Daily Devotional
How Does Coming to Jesus Lead to Going?
“And they told him, saying, ‘Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.’ And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.”
Genesis 45:26-27
November 12, 2023
Ponder This
In Genesis 45:24, Joseph told his brothers not to be troubled. He was not trying to minimize their sin. What he was doing was maximizing the grace of God. Calvary, from man’s viewpoint, was Earth’s greatest tragedy. From God’s viewpoint, it was Earth’s greatest triumph. “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). When Hell was doing its worst, God was doing His best when Jesus died upon that cross. Do you see the picture here?
Not only did Joseph convict his brothers and reveal himself to them, not only did he forgive them and restore them, but here, finally, he commissioned his brothers. Our faith is summed up in this; “Come to Me and go to all the world.” Joseph said to his brothers, “Come to me, come here. I will forgive you. I will restore you. Now I want you to go and I want you to tell the message.” They are going now as evangelists. His brothers, the ones who put him to death, have been forgiven and restored, and sent out.
This is the message: We once rejected Jesus. Now He has been raised on high. Now He’s been given a name above every name. Now the world is at His feet. He is the fairest of ten thousand. He has forgiven our sins. He wants us to be with Him and share His glory. And that’s the message that they preached. They preached Joseph risen, rich, and reigning.
- What message do you share about Jesus?
- What are some things that are discouraging from the world’s perspective but are triumphs from God’s perspective?
Practice This
Share the triumph of Jesus with someone today.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
