchase. Right now we're making plans to visit Israel next year.

Did Paul eventually get to Rome? Yes he did, but hardly in the way he anticipated. For his trip to Jerusalem ended in arrest and imprisonment. And though God affirmed to Paul in a dream that he would someday realize his goal of visiting Rome (Acts 23:11) it wasn't for a while.

To prevent the Jews from lynching him, his Roman captors soon transferred him to Caesarea. There he was held in prison for two years and when it looked like Felix's successor was going to hand him over to the Jews again — which would mean certain death — Paul appealed to Caesar (Acts 23-25). This meant traveling to Rome.

However, even the last leg of his journey wasn't straightforward. On his voyage from Caesarea to Rome, his ship met with a deadly storm at sea that saw him and his shipmates washed up on the island of Malta for the winter. Only in spring could they continue toward their destination.

So Paul eventually got to Rome, only several years later as a prisoner. And though the Acts history ends with him still in Rome, tradition would support a later trip to Spain before he was martyred by Nero in 67 A.D.

Though it may be normal, and healthy to make plans (and in fact for the Christian these plans may be divinely inspired and initiated — as it seems Paul's desire to visit Rome was) let's not be surprised when God modifies them, adding all manner of twists, turns, and adventures. (For our trip, trip cancellation insurance is offered and we're taking it.)

Two Bible passages come to mind.

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps" - Proverbs 16:9, NLT.

"Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.”  How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that” - James 4:13-15, NLT

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your plan for my life. Help me to live in sync with your purposes, to catch Your vision, and to make plans according to Your promptings. Then help me to hang onto them loosely, allowing You to craft my circumstances in their fulfillment. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 140

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Prepare to be surprised

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 19-20; Psalm 90

TO CHEW ON: " ' But many who are first will be last, and the last first.' " Matthew 19:30


Again and again Jesus reminds His disciples that the kingdom of heaven is characterized by reversal. That's the word the Thompson Chain Bible uses to head a section that traces the kinds of reversals taught and illustrated in the Bible.

[Reverse: Adjective: having a contrary or opposite direction or character, order etc., turned backward. Noun: that which is directly opposite or contrary; a change to an opposite position, direction, state. Verb: to turn upside down, inside out, to turn in an opposite direction - Funk & Wagnall's Dictionary.]

- God reverses fortunes - Psalm 75:7; 107:41; "…Nothing shall remain the same…" Ezekiel 21:26.

- God hates pride. The proud person is a target for reversal - Psalm 147:6.

- God can remove the life props we make for ourselves - Isaiah 22:25. He can destroy the things we have accomplished and in which we trust: "The lofty city; He lays it low…" - Isaiah 26:5.

- God can bring down rulers - Isaiah 40:23; Luke 1:52. Nebuchadnezzar is an example of this, when he goes from being a proud king to a mentally deranged "beast" - Daniel 4:28-33.

- God sees the poor, neglected by the rich and reverses their state - Luke 6:25; 16:25.

- On the other hand, He also rewards good stewardship with more, that is, gives more to the person who already has while taking away from the one who has little - Matthew 25:29.

- Our expectations will be challenged. Over and over we hear Jesus say: " 'The last shall be first, the first last' " - Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30.


Some thoughts we can take from this into our day:

1. God hates pride. When we give ourselves credit for what we have and get puffed over what we've done, we set ourselves up for reversal.

2. The material things in which we put our confidence aren't as trustworthy as we think.

3. The world's rulers, those we love or hate, follow or resist, admire or fear, are targets for God's reversal. Let's remember that as we pray for our nation and the world.
 
4. We are responsible to be good stewards of what we have, whether it's much or little.

5. Knowing all the above, we'll probably still be surprised when, someday, we stand before God and see things as they really are.



PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to live in the upside down, back-to-front paradigm of the kingdom of heaven while I'm here on earth. Amen.


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 90

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

We're not the masters of our fate

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 18-20; Psalm 75

TO CHEW ON: “And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 20:29

“For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
But God is the Judge:
He puts down one,
And exalts another. Psalm 75:6,7

William Ernest Henley ends his poem Invictus with the assertion:

I am the master of my fate,
      I am the captain of my soul.

He echoes the sentiment we humans cling to. From life’s beginning (via artificial means of conception) to middle (change our gender if we so desire) to end (lengthen life with medical science or legally end our own lives at the time we choose), we like to think we’re in control.

We kid ourselves, of course. Psalm 75 gives us a more realistic picture. There we see that God is behind it all, determining the times of everyone, from individuals to rulers of nations (Psalm 75:6-8).

Our reading  in 2 Chronicles today describes two events that illustrate that.

Before Ahab and Jehoshaphat went to war, prophet Micaiah predicted that Ahab would be killed in battle. Determined to prove him wrong, Ahab disguised himself as a common soldier. Though the enemy pursued the kingly figure of Jehoshaphat, he managed to survive. Meanwhile Ahab was hit by a “random” arrow that happened to get him in one of the few vulnerable places on his well-armoured person (2 Chronicles 18).

In the second event King Jehoshaphat, threatened by the Ammonites and Moabites, took his problem to God: "We have no power against this great multitude...nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You" - 2 Chronicles 20:12.

God's solution came via the words of the prophet Jahaziel, who said, "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" - 2 Chronicles 20:17.

The next day the army entered battle in a very unconventional way, behind the singers and worshipers. Even as the praise began "...the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir ... and they were defeated" - 2 Chronicles 20:22.
As people of faith, I think we put too little stock in God's ability to manipulate the course of our own lives and of history. We need to spend less time criticizing and scheming how to make things happen and more time acknowledging "We have no power, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You," and then praise Him for the victory He is accomplishing.


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your sovereignty over individuals, rulers, and nations.  Help me entrust my future to you, and to keep praying for the leaders of my country and the countries of the world, knowing that You are in control. Amen.
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 75

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

The prayer that changed a nation's story

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 1-3; Psalm 48

TO CHEW ON: "And so it was, when I heard these words that I sat down and wept and mourned for many days' I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven." - Nehemiah 1:4


The word economy of the Bible quickly gets us to the crux of the matter in this story that takes place at the end of the Old Testament time. The described state of his fellow Hebrews in Jerusalem distresses Nehemiah (who is a servant of Persian King Artaxerxes) immensely. So he does what we should all do when we're distressed—goes to the One who can help.

Nehemiah 1:5-11 is Nehemiah's heartfelt prayer. Let's look closely at it to see what we can learn about prayer from it.

1. Nehemiah begins by addressing God: "Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God..." His beginning puts him in his place and vaults God to His. By saying these faith-building words (Nehemiah 1:5) Nehemiah also reminds himself of God's power and ability to answer.

2. Nehemiah includes himself with the people (Nehemiah 1:6-7).  Though he is many miles away and probably hasn't participated personally in the sins he confesses, he stands in solidarity with his countrymen. His identification with them also shows his understanding of how God works in and through nations.

3. He prays God's words back to Him. Nehemiah 1:8-9 are a paraphrase a Moses' words in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, recalling words of warning and blessing to Israel from centuries earlier (see Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 4:25-27, 29-30; 28:63-67; 30:4).

4. He names his request. He reminds God of the investment He has already made in Israel (Nehemiah 1:10) and pleads for mercy, for himself (from his boss, the King of Persia; 'would God move the heart of a king to give him favor?') and in that, also for all of Israel (Nehemiah 1:11).

The rest of the book of Nehemiah tells the story of how King Artaxerxes releases Nehemiah from his duties, finances and equips his trip to Jerusalem, and then how Nehemiah leads the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall and eventually a spiritual revival.

What large and small things are troubling us today? Let's pray about them. Let's pray remembering how big and capable God is in contrast to our own neediness, frailty, and unworthiness. Let's pray God's words—His promises—back to Him, naming our requests with all the passion and emotion they bring up in his.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for prayer. Help me to realize that a burden about a situation or person is also an invitation to pray about it. Help me to pray from my heart,  with faith in You and Your power. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 48

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The help of enemies

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ezra 4-7; Psalm 46

TO CHEW ON: "And they kept the feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel." Ezra 6:22


"When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him," says Proverbs 16:7.

Our reading today is an example of this. Through a decree of Darius king of Babylon, a search was made that turned up another decree issued by Cyrus years earlier. He had commanded that the Jerusalem temple be rebuilt. The cost of this rebuild was to be charged to his royal treasury and the gold and silver accessories (utensils and dishes) were to be restored and returned to the Jerusalem temple (Ezra 6:2-5).

In fact, an additional decree by Darius went on to command that certain provincial leaders "keep away" or "keep yourselves far from there" (Ezra 6:6) and refrain from hindering the project. Instead of causing problems they were to help by supplying tribute money and animals for the sacrifice. The penalty for altering Darius's decree was — well, barbaric (see Ezra 6:12).

When we are serving God, and life (circumstances, and people) comes against us in all kinds of opposition, we can take comfort from this example of God's sovereignty over even the highest rulers. I love the verse: "The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
 he guides it wherever he pleases" - Proverbs 21:1 (NLT). There is no situation or person that God can't change or use to achieve His purposes.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your sovereignty over all mankind. Help me to be involved in Your purposes, living in sync with Your ways, and in a place where I can expect Your help. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 46

MORE: The rebuilding of the temple
Gustave Doré's engraving "The Rebuilding of the Temple" gives us an idea of what a big, labor-intensive job this construction project must have been.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Story of a proud tree

Tree hit by lightning (Photo - RGB stock)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ezekiel 31-33; Psalm 40

TO CHEW ON: "Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height, therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall shurely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness.' " Ezekiel 31:10,11

The fault of the great tree in Ezekiel's prophecy was not that it was so magnificent and towered over all the other trees in the forest—but that its "heart was lifted up in its height" - Ezekiel 31:10.

This chapter is a prophetic warning to Egypt. In it, Ezekiel recalls magnificent Assyria, the great tree in our reading. Ezekiel says that just as God allowed Assyria to be cut down by "…aliens the most terrible of nations" (thought to be Babylon), so Egypt is on notice:

 " 'To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth …. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,' says the Lord God" - Ezekiel 31:18.

I find this passage both a warning and a comfort.

It's a warning against pride—exalting oneself. And this is certainly not the only place in the Bible we are warned. We cautioned against pride by:

• The example of the angel Lucifer—the father of pride - Isaiah 14:13,14.

• The stories of those who were proud, like Pharaoh (Exodus 9:17); Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:16); Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:25), Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30) and Belshazzar (Daniel 5:23).

• The Bible's proverbs and wisdom - Proverbs 17:19; 25:6,7,27; 27:2.

• Jesus Himself - Matthew 23:12; Mark 9:33-36.

• Paul - Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 10:5,17.

• Peter - 1 Peter 5:3.

• James - James 3:16; 4:10.

• John - 3 John 1:9

It's also a comfort to know that God has the kings and kingdoms of earth under His control (Proverbs 21:1). Any dynasty or regime can be toppled at His bidding (Isaiah 40:23; Ezekiel 17:20; 29:4).

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to be wary of the sin of pride in my life and of how foolish any self-exaltation is in the face of Your sovereignty. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 40

The Bible Project VIDEO: Ezekiel - Part 2 (Read Scripture Series)



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God is never shocked

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ezekiel 9-12;  Psalm 33


TO CHEW ON: "The counsel of the Lord stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations ....

From the place of His dwelling He looks

On all the inhabitants of the earth;

He fashions their hearts individually;

He considers all their works." Psalm 33:11, 14,15

On April 28, 2012 three families traveling on the highway between Fort McMurray to Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) were all but wiped out in a head-on collision. In an instant nine (and a half) dwindled to two. Only the three year-old son of Pastor Shannon Wheaton's family and Mark Penny (whose pregnant wife was killed) survived the crash. The three family members in the other vehicle were also killed. (Read about the accident here.)

Why, we ask? To us the shattering of these families makes no sense. Predictable questions rise in our minds:
- Couldn't God have prevented the accident?
- Didn't evil triumph over good here?

In answer to that last question—yes. In one way every time someone dies evil triumphs over good. For death, from whatever cause, is part of the curse that came on earth because of mankind's first choice to defy God and do our own thing, i.e. sin.

But looked at another way, such happenings never shock God. He is aware of each event. He is more than aware. In a way, He planned them (or maybe better said, 'planned for them') in the first place:

"The counsel (that is the whole program for mankind in history) stands forever;/The plans of His heart to all generations" - Psalm 33:11.

Neither is He just a God of the big plan, but He knows each individual:

"...He looks / on all the inhabitants of the earth;/He fashions their hearts individually;/He considers all their works" - Psalm 33:14,15.

If God knows, plans and ok's each event in my life, your life, the Wheaton's and Penney's lives, from the wonderful to the tragic, and He is good, you and I need to keep trusting Him even in the circumstances that seem like they got away from Him for a minute. Because they didn't.

And so we find hope and comfort in the very God who permits tragedy to touch our lives. As Gerry Bridges explains it in Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts:

"All people—believers as well as unbelievers—experience anxiety, frustration, heartache, and disappointment. Some suffer intense physical pain and catastrophic tragedies. But that which should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an all-powerful, and all-loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God's eternal plan, and He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good" - Jerry Bridges, Trusting God Even When Life Hurts, p. 33.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to trust Your sovereignty and goodness in situations that feel all wrong. Amen.


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 33

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Stay the waiting course

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 61-64; Psalm 120

TO CHEW ON: "For since the beginning of the world

Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,

Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,

Who acts for the one who waits for Him." Isaiah 64:5

Do you like to be kept waiting? I don't! But God, whose wisdom trumps our likes and dislikes, may often keep us waiting.

[Wait means 1) To stay or remain in expectation as of an anticipated action or event. 2) To be or remain in readiness. 3) To remain temporarily neglected or undone.]

Isn't that third definition apt? For when we are kept waiting, neglected is just how we feel.

The Bible is full of people who God kept waiting.

• Abraham and Sarah waited for an heir. When they got impatient and tried to achieve this their own way (through Abraham having Ishmael by Sarah's maid Hagar) they brought trouble into their lives.

• Samuel told King Saul to wait for him to offer a sacrifice before he (Saul) went to war. When members of his army started slipping away, Saul grew impatient and offered the sacrifice himself. Samuel arrived at the end of the ceremony and told Saul that because of his disobedience, the kingship would be taken from his family (1 Samuel 13:1-15).

• The disciples, on the other hand, waited in Jerusalem as Jesus had told them to, until the Holy Spirit descended. Then, indwelt with God's power, they "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6).

Are you waiting for something today? Take heart from today's verse and words like David's in Psalm 37 as you stay the waiting course:

"Commit your way to the Lord

Trust also in Him

And He shall bring it to pass...

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him

Do not fret..." (Psalm 37:5-7).

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to commit my way to You and wait for You to "bring it to pass" and "act" for me. Amen


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 120

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Clay backtalk

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 45-48; Psalm 119:33-64

TO CHEW ON: "Woe to him who strives with his Maker!

Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!

Shall the clay say to him who forms it

'What are you making?'

Or shall your handiwork say, 'He has no hands'?" Isaiah 45:9

Included in today's amazing prophecy about Cyrus (the Persian king whom Isaiah predicted would free Israel from captivity 100 years before it happened) is a warning. It begins "Woe to him..." signalling that all who find themselves described in the words should pay attention. It answers the person who would take exception to God's method of using a heathen king to accomplish His work.

The warning pictures a lump of clay complaining to the potter about the way it is being shaped. I like how the NLT translates it:

"What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.
Does a clay pot argue with its Maker?
Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it,
saying 'Stop, you're doing it wrong!'
Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be'?"

Do we ever do this--find ourselves discontented with the way we were created physically, mentally, emotionally? Do we wish we were taller or more athletic? Smarter and more creative?  More expressive, or less?

Accepting how God has made us is an aspect of belief or unbelief. Practicing contentment with our lot in life, including our physical appearance and the strengths and weaknesses with which we were born is part of the fabric of our confidence in God.

I love how the idea that God knew what He was doing when he intentionally created each one of us is echoed in Ephesians 2:10. Here it is in the Amplified:

"For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]."

How amazing to be His handiwork. [The NLT translates it "masterpiece." The Greek word for "handiwork" is poiema - get it—poem.] What an adventure to discover and then do those "good works which God prepared beforehand" and find those works a perfect fit for us because we were made just for them.


PRAYER: Dear God, I so readily question and talk back to you about the way I am and my apparent weaknesses and lacks. Help me to have the uttermost confidence in Your wisdom when forming me. Help me to find and do those "works" that are my destiny. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 119:33-65

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked Amplified are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Finishing well

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 48-50

TO CHEW ON: "'But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.'" Genesis 50:20

Joseph's brothers' reaction to him after their father's death reminds me of Jesus' wisdom when He said, "'For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you'" - Matthew 7:2 (NIV). The fact that these brothers feared Joseph would look for retribution after their father died speaks more about the condition of their own hearts and minds than Joseph's. They were obviously not accustomed to dealing with someone as guileless as he was.

Joseph for his part, though grieved, stuck with the conviction that he had expressed when he first revealed his identity to them (compare Genesis 45:7-8 and Genesis 50:20). He never did take revenge on those brothers. Unlike so many Bible characters, Joseph not only started and middled well, but he also ended well.

A sidebar article in my Bible sums up Joseph's life and suggests applications we can make for ours:

"The life of Joseph powerfully displays God's sovereign ability to bring to pass His destiny for an obedient individual. In his youth, Joseph received a vision of God's plan for his life. Shortly thereafter, it appeared that not only had the vision died, but that his life would be wasted away in slavery and prison. Nevertheless, Joseph remained faithful to God. That which had been meant for evil, God used to prepare and position His servant to realize the fulfillment of His vision for Joseph's life.

• Ponder God's vision (Genesis 37:5-11). Do not share it prematurely but ask for His timing.

• Expect God's favour in the sight of others (Genesis 39:4,21). God is able to make a way even when it seems impossible.

• Remain faithful to God in all you do (Genesis 39:9). Do not compromise, especially when the vision is slow in coming.

• Believe that God is sufficient (Genesis 41:14-57). He has given you the gifts you need to realize His purpose through you.

• Trust in God's sovereign providence (Genesis 45:7; 50:20). He causes all thing to work for your good as you remain faithful to His calling and purpose for you."

by  Leslyn Musch, "Truth-In-Action through Genesis," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 74 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the story of Joseph. Help me to trust Your sovereignty in my life in a similar way. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 16
 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Through what lens do you view life?

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers

Joseph meets Benjamin (Artist unknown)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 43-45

TO CHEW ON: "'And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now, it was not you who sent me here, but God...'" Genesis 45:7-8

Relationships within families have the potential to dredge up deep emotion. We get an insight into Joseph's at least three times in the story of how he is reunited with his family as we watch him weep.

The first time was just after his brothers came to Egypt seeking food. He recognized them but they didn't recognize him (Genesis 42:8). The first time he met them he spoke roughly to them, imprisoned them for three days and, before sending them on their way, demanded they return with their younger brother. Then he overheard this conversation amongst them (spoken in their native tongue—not the language of the Egyptians - Genesis 42:23):

"Then they said to one another, 'We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.'

And Reuben answered them, saying, 'Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.'” - Genesis 42:21-22.

He realized they hadn't forgotten about him. In fact their treatment of him haunted them and they were feeling guilty. His reaction: "And he turned himself away from them and wept."

Again in today's reading, just before he told his brothers who he was, he "...wept aloud and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it" (Genesis 45:2). He wept again when he met his full brother Benjamin (Genesis 45:14).

But I don't believe these were primarily tears of hurt and pain. For in the years between when his brothers sold him and this time of reuniting, he had worked through the bitterness, self pity, blame etc. Because now instead of scolding his brothers, he put the responsibility of what had happened to him on God: "'So now it was not you who sent me here, but God'" Genesis 45:8.

Oh to have a similarly God-centered view of life that cancels out blaming others and instead interprets all circumstances through the lens of God's sovereignty as Joseph does: "And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance" - Genesis 45:7.

As a commentary on this verse in my Bible expresses it:

"Trust in God's sovereign providence. He causes all things to work for your good as you remain faithful to His calling and purpose for you" - R. Russell Bixler,  notes on Genesis, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 74.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your sovereign working in my life. Please help me to view the circumstances of my life (even the difficult, bitter ones) through the glasses of Your providential love. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 14

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Labor negotiations

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 20:1-16

TO CHEW ON: " ' Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' " Matthew 20:15

Jesus, master storyteller that He was, created the problem in His parable by structuring it the way He did. The all-day workers would probably not have argued about their pay if they'd been paid first. But, alas, they were paid last after they saw the latecomers get the same amount they had agreed to work for. And so they expected more.

The takeaway from this story comes in the last two verses, where the landowner addresses his discontented servants. He makes several points.

- His money is his to do with as he likes. If we take the landowner to be God, we can see this is an affirmation of His sovereignty. He is sovereign over Earth and what happens on it.

- His generosity (goodness) with his late-coming workers brings out the envy/outrage (evil) in his all-day servants: " ' Is your eye evil because I am good?' "

- The "laws" of the kingdom of heaven (those principles by which it operates) are different than the kingdom of this world: " ' So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.' "

Several points rise out of this for our own self-examination:

• God's sovereignty is great when we understand it. But like these discontented servants, it's easy to question what He's doing when we don't. We grapple with things as small as perceived unfairnesses to the old question: "Why do bad things happen to good people?" This brings us to our own interchanges with God like Job's:

GOD: " 'Would you indeed annul My judgment? 
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?' " - Job 40:8.
JOB: “ 'I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know' " - Job 42:2-3 (emphasis added).

• God's goodness underlies everything He does. When we get that stained deep into the grain of our belief, we'll find fewer occasions to gripe. The fact that we can even expect a reward at all is grace. "The parable affirms that God is absolutely sovereign and gracious in granting rewards. Those who serve Him can trust His grace" - J. Lyle Story, commentary on Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1327.

• The kingdom of heaven never ceases to surprise. Let's continue to explore its "laws of gravity" and live according to them, even as we continue to walk this earth.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your sovereignty and goodness.  Help me to learn and apply these principles of Your kingdom as I continue to live and work on Earth.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

We are God's puzzle pieces

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Romans 9:19-33

TO CHEW ON: “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ “ Romans 9:20

Sometimes these Bible Society readings gain weight by juxtaposition. Today’s reading, about God’s sovereignty, coming after yesterday’s story of Joseph’s brothers selling him to Ishmaelite traders who happened along at the perfect moment, is one such.

I can imagine Joseph, at the time, wondering what he had done to deserve such a fate. It wasn’t his fault that he’d been born to Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife. He couldn’t stop the puzzling dreams that came to him at night. And who could resist retelling them in the hope that someone could explain what they meant? He was just trying to be a good son when he went in search of his brothers, and now this?!

Years later, he had insight into where it was all going, and why and who:

“But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ...  And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; ...” - Genesis 45:5-7 (emphasis added).

The same may be true for us someday—or not. In fact, we may never in this life understand the whys and wherefores of the twists and turns our lives have taken or been kept from taking. Someday, though, in eternity if not here on earth, I believe like Joseph we will understand how the bits and pieces of our lives fit into the picture of the “riches of His glory” - Romans 9:23

"For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God]" - 1 Corinthians 13:12 AMP (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear Father, please help me to trust You with life circumstances I don’t understand, and that You will make my life an enhancement of Your glory. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Prospering against all odds

Jacob laying the peeled rods before Laban's flock - Bartolomé Esteban Murillo - 1617-1682

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 30:22-43

TO CHEW ON: "Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys." Genesis 30:43

The trickery between Laban and Jacob continued. When Jacob wanted to leave, Laban pressured him to stay, not for Jacob's benefit but for his own. He recognized that God's blessing on Jacob was seeping into his life as well.

Yet he seemed forever suspicious that what Jacob was actually doing was stealing from him. So Jacob suggested a foolproof way to determine his wages. His pay would be the less desirable sheep and goats of the flock—the speckled and spotted sheep and goats, and the brown lambs.

Laban agreed to this, after which he immediately removed all such animals from his current flocks, giving them to his sons. Then he separated his flocks (tended by Jacob) and the flocks of his sons by a three-day-journey distance.

Our reading describes Jacob's way of provoking "flawed" animals. My Bible's commentary says about Jacob's system of peeled rods:

"Jacob was not practicing superstition, he was exercising faith which he somehow associated with the rods. God, having designed the laws of genetics, intervened and honored Jacob's faith" R. Russell Bixler, commentary on Genesis, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 46.

Whether Jacob was at heart superstitious or faith-filled, only he and God know. But it worked—not, I would submit, because of anything Jacob did but because God wanted it so and had planned it so. Jacob's survival and prospering was one of the pieces needed to complete the picture of our redemption through Jesus. Mr.Bixler again:

"God's blessings are always able to exceed man's defrauding" - Ibid.

How encouraging this story can be to us. Even when events, circumstances, and people are arrayed against us, nothing can or will stop God's purposes as He determines (with our cooperation of course) to enact them through us.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to look to You and not circumstances, people or my own wits for success in the assignments You give me. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The last laugh

Lucifer cast out of heaven
by Gustave Doré

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 2:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision." Psalm 2:4

Here God appears contemptuous, laughing at the nations who unite to throw off His constraints. What other times in the Bible does God laugh in such a way? What actions and attitudes evoke His contempt? 

The worship of idols:  

•  Moses tells the Israelites that God will spurn them if/ when they forsake Him to follow other gods - Deuteronomy 32:19.

Plots against the righteous:

• God laughs at the wicked person who plots against the righteous one - Psalm 37:13.

• In another place he psalm-writer Asaph, writing as someone puzzled by the sufferings of the righteous at the hands of ungodly people, depicts God as waking up to defend the righteous - Psalm 73:20.

God-defiant nations:

• David asks God to vindicate Himself before all the God-scorning nations - Psalm 59:8. 

• Isaiah tells of Hezekiah receiving a threatening letter from the Assyrian king Sennarcherib. He spreads that letter before God and prays for help. Shortly after, Isaiah gets a message from God for Hezekiah concerning Sennacherib and addressing him that says, in part: "The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you, laughed you to scorn. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind your back" - Isaiah 37:22.

Pride:

• Wisdom laughs at the calamity of the ones who disdain her counsel - Proverbs 1:26.

• God scorns the scornful but gives grace to the humble - Proverbs 3:34.

If there is any thread that weaves through all these instances it is how our unrealistic human arrogance evokes God's scorn, derision, contempt and laughter.

Sadly, the attitude that challenges God and His power is more rampant today than ever. Let's be aware of it and careful not to get infected, for God will always have the last laugh.

PRAYER: Dear God, I want to live in the reality that acknowledges You and Your sovereignty over people and over me. When, in the face of circumstances, others challenge You—Your existence and Your power— help me to remember that the story hasn't ended yet. Amen.

MORE: Handel's Messiah Alert

Handel dipped into Psalm 2 often when writing the Messiah.

The recitative "Unto which of the angels said He at any time (Psalm 2:7) prefaces the chorus "Let all the angels."


"Let us break their bonds asunder" (Psalm 2:3)


"He that dwelleth in heaven" (Psalm 2:4) and "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron" (Psalm 2:9)  end with the Hallelujah Chorus.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Journey focus

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Habakkuk 2:5-20

TO CHEW ON: "But the Lord is in His holy temple,
Let all the earth keep silence before Him." Habakkuk 2:20

"The book of Habakkuk gives the account of a spiritual journey, telling of one man's pilgrimage from doubt to worship" - Sam Middlebrook, Introduction to Habakkuk, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1222.

Habakkuk sees his situation realistically. Not only have his countrymen fallen away from God, but the Babylonians are a constant threat. My Bible's commentary suggests that Habakkuk 2:6, 9, 12, 15, and 19 are a series of woes Habakkuk, pronounces on the Babylonian invaders.

Whether they were directed at foreign invaders or his countrymen, they show that the land of Judah had loads of problems:

• People were taking what wasn't rightfully theirs and keeping the needy in subjection with high interest rates ("loads himself with many pledges" - Habakkuk 2:6).

• People were running roughshod over others to enhance their own security - Habakkuk 2:9.

• People were establishing towns through force and violence - Habakkuk 2:12.

• People were influencing their neighbours to get drunk so they could take advantage of them - Habakkuk 2:15.

• People were worshiping wood and stone images and looking to them for insight and direction (Habakkuk 2:19).

That's enough to make anyone glum. But Habakkuk doesn't give in to despair. Instead, he reminds himself of his hope in the God of power and action he worships:

"For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord …" (Habakkuk 2:14).

"But the Lord is in His holy temple
Let all the earth keep silence before Him"  (Habakkuk 2:20) (emphases added).

We too can easily become discouraged as we look at society around us and the seemingly hopeless tangle of world affairs. At such times of potential discouragement on our journey, let's follow Habakkuk's example and shift our focus from our problems to our God. And as we lift our eyes let's give voice to that shift by offering faith-filled praise. God is in His holy temple. Someday the earth will be filled with the knowledge of His glory!

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your faithfulness in the past that gives me confidence that I can trust You for now and the future. On my journey through life, help me to keep my focus on You. Amen.

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Reversal

Image: Pixabay

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 16:19-31

TO CHEW ON: " 'But Abraham said, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented." ' " Luke 16:25

The story Jesus tells of the rich man and Lazarus speaks to a range of topics, like treatment of the poor, the after-life state, and human skepticism. It also illustrates another Bible theme: Reversal.

My Thompson Chain Bible has a list of verses that show reversal—defined as "Changes in position because of God's intervention."

• From as far back as Old Testament prayers and psalms, Bible writers express the belief that God has the ability to generally turn things around: "He puts down one, / And exalts another" - Psalm 75:7.

• God can reverse the fortunes of rulers. This is illustrated in the story of Nebuchadnezzar where, shortly after Nebuchadnezzar congratulates himself on his position and power, he is afflicted (by God's hand) with mental illness - Daniel 4:28-33 (see also Psalm 107:41; Isaiah 40:23; Ezekiel 21:26).

• God can also reverse the fortunes of cities - Isaiah 26:5.

• Jesus spoke often of the reversal characteristic of the Kingdom of God:  " 'But many who are first will be last, and the last first' " Matthew 19:30.  (See also Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30).

• Referring to kingdom in specifics, Jesus skewed our idea of fairness in the story of the workmen, where the one-hour-workers got paid as much as the all-day-workers - Matthew 20:16.

• Another kingdom reversal comes in the area of stewardship, where Jesus said: " 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away' " Matthew 25:29.

• And in our passage we see the after-life reversal of the one who was poor, sick and despised during his life on earth - Luke 16:25.

Does this mean we should impoverish ourselves and make our lives difficult in order to have a better heavenly destiny? Hardly. The writer of my Bible's notes offers these thoughts:

"Wealth does not automatically condemn one to hell, nor does poverty in this life guarantee eternal joy. One's destiny depends upon one's relationship to God, which is often reflected in the attitude toward material possessions" - J. Lyle Story, Study notes on Luke, New Spirit-Filled Bible, p. 1422.

• Practically, this story and our look at reversal remind us to distrust what we see. 
• We are challenged to understand there is more to the circumstances and conditions of people than what we see (and refrain from judging). 
• And we can ask ourselves are there ideas, beliefs, and convictions within us that will someday cause us to awaken to a surprising reversal? 

PRAYER: Dear Father, I know You see past my surface into my soul and spirit. Help me to see myself as You see me. And when I pray for the world, help me to keep in mind how capable You are of reversing things. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How do you handle "evil tidings"?

"The Messengers tell Job of his Misfortunes"
by William Blake - 1805-6

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 112:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord." Psalm 112:7

 Ann Voskamp's heart seized up in fear the morning her son mangled his hand in a farm accident. Though she knew, in her head, that God was in control, the death of her baby sister when Ann herself was only four had coloured her heart-perception of God and His sometimes inscrutable ways.

 Jerry Bridges has written an entire book that grapples with this issue. In the introduction to Trusting God Even When It Hurts, he says:

"God's plan and His ways of working out His plan are frequently beyond our ability to fathom and understand. We must learn to trust when we don't understand. In order to trust God we must know Him in an intimate personal way. David said in Psalm 9:10, 'Those who know Your name will trust in You for You Lord have never forsaken those who seek you.' To know God's name is to know Him in an intimate personal way. It is more than just knowing facts about God. It is coming into a deep personal relationship with Him as a result of seeking Him in the midst of our personal pain and discovering Him to be trustworthy" - Jerry Bridges, Trusting God Even When It Hurts, Kindle location 142.

Seeking God in the midst of pain can take various forms. Ann Voskamp came to know and trust Him by practicing gratitude. For over a year she kept a list of God's good gifts to her and wrote about it in the book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Life Fully Right Where You Are).

Another way might be to study what the Bible says about God's sovereignty and love. That's how Jerry Bridges came to write his book.

If we don't have the inclination to do that, we can always benefit from the insights of others. Bridges' book, or others, like J. I. Packer's Knowing God are excellent ways of familiarizing ourselves with God as He is portrayed in the Bible.

Still another way is to memorize, meditate on, and pray scripture passages that assure us of God's sovereignty and love.

Whatever way you and I choose, let's spend time getting to know God today, so that it can be said of us: "He/She will not be afraid of evil tidings."

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to know You so well, to trust You so completely that "evil tidings' will not rock my faith in You. Amen.

MORE: The urgency of sorting out your theology

Rebecca Stark writes:

"In what I believe was God’s providential preparation, in the years right before my husband’s cancer diagnosis, we came to a much fuller understanding of some things about God: that he is working his plan in every bit of the universe all the time; that he has righteous reasons for everything he does, even though we might not—and probably won’t—understand them; and that suffering and death, when they occur, are God’s chosen means to accomplish good things"

She goes on to make the case for sorting out one's view of God (one's theology) before trouble ever strikes by giving examples of how tragedy rocked the faith of some who didn't do that. She concludes:

"If you’ve already come to love a God who you understand to be purposefully working in all things—even the terribly tragic ones—for his good purposes, then you keep on loving and trusting him when real tragedy strikes you. And more than that: You cling to him as the only sort of God who could be a rock for you in difficult times. That you weren’t spared suffering doesn’t throw you for a loop, because you expected that somewhere, sometime, you would have your share of it as God conforms you to the likeness of his son.


You still suffer, of course, but you suffer knowing that there is meaning in your suffering, something that cannot be there if God is simply creation’s uninterested or unknowing overseer. You still suffer, but you suffer with God as a firm comfort and a source of steadfast hope, for you know that your tragedy, in his hands, is working good things."

Read the whole article (and follow the links).

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God kept him awake

"The chronicles are read to King Ahasuerus" - James Tissot

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Esther 6:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king." Esther 6:1

Insomnia probably feels to you and me more like an annoyance than an evidence of God's sovereignty. Yet here God used the king's insomnia to put in motion a train of events that showed the Jewish people He was very much in charge. It started with Haman required to lead Mordecai, mounted on the king's horse) around the streets of Susa shouting, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!"

For superstitious Haman and his wife Zaresh, the meaning of Mordecai's honor at Haman's hands was also clear. Zaresh: "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him but fall before him" - Esther 6:13.

The Bible assures us of God's sovereignty in all of human affairs in other places.
Job speaks of it in his repentance prayer:

"I know that You can do everything
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You" - Job 42:2.

David buoys up his faith with this fact when he's running from Saul:

"I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me" - Psalm 57:2.

Do you believe that God still works for His children in such mundane ways as waking people or keeping them awake? I do. For example, I'm sure you've heard stories of people waking suddenly with the sense that someone they know is in trouble or need,  spending the night hours praying for him or her, and discovering later that their wake-up call came at precisely the time the person they prayed for needed their prayers.

Let's acknowledge God's sovereignty in all the events of life—even bouts of insomnia, the need to turn back and get something we've forgotten, the wrong turn we make in the road, the rainy day that was supposed to be sunny...

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this example of You working through King Ahasuerus's sleeplessness. Help me to see the details of my life through eyes of faith, knowing that You put everything together with divine precision and foreknowledge. Amen.

MORE: Got Any Rivers?

An old camp chorus popped into my head as I was thinking about God's abilities  this morning. Did you sing it when you were a kid?

"Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible
And does the things that others cannot do."

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.