The Daily Dose

The test of the heart

 “So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!” – Genesis 44:33-34

Genesis 44 is a powerful moment in Joseph’s story. Joseph tested his brothers by having his silver cup hidden in Benjamin’s sack. He expected them to abandon Benjamin just as they had left him years earlier when they sold him into slavery. But this time, Judah stepped forward with a changed heart. He offered himself in Benjamin’s place, showing sacrificial love and proving that God had changed their evil intentions through years of hardship and waiting.

There have been many times when my own heart has been tested in the middle of difficult situations. On one occasion, I was passed over for a promotion that was given to someone who seemed less qualified but was also a close friend of mine. It would have been easy to distance myself to protect my pride. I also felt justified in being hurt and could have held on to bitterness and resentment. But I knew that God had placed that friendship in my life for a purpose, and He showed me how to support that friend with grace and encouragement instead of hanging on to bitterness. That choice tested me, but it also revealed that God was growing me in love and maturity. What felt like a painful rejection became an opportunity for transformation and growth.

Everything in life is a test, not to harm us, but to reveal what is in our hearts and to deepen our dependence and trust in our heavenly Father. Sometimes the testing comes through relationships, sometimes through work, and other times through times of waiting. These tests can feel overwhelming, but they also lead us into deeper growth, stronger character, and unexpected breakthroughs. Just as Judah revealed a new heart through his willingness to sacrifice, God desires to transform the heart to look more like His.

Here are some ways you can pass the next test that comes into your life:

1. Ask God to reveal areas in your life where He may be testing your heart and trust Him in those moments.
2. When faced with difficult choices, consider what decision would demonstrate sacrificial love and honor God.
3. Remember past tests and how God brought growth and blessing through them, use that as encouragement in current challenges.
4. Pray for the courage to do what is right even when it costs you something.
5. Choose grace and integrity over fear and self-protection.

It can feel overwhelming and even impossible at the moment, but when you prepare ahead of time to recognize tests and ask the Holy Spirit for help, He will empower you to grow through every trial you face. You can begin today by identifying one current situation that feels like a test in your life. Write it down and pray, “Lord, help me respond in a way that honors You.” Then look for one small step you can take this week that demonstrates trust in God and love toward those involved.

Today I want to encourage you to see your test not as a punishment but as an opportunity for God to reveal His work in your heart. Just like Judah, you may discover that the very situation you thought would break you is the one that shows how much God has grown you. Tests are not the end, they are doorways to new beginnings and deeper faith. God is with you, and He is shaping something beautiful in your heart through the challenges you face. Keep in mind that if you don’t pass the first time, know that God, in His mercy, will allow the test to come again so you can keep growing and strengthening you to step into the next level of faith He has for you.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 44

 1 When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: “Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into his sack. 

2 Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.

3 The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys. 

4 But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, “Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil? 

5 Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!’”

6 When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.

7 “What are you talking about?” the brothers responded. “We are your servants and would never do such a thing! 

8 Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 

9 If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.”

10 “That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.”

11 They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. 

12 The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! 

13 When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.

14 Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. 

15 “What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”

16 Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.”

17 “No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.”

18 Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.

19 “My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 

20 And we responded, ‘Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him very much.’

21 “And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.’ 

22 But we said to you, ‘My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.’ 

23 But you told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’

24 “So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said. 

25 Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’ 

26 we replied, ‘We can’t go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We’ll never get to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27 “Then my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife had two sons, 

28 and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since. 

29 Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.’

30 “And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life. 

31 If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave. 

32 My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’

33 “So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 

34 For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”

Journal:

• What situation in your life right now feels like a test?
• How can you respond with faith, grace, or sacrificial love instead of fear or self-protection?

A table of grace

_{The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.” ~ Genesis 43:18}

Today’s chapter in Genesis continues with Joseph’s brothers in a fearful place. They had already carried the guilt of their past decisions to sell Joseph and now, when invited into Joseph’s house, their minds immediately jumped to suspicion and fear. They thought it was a trap. They expected judgment. But instead of punishment, they were welcomed to a feast. They sat at Joseph’s table, unaware that the one they had betrayed years before was showing them grace and preparing the way for reconciliation.

One of my favorite things to do is to show grace to others, especially when they are undeserving. Oh, it isn’t always easy, but it is such a blessing when you get past your hurt and step into the love of God to share with those who have hurt you. I could give you many examples of “setting a table of grace,” but one particular instance produced great results in a time when we were facing a roadblock when buying our home.

The short story is that we were sharing our driveway entrance with two neighbors and needed them to sign off on a contract that they would be willing to keep things the way they were as the property changed ownership. Of course, one neighbor agreed immediately, but the other not so much. It was weeks of getting nowhere and the sale process came to a screeching halt. One morning when I got up, the situation was so heavy on my heart that I lifted it up to my Father yet once again. He gave me an idea to make something for that neighbor and then take it to them to talk about the situation.

That felt weird and uncomfortable. Not to mention, we were frustrated with them for making things so difficult, but I did it anyway. When I got to their house, the wife answered the door and I gave her the gift and told her that I didn’t want any hard feelings to build and that I hoped we could become good neighbors and friends one day. By that afternoon, my husband got a call from them saying they would sign off on the clearance so that we could proceed with buying the house.

What a miracle that was, and how showing grace in the situation made all the difference. Many times, we anticipate the worst when we step into unfamiliar or difficult situations. We rehearse in our minds all the ways it could go wrong. Yet God is often preparing something far greater, a feast of grace in the very place we expected fear or judgment. What Joseph’s brothers thought was the end of their freedom turned out to be the beginning of restoration. That is when they received the miracle of getting their brother back, something they didn’t even realize was possible.

Maybe you are in a situation today that feels blocked or even scary. You might be carrying fear, guilt, or doubt about what is ahead, and your mind is running through all the worst possibilities. Just like Joseph’s brothers, you may expect a trap when God is actually preparing a table. He is already at work behind the scenes creating a place of grace, reconciliation, and breakthrough. What feels like an ending may actually be the very thing that ushers in your miracle.

Here is what you can do the next time you face an impossible situation:

• Pray and ask God to show you where you may be anticipating the worst instead of trusting His goodness.
• Make a list of situations or people where fear has tried to take over your thoughts. Commit those areas to God in prayer.
• Ask the Lord for one specific way you can “set a table of grace” for someone who has been difficult in your life.
• Choose a verse on grace and forgiveness to speak over your heart and over that person each day.
• Remember a past situation where God surprised you with His goodness and write it down as a reminder when new challenges come.
• Be willing to take a simple step of kindness, even if it feels uncomfortable, and trust God with the results.

Today I want to encourage you that your fear or worry about what could go wrong may only be a doorway into God’s unexpected blessing. Joseph’s brothers walked into what they thought was a trap, but it turned out to be a table of grace. You can walk into your situation today with confidence, knowing that God may already be preparing a place of restoration and provision for you. He is not out to punish you, He is for you. You may just find that what you thought was the end is actually the beginning of God’s miracle.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 43

1 But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan. 

2 When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

3 But Judah said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ 

4 If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food. 

5 But if you don’t let Benjamin go, we won’t go either. Remember, the man said, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

6 “Why were you so cruel to me?” Jacob moaned. “Why did you tell him you had another brother?”

7 “The man kept asking us questions about our family,” they replied. “He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”

8 Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and our little ones. 

9 I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever. 

10 If we hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.”

11 So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts—balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 

12 Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake. 

13 Then take your brother, and go back to the man. 

14 May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it.”

15 So the men packed Jacob’s gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast.” 

17 So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace.

18 The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”

19 The brothers approached the manager of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace. 

20 “Sir,” they said, “we came to Egypt once before to buy food. 

21 But as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. Then we discovered that each man’s money—the exact amount paid—was in the top of his sack! Here it is; we have brought it back with us. 

22 We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money in our sacks.”

23 “Relax. Don’t be afraid,” the household manager told them. “Your God, the God of your father, must have put this treasure into your sacks. I know I received your payment.” Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them.

24 The manager then led the men into Joseph’s palace. He gave them water to wash their feet and provided food for their donkeys. 

25 They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

26 When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low to the ground before him. 

27 After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”

28 “Yes,” they replied. “Our father, your servant, is alive and well.” And they bowed low again.

29 Then Joseph looked at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Joseph asked. “May God be gracious to you, my son.” 

30 Then Joseph hurried from the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his private room, where he broke down and wept. 

31 After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, “Bring out the food!”

32 The waiters served Joseph at his own table, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians who ate with Joseph sat at their own table, because Egyptians despise Hebrews and refuse to eat with them. 

33 Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest. 

34 And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

Journal:

• What situations in my life do I immediately anticipate the worst outcome instead of trusting God?
• Who can show unexpected grace or kindness to this week?
• What “tables of grace” has God already invited me to in my past, and how did it change me?

When God uses hard times for healing

And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.” ~ Genesis 42:9

Genesis 42 brings us into a powerful moment in Joseph’s story. After years of separation, pain, and betrayal, Joseph finally came face to face with his brothers. They were the ones who sold him into slavery all those years ago, yet here they were standing in front of him in desperate need. What once looked like the end of Joseph’s dreams was actually the beginning of God’s plan to fulfill them.

I can think of a time in my own life when I carried deep hurt from someone close to me. Their lies and betrayal were devastating, and for a long time I could not understand why God allowed it. I prayed for answers, but none came quickly. Years later, I looked back and saw how God had been working all those things together for a good outcome for me and my family. That painful experience gave me the strength, compassion, and wisdom to help someone else walk through their own valley of pain. What I once thought had only broken me had actually prepared me. God had been weaving His purpose and my growth through the pain and the choices I made all those years ago.

You may be facing circumstances that feel unfair, confusing, or heavy in your life right now. Maybe you are dealing with betrayal, loss, or disappointment. Let Joseph’s life be a reminder that God does not waste anything. Even the painful chapters of your story are part of how He brings His promises to fulfillment. Joseph could have held on to bitterness, but instead he chose to trust that God’s hand was at work even in the middle of what others meant for evil.

Here are things you can do when the circumstances around you do not make sense:

• Choose forgiveness as an act of obedience, even when you do not feel it yet.
• Ask God to show you how He may be using this situation to prepare or strengthen you.
• Keep praying for those who have wronged you and release them into God’s hands.
• Look for opportunities to serve others out of your own story of pain and healing.
• Stay anchored in God’s promises, knowing His purpose will prevail.

Today I want to encourage you that your hardest chapters are not wasted in God’s hands. What others meant to harm you, He will use to position you, grow you, and heal you. Joseph’s reunion with his brothers was not just about food in a famine, it was about God’s bigger plan of redemption for His people. The same is true for you. Your pain may one day become the very platform God uses to bring healing and hope to others.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 42

1 When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? 

2 I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise, we’ll die.”

3 So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. 

4 But Jacob wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, for fear some harm might come to him. 

5 So Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well.

6 Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. 

7 Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded.

“From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food.”

8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him. 

9 And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”

10 “No, my lord!” they exclaimed. “Your servants have simply come to buy food. 

11 We are all brothers and members of the same family. We are honest men, sir! We are not spies!”

12 “Yes, you are!” Joseph insisted. “You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”

13 “Sir,” they said, “there are actually twelve of us. We, your servants, are all brothers, sons of a man living in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is back there with our father right now, and one of our brothers is no longer with us.”

14 But Joseph insisted, “As I said, you are spies! 

15 This is how I will test your story. I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you will never leave Egypt unless your youngest brother comes here! 

16 One of you must go and get your brother. I’ll keep the rest of you here in prison. Then we’ll find out whether or not your story is true. By the life of Pharaoh, if it turns out that you don’t have a younger brother, then I’ll know you are spies.”

17 So Joseph put them all in prison for three days. 

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “I am a God-fearing man. If you do as I say, you will live. 

19 If you really are honest men, choose one of your brothers to remain in prison. The rest of you may go home with grain for your starving families. 

20 But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. This will prove that you are telling the truth, and you will not die.” To this they agreed.

21 Speaking among themselves, they said, “Clearly, we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.”

22 “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?” Reuben asked. “But you wouldn’t listen. And now we have to answer for his blood!”

23 Of course, they didn’t know that Joseph understood them, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter. 

24 Now he turned away from them and began to weep. When he regained his composure, he spoke to them again. Then he chose Simeon from among them and had him tied up right before their eyes.

25 Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, but he also gave secret instructions to return each brother’s payment at the top of his sack. He also gave them supplies for their journey home. 

26 So the brothers loaded their donkeys with the grain and headed for home.

27 But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get grain for his donkey, he found his money in the top of his sack. 

28 “Look!” he exclaimed to his brothers. “My money has been returned; it’s here in my sack!” Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, “What has God done to us?”

29 When the brothers came to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them. 

30 “The man who is governor of the land spoke very harshly to us,” they told him. “He accused us of being spies scouting the land. 

31 But we said, ‘We are honest men, not spies. 

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One brother is no longer with us, and the youngest is at home with our father in the land of Canaan.’

33 “Then the man who is governor of the land told us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your starving families and go on home. 

34 But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know you are honest men and not spies. Then I will give you back your brother, and you may trade freely in the land.’”

35 As they emptied out their sacks, there in each man’s sack was the bag of money he had paid for the grain! The brothers and their father were terrified when they saw the bags of money. 

36 Jacob exclaimed, “You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!”

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. I’ll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back.”

38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.

Journal:

• Write about an area of hurt or disappointment in your life.
• How can you begin to see God’s hand at work in that situation, even if you do not fully understand it yet?

God’s timing for promotion

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.”  ~ Gnesis 41:41

Joseph had spent two long years in prison, overlooked and forgotten by men, but not by God. In a single day, he went from the prison to the palace. He did not force his way forward, but when the moment came, God opened the door and placed him at the Pharoh’s side as second in command in Egypt.

Many times in my life, God opened the doors for promotion.  The funny thing about it is that I don’t ever remember chasing after it.  I was just consistent and faithful to work hard and do a good job in whatever position I held.  Oh, I wasn’t perfect by any means, but God’s favor was evident on my efforts which resulted in advancement. It was never because of my striving or because someone remembered me, it was because God’s hand opened the right doors at the right times. I realize now that at exactly the right time, when I was ready those moments came. God had been preparing me all along the way, even when I couldn’t see it happening.

You may be waiting for your own breakthrough right now. Maybe you are looking for a promotion at work, a healing in your body, a restoration in your family, or an answer to prayer that seems overdue. The waiting can feel long and heavy, but the life of Joseph can be a reminder and an encouragement that when God’s timing arrives, things can change in a single moment. What looks impossible today can be turned around tomorrow. Just as Joseph’s gift made room for him, God has placed gifts inside of you that He will use at the appointed time.

Here are some ways you can get started with this today:

• Stay faithful where you are today, even when it feels small or unnoticed.
• Continue to use your God-given gifts to serve others with a willing heart.
• Pray specifically for God’s timing and for wisdom to recognize His open doors.
• Guard against discouragement by speaking God’s promises over your life every day.
• Choose gratitude in your waiting season, thanking God for what He has already done.

Today I want to encourage you that God’s timing is always perfect. When the right moment comes, nothing and no one can stop the promotion He has for you. Joseph’s years of waiting were not wasted, they were preparation for the very position that God would place him in. The same is true for you. Your waiting season is shaping you, strengthening you, and preparing you for what God has ahead. Do not give up, your palace moment is closer than you think.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 41

1 Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 

2 In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. 

3 Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank. 

4 Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.

5 But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. 

6 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. 

7 And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.

8 The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.

9 Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh. 

10 “Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard. 

11 One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning. 

12 There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant. 

13 And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole.”

14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. 

15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”

16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

17 So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. “In my dream,” he said, “I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, 

18 and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. 

19 But then I saw seven sick-looking cows, scrawny and thin, come up after them. I’ve never seen such sorry-looking animals in all the land of Egypt. 

20 These thin, scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows. 

21 But afterward you wouldn’t have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up.

22 “In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. 

23 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind. 

24 And the shriveled heads swallowed the seven healthy heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but no one could tell me what they mean.”

25 Joseph responded, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. 

26 The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. 

27 The seven thin, scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represent seven years of famine.

28 “This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. 

29 The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. 

30 But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. 

31 This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased. 

32 As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.

33 “Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. 

34 Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. 

35 Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. 

36 That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.”

37 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. 

38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” 

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 

40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” 

42 Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. 

43 Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. 

44 And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.”

45 Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt. 

46 He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt.

47 As predicted, for seven years the land produced bumper crops. 

48 During those years, Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the cities. 

49 He piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore. Finally, he stopped keeping records because there was too much to measure.

50 During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. 

51 Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father’s family.” 

52 Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.”

53 At last the seven years of bumper crops throughout the land of Egypt came to an end. 

54 Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food. 

55 Eventually, however, the famine spread throughout the land of Egypt as well. And when the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told them, “Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you.” 

56 So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the storehouses and distributed grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 

57 And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.

Journal:

• Write about the areas of your life where you are waiting for God’s timing.
• How can you remain faithful today while trusting Him to open the right doors tomorrow?

When you feel forgotten

_{Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought. ~ Genesis 40:23}

Waiting can be one of the hardest things we do in life. Joseph had been faithful, obedient, and honorable even in difficult circumstances, yet when he gave the interpretation of the butler’s dream, and asked to be remembered, he was forgotten for two long years. It must have felt like a crushing disappointment for Joseph, who was already unjustly sold into slavery and then imprisoned.

I often remind myself about Joseph’s life when I feel overlooked or forgotten. There have been many times that I was looking for a breakthrough or directions for my next step while serving faithfully in a ministry. Pouring my whole heart into it, even seeing others receive promotion, blessing and honor while I remained waiting and wondering when I will have my big “Joseph” moment. Sure, these were painful pockets in my life, but when I remember what God did in Joseph’s life, I know He is still moving me forward in mine.  He is always preparing me and working with me to get me ready for something greater than I can see right now.

You may be walking through a season where it feels like no one sees the effort you are putting in. Maybe you are believing for a breakthrough in your family, finances, or health, but things are not moving as quickly as you had hoped. Like Joseph, it can feel discouraging when the people you counted on to help you do not come through. But what we cannot forget is that God never abandons us. His timing is always perfect, and His plan is never delayed.

Here are some things you can do the next time your are in the waiting:

• Pray daily for strength and patience in your waiting season.
• Write down the promises of God you are standing on and read them out loud when discouragement tries to set in.
• Choose to serve and bless others while you wait, just as Joseph continued to use his gift to interpret dreams even in prison.
• Guard your heart against bitterness when people fail you, and trust that God’s faithfulness is greater than human forgetfulness.
• Keep a journal of answered prayers so you can remember how God has been faithful in the past and trust Him for the future.

Today I want to encourage you that even if people forget you, God never does. He sees every act of faithfulness, every tear you cry, and every prayer you whisper. Joseph’s waiting was not wasted, and neither is yours. The very moment that seemed forgotten was setting the stage for the fulfillment of his destiny. Hold on to the truth that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 40

1 Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker offended their royal master. 

2 Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, 

3 and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. 

4 They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them.

5 While they were in prison, Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning. 

6 When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset. 

7 “Why do you look so worried today?” he asked them.

8 And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.”

“Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.”

9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream first. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a grapevine in front of me. 

10 The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes. 

11 I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”

12 “This is what the dream means,” Joseph said. “The three branches represent three days. 

13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cupbearer. 

14 And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place. 

15 For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I’m here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it.”

16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head. 

17 The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head.”

18 “This is what the dream means,” Joseph told him. “The three baskets also represent three days. 

19 Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh.”

20 Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials. 

21 He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup. 

22 But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream. 

23 Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.

Journal:

• Write about a time when you felt forgotten but later saw how God was faithful.
• How does remembering His past faithfulness give you hope for what you are waiting on today?

At the “midnight hour”

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ~ Acts 16:25

Have you ever been at a low point in life and felt like there was no hope for things to get better? Maybe you have been in a situation where you needed a breakthrough, and you were down to the last few minutes waiting for it to come, but it didn’t look like anything was going to change. Life can be full of “midnight hours,” times when you are down to the line and need God to come through for you, thinking things could not possibly get worse. How do you handle those times?

In today’s reading, Paul and Silas were having one of those “midnight hour” moments, quite literally. They had been accused of stirring up trouble in Philippi and because of that they were put in prison. Not only were they locked up, but they had been badly beaten as part of their punishment. As they sat in prison together, they didn’t talk about how they were going to get out of that place. They didn’t complain about how badly they were beaten and what part of their body hurt most. They never even mentioned devising a plan for what they were going to do next. Instead, they prayed and sang songs to God, praising and worshiping Him. Then when it didn’t look like things could get any worse, there was an earthquake.

I have read this account many times, but never really considered that an earthquake was not usually a good thing. Earthquakes are often destructive and dangerous. Sometimes people even die in earthquakes, and they are very frightening to experience. However, this earthquake had a purpose, as they always do when God is involved. But Paul and Silas did not know it was going to happen, and they certainly didn’t know what the results were going to be. When it looked like all hope was gone at their midnight hour, they praised God and sang to Him. He responded with an earth-shaking release from their chains and the freedom of all those who were imprisoned. Their breakthrough came when they turned their focus to heaven and the greatness of their heavenly Father. They shifted their attention from the bad circumstances surrounding them and gave glory to God right in the middle of the place of no hope.

This is a great example that we can follow still today. When we are up against a wall with no hope of escape or help, we can praise God for His faithfulness and His great love for His family. We can thank Him for being a part of His kingdom and pray about how we can be a blessing to Him and to others in our “midnight hour.” Midnight hours will come at times in life, but we can have a plan ahead of time to be prepared. Ask the Holy Spirit today to remind you when those times come to pray and sing songs to God. Then when you are up against it, you can rejoice in the Lord and in the power of His might. I’m not saying you will experience an earthquake each time you do, but I guarantee you He will answer when you call on Him. He will send you the strength and encouragement you need to carry you into that new day.

Here are some things you can do the next time you are facing a “midnight hour:”

• Choose a worship song today and make it your anthem for when you face your own midnight hour.
• Write down three things you are grateful for, especially in a hard season, and thank God for them out loud.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of God’s promises when fear and hopelessness try to creep in.
• Keep a verse about God’s faithfulness close by, such as Psalm 46:1 or Isaiah 41:10, and pray God’s promises daily.
• Instead of rehearsing your troubles, speak life and praise God for the victory He is working on even when you do not see it.

Today I want to encourage you to remember that no matter what you are going through, you can praise God in your hours of hopelessness and trouble. Praise is a weapon that will chase your enemy far from you. Praising God brings Him close in both good times and bad. Doesn’t it make sense that when you need Him most, you call on Him knowing He will come rushing in to save you? He gave His only Son to save you, why would He hold anything else back from you now?

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 16:25-34

25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 

26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 

27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 

28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 

30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 

32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 

33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 

34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

 Journal:

• What has been a recent “midnight hour” in your life, and how did you handle it?
• How can you intentionally make praise your first response when challenges come?
• What specific promises from God’s Word can you hold onto in your next midnight hour?

Get rid of it

_{And this she did for many days.  But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.  ~  Acts 16:18}

We all have “voices” we hear in our thoughts each day.  Not is an unstable kind of way, but voices of doubt, fear, hurt or unbelieve.  If we listen carefully, we can also hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking wisdom and truth within our hearts. Beyond that, there are the external voices of media, friends, and the people closest to us. The way we hear these “voices” is filtered by our past experiences. Some people listen through a filter of hurt or offense. Others filter everything through shutdown and numbness, refusing to let anything reach the heart. Ideally, though, every voice we hear, internal or external, should pass through the filter of God’s Word. Scripture is to be the standard that we make decisions with, not the ever-changing words of this world around us.

In today’s passage, Paul and his companions encountered a young girl possessed by an evil spirit. She followed them for many days, loudly proclaiming the truth about who they were and their mission. Though her words were not wrong, Paul knew the source was not from God. He grew weary of the constant noise and finally commanded the spirit to leave her in the name of Jesus. Instantly, the voice was silenced. Paul showed great wisdom in this moment, but why did he let this go on for so long before finally confronting it.

How often do we let voices linger in our minds or around us, assuming we have no control over them? Whether it is the replay of a past mistake, a negative comment, or the influence of media, we do not have to live under the torture of those past “voices”. The power of Jesus’ name gives us authority to silence them. When doubt, fear, or lies speak loudly, we can command them to leave and replace them with God’s promises. Every time the thought tries to return, we can lift up praise and thanksgiving, knowing that those words no longer has power over us.

Here are some ways you can apply this truth to your life:

• Identify the voices in your life that cause fear, doubt, or discouragement. Write them down so they no longer stay hidden.
• Speak God’s Word over those lies by finding a scripture promise that counters what you are hearing. Say it out loud with authority in the name of Jesus.
• Remove yourself from situations, media, or conversations that continually stir up those undesired and haunting voices.
• When old thoughts try to return, immediately replace them with praise and thanksgiving to God for the freedom you have in your salvation in the Lord Jesus.
• Make it a daily practice to let the voice of the Holy Spirit be the loudest voice in your life by spending time in prayer and scripture reading.

Today I want to encourage you to take authority over the voices that have been plaguing you, whether internal or external. Just as Paul silenced the spirit that followed him, you too can command every lie, doubt, or fear to leave in the name of Jesus. When you do, you will discover peace, strength, freedom and the power of God at work in your life. God’s Word will rise above every voice of this world, and His truth will steady your heart. Get rid of it, and step into the victory Christ has already given you.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 16:16-24

16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 

17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 

18 And this she did for many days.

But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 

19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 

21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 

22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 

23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 

24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

 Journal:

• What negative voices or thoughts have been the loudest in my life recently?
• What scripture promise can I speak over them in the name of Jesus?
• What steps can I take to stop reopening the doors to old voices and instead choose God’s truth daily?

God’s presence in every season

The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. ~ Genesis 39:2

 When I read the story of Joseph in Genesis 39, I am reminded that success in God’s eyes is not about where we are but about who is with us. Joseph was a slave in Potiphar’s house, yet the Bible says he was successful because the Lord was with him. That tells me that true success is not tied to position or circumstance but to God’s presence in our lives.

In my own life, there were many times where circumstances did not look like success on the outside. Times when I felt overlooked, undervalued, or placed in situations that felt far from what I believed God had planned for me to be. But it was in those very moments that I experienced God’s presence the most. Looking back, I can see how His hand was on me, shaping me, strengthening me, and preparing me for what was ahead. Those were the times that His presence mattered much more than my position.

For you today, maybe you feel stuck in a place you did not plan to be. Maybe your circumstances do not look like what you prayed for, or maybe you are facing unfair treatment as Joseph did when he was falsely accused and put in prison. Remember this truth, the presence of God is not limited by your location, your title, or even the opinions of others. When the Lord is with you, He gives you favor, wisdom, and strength to rise above every challenge.

Here are some ways you can get started when your circumstances feel far from successful:

• Start your day by inviting God’s presence into every area of your life through prayer.
• Read Genesis 39 slowly and notice every time it says “the Lord was with Joseph,” then write down what that means for you personally.
• Choose to do your best in your current situation, no matter how small or unfair it feels, trusting that God sees and rewards faithfulness.
• Thank God for His favor and provision in your life even if you cannot yet see the outcome.
• Share with someone how God’s presence has carried you through a difficult time, and encourage them to trust Him in their unnoticed times.

Today I want to encourage you to see your circumstances through the lens of God’s presence. You may not be where you hoped to be, but if the Lord is with you, you are already successful in His eyes. Like Joseph, you may be in a season of waiting or trial, but God is shaping your character and preparing you for what He has promised. His presence is your success, His favor is your strength, and His hand will lead you into your future.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 39

1 When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. 

3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. 

4 This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. 

5 From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. 

6 So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!

Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 

7 and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded.

8 But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 

9 No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”

10 She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. 

11 One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. 

12 She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.

13 When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, 

14 she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. “Look!” she said. “My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed. 

15 When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.”

16 She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. 

17 Then she told him her story. “That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,” she said. 

18 “But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!”

19 Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. 

20 So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. 

21 But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. 

22 Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. 

23 The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.

 Journal:

• What area of my life right now feels unfair or difficult?
• How can I invite God’s presence into it to trust Him the way Joseph did?

God’s redemption in our mess

Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.”  ~ Genesis 38:26

Genesis 38 is not an easy chapter to read. It is the account of Judah and Tamar, a message full of brokenness, mistakes, and injustice. Yet right in the middle of what looks like a mess, God’s redemption plan is clearly seen. Out of this situation came the child Perez, who would become part of the lineage of King David and ultimately Jesus. God chose to bring His promise through a situation that most of us would consider too messy to redeem.

It is no secret that there were many times in my life when I made choices that left me in shame and guilt. There were even times when I thought my mistakes disqualified me from God’s plan. For years I carried the weight of regret and wondered if I had missed my opportunity. But now I understand that God’s grace is far greater than any of my failures. He does not erase His calling because of my weaknesses.  The best part about it all is that He weaves even the broken pieces of my life into His plan.

This chapter shows that no matter how complicated life gets, God can still bring His promise to pass. If you feel like your life is too messy or your past is too heavy, you can rest assured that God specializes in redemption. What looks disqualified to you is more than likely the very place where God wants to display His glory.

Here are some steps you can take if you are navigating a mess in your life:

1. Bring your past mistakes honestly before God in prayer and ask Him to redeem them for His purpose.
2. Release guilt by declaring God’s forgiveness over your life. His Word says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
3. Look for ways God has already turned situations around for your good. Seeing His hand in the past will strengthen your faith for today.
4. Begin to speak hope over areas that feel broken. Ask God to show you how He can use them to bless others.

Today I want to encourage you to believe that your story is not too messy for God. The same God who brought redemption out of Judah and Tamar’s situation is the God who will redeem your life as well. He does not waste anything, and His purpose for you is still intact.  He will take all the bits and broken pieces of your life and put them back together as a beautiful masterpiece.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 38

1 About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he stayed with a man named Hirah. 

2 There he saw a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her. When he slept with her, 

3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and he named the boy Er. 

4 Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan. 

5 And when she gave birth to a third son, she named him Shelah. At the time of Shelah’s birth, they were living at Kezib.

6 In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar. 

7 But Er was a wicked man in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord took his life. 

8 Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”

9 But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. 

10 But the Lord considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan’s life, too.

11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Go back to your parents’ home and remain a widow until my son Shelah is old enough to marry you.” (But Judah didn’t really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went back to live in her father’s home.

12 Some years later Judah’s wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep. 

13 Someone told Tamar, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

14 Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. 

15 Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face. 

16 So he stopped and propositioned her. “Let me have sex with you,” he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law.

“How much will you pay to have sex with me?” Tamar asked.

17 “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah promised.

“But what will you give me to guarantee that you will send the goat?” she asked.

18 “What kind of guarantee do you want?” he replied.

She answered, “Leave me your identification seal and its cord and the walking stick you are carrying.” So Judah gave them to her. Then he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant. 

19 Afterward she went back home, took off her veil, and put on her widow’s clothing as usual.

20 Later Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat to the woman and to pick up the things he had given her as his guarantee. But Hirah couldn’t find her. 

21 So he asked the men who lived there, “Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?”

“We’ve never had a shrine prostitute here,” they replied.

22 So Hirah returned to Judah and told him, “I couldn’t find her anywhere, and the men of the village claim they’ve never had a shrine prostitute there.”

23 “Then let her keep the things I gave her,” Judah said. “I sent the young goat as we agreed, but you couldn’t find her. We’d be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again to look for her.”

24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s pregnant.” “Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded.

25 But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?”

26 Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.” And Judah never slept with Tamar again.

27 When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it was discovered that she was carrying twins. 

28 While she was in labor, one of the babies reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the child’s wrist, announcing, “This one came out first.” 

29 But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed. “How did you break out first?” So he was named Perez. 

30 Then the baby with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.

Journal:

• Write about an area of your life where you feel disqualified or weighed down by mistakes.
• Then ask God to show you how He wants to bring redemption in that very place.

God’s hand in the pit

Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. ~ Genesis 37:24

 When I read this passage about Joseph, I am reminded that even when it looks like everything has fallen apart, God still has a plan. Joseph was thrown into a pit by his own brothers, betrayed and left with no way out. Yet, the very place of rejection became the starting point of God’s divine purpose for his life.

I can think back to times in my life when I felt like I was in a pit. Times when I was misunderstood, overlooked, or even betrayed by people I thought I could trust. It was painful, and at times I felt like God had forgotten me. But looking back now, I can see that those very moments shaped my faith and positioned me for where I am today. What felt like isolation was actually preparation.

This speaks to your life too. You may feel like you are stuck in a situation/pit you didn’t ask for, perhaps even put there by others’ choices or words. The pit is not the end, it is a place where God begins to set His plan into motion. Joseph’s pit led to a palace, and your pit can lead to the very place God has prepared for you.

Here are some steps to take if you feel stuck:

1. Be honest with God in prayer about your pit. Tell Him how you feel and invite Him into that space.
2. Choose to forgive those who hurt you, even if they never apologize. Forgiveness frees you to move forward.
3. Speak God’s promises over your life each day. Remember that He is working all things together for your good.
4. Look for small ways God is providing right where you are. Gratitude will keep your heart steady until the breakthrough comes.

Today I want to encourage you to hold on to hope in your pit. What feels like an ending may actually be the beginning of something far greater. God has not forgotten you, and He is preparing you for the fulfillment of His promises. The pit may feel empty, but God is filling it with purpose.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 37

1 So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner.

2 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.

3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. 

4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.

5 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever.

6 “Listen to this dream,” he said. 

7 “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”

8 His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.

9 Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”

10 This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” 

11 But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.

12 Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. 

13 When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.”

“I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.

14 “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron.

15 When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked.

16 “I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are pasturing their sheep?”

17 “Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let’s go on to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.

Joseph Sold into Slavery

18 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 

19 “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. 

20 “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

21 But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. 

22 “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.

23 So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. 

24 Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 

25 Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. 

27 Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. 

28 So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.

29 Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the cistern. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in grief. 

30 Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, “The boy is gone! What will I do now?”

31 Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. 

32 They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”

33 Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” 

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. 

35 His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.

Journal:

• Write about a time in your life when you felt stuck in a pit.
• How did God use that season for your growth.
• Then write down one promise from Scripture that you will stand on in your current season.