Daily Devotional
Will You Leave a Monument of Faith?
“And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.’”
Exodus 13:19
November 19, 2023
Ponder This
Why did Joseph say, “Take my bones with you?” Why was that so important to him? I mean, after all, he was dead. Joseph wanted to be a part of what God was doing.
Have you ever seen the tombs in Egypt? They are incredible! There are so many valuables there that belonged to King Tut. If you go to the British Museum, you can see many different ancient mummies. It’s something to see, but I’m glad you can’t find one of Joseph in there. Joseph was not a materialist. He had all of this wealth. He could have built a colossal monument. But, instead of building a physical monument, he built a monument of faith.
So many people today are living for this world only. Joseph wanted to be a part of what God was doing. All of the success of Egypt meant nothing to him. He wanted to leave a monument of faith.
If you know the Lord, the unbreakable promises of God, and the unshakeable power of God, then you will experience that undeniable peace of God when it comes time to die. Every time they saw that coffin with Joseph’s bones, they were reminded of the brevity of life and the length of eternity. If they were living in prosperity, those bones reminded them that one of these days they had to leave it all. And if they were living in adversity, those bones reminded them that there was a better day coming.
- Who in your life has left a monument of faith?
- What would it look like for you to build a monument of faith in your life? What would change? What would stay the same?
Practice This
Acknowledge and thank a person who is building a monument of faith with his or her life.
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.’”
