June 27, 2019 CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL : TOPIC - BEWARE OF BITTERNESS
Click to read yesterday and previous days of CAC living water devotionals here
CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Thursday, June 27, 2019.
BEWARE OF BITTERNESS
Read Genesis 42:1-26
[1]Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?[2]And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.[3]And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
[4]But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.[5]And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.[6]And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.[7]And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.[8]And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.[9]And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.[10]And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.[11]We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.[12]And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.[13]And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.[14]And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:[15]Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.[16]Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.[17]And he put them all together into ward three days.[18]And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:[19]If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:[20]But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.[21]And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.[22]And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.[23]And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.[24]And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.[25]Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.[26]And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
MEMORISE
Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them (Genesis 42:25).*
EXPOSITION
Bitterness is a seed, if allowed to germinate, it can yield the fruits of vengeance, hatred, envy, jealously and even murder.
Joseph’s brothers travelled all the way to Egypt, in search for food to buy, as a result of the famine in Canaan. Unknown to them, Joseph whom they sold to Egyptian slavery several years back, was the contact man whose approval they needed to get what they wanted. Though they did not recognise him, he recognised them (Gen. 42:8). After all they did to him, humanly speaking, he was already in a position (as a prime minister) to take revenge and make them suffer for their past actions.
Instead of paying evil for evil, Joseph decided to pay good for evil. Apostle Paul admonishes us to bless those who persecute us (Rom. 12:14); repay no evil for evil (Rom. 12:17a) and also that as Christians, we should not take revenge on our own because *“vengeance is mine, I will repay,”* says the Lord (Rom. 12:9). Joseph refused to revenge, because he saw the providence of God in whatsoever has happened. He said, *am I in the position of God?* (Gen. 50:18-21).
Late Nelson Mandela said; “I realised at the point of my freedom that if I don’t leave behind my pains, agony and bitterness, I would still be in bondage in my mind even though I am physically free”. The life of Joseph is not only a story of “from grass to grace”, but also an exemplary life of practical Christianity. Refrain from taking revenge, stand still and know that He is God (Psa. 46:10a), the battle of vengeance is not ours, but the Lord’s. Therefore, as you go out today, resolve not to take vengeance, because it's of the Lord. Shalom!
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, I forgive all that have offended me in Jesus’ name.
2. I hand over all my battles to you, fight for me and avenge my case in Jesus’ name.
3. I uproot every seed of bitterness that is capable of poisoning my future and Christian testimony in Jesus’ name.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: 2 Chronicles 6:19 – 8:17; Acts 4:17 – 5:1.
Click to read yesterday and previous days of CAC living water devotionals here
CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Thursday, June 27, 2019.
BEWARE OF BITTERNESS
Read Genesis 42:1-26
[1]Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?[2]And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.[3]And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
[4]But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.[5]And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.[6]And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.[7]And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.[8]And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.[9]And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.[10]And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.[11]We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.[12]And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.[13]And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.[14]And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:[15]Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.[16]Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.[17]And he put them all together into ward three days.[18]And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:[19]If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:[20]But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.[21]And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.[22]And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.[23]And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.[24]And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.[25]Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.[26]And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
MEMORISE
Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them (Genesis 42:25).*
EXPOSITION
Bitterness is a seed, if allowed to germinate, it can yield the fruits of vengeance, hatred, envy, jealously and even murder.
Joseph’s brothers travelled all the way to Egypt, in search for food to buy, as a result of the famine in Canaan. Unknown to them, Joseph whom they sold to Egyptian slavery several years back, was the contact man whose approval they needed to get what they wanted. Though they did not recognise him, he recognised them (Gen. 42:8). After all they did to him, humanly speaking, he was already in a position (as a prime minister) to take revenge and make them suffer for their past actions.
Instead of paying evil for evil, Joseph decided to pay good for evil. Apostle Paul admonishes us to bless those who persecute us (Rom. 12:14); repay no evil for evil (Rom. 12:17a) and also that as Christians, we should not take revenge on our own because *“vengeance is mine, I will repay,”* says the Lord (Rom. 12:9). Joseph refused to revenge, because he saw the providence of God in whatsoever has happened. He said, *am I in the position of God?* (Gen. 50:18-21).
Late Nelson Mandela said; “I realised at the point of my freedom that if I don’t leave behind my pains, agony and bitterness, I would still be in bondage in my mind even though I am physically free”. The life of Joseph is not only a story of “from grass to grace”, but also an exemplary life of practical Christianity. Refrain from taking revenge, stand still and know that He is God (Psa. 46:10a), the battle of vengeance is not ours, but the Lord’s. Therefore, as you go out today, resolve not to take vengeance, because it's of the Lord. Shalom!
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, I forgive all that have offended me in Jesus’ name.
2. I hand over all my battles to you, fight for me and avenge my case in Jesus’ name.
3. I uproot every seed of bitterness that is capable of poisoning my future and Christian testimony in Jesus’ name.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: 2 Chronicles 6:19 – 8:17; Acts 4:17 – 5:1.
June 27, 2019 CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL : TOPIC - BEWARE OF BITTERNESS
Reviewed by Muyiwa Abodunrin (Muyilight)
on
June 27, 2019
Rating:
Reviewed by Muyiwa Abodunrin (Muyilight)
on
June 27, 2019
Rating:
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