The Daily Dose

Where ever you go

_{After spending some time there, Paul continued on through the region of Galatia and Phyrgia in central Turkey. And wherever he went he encouraged and strengthened the believers. ~ Acts 18:23}

How do people feel when they see you walking toward them? When family, friends, and co-workers are around, do they rejoice in visiting with you or do they try to avoid you? Many people justify their lack of popularity by blaming something they were born with or into. Others say it is because of things they have suffered in their past. Maybe they come from a poverty background or from a different country. The truth is that most people enjoy or dislike being around you based on how they feel when the conversation is finished. If they leave your presence feeling uplifted and encouraged, then chances are they will want to see you again. If they cannot wait to get away because you unload your “problems” or always need something from them every time you are around, then they will likely walk the other way the next time they see you coming.

In today’s reading, the apostle Paul traveled through many regions, stopping to visit believers along the way. The passage says that wherever he went, he encouraged and strengthened the believers. God’s people were always glad to see Paul because they knew the time he spent with them would strengthen their faith and relationship with the Lord. On the other hand, there were people in almost every city who despised him and tried to silence his message. It was not because of where he came from or something in his past. It was simply because of the words he spoke and the encouragement he brought with him wherever he went.

If you find yourself today feeling neglected or left out, consider the words you are speaking when you are around others. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in your relationships and guide you in being a blessing to all those you meet. Pay attention to what others are saying and notice the needs you can help with. Become the type of person who leaves others feeling encouraged and inspired, and you will no longer need to worry about people avoiding you.

Here are some steps you can take to get started today:

• Begin your day with prayer, asking God to use your words to strengthen and encourage others
• Be intentional to listen more than you speak, showing people that you value what they share
• Speak words of hope and life instead of focusing on problems or negativity
• Look for opportunities to help meet small needs, such as offering prayer, support, or acts of kindness
• End each conversation with encouragement so the other person feels uplifted

Today I want to encourage you to follow the example of the apostle Paul by encouraging and strengthening people wherever you go. Be the kind of person that others love to be around because they leave your presence feeling energized and inspired to live for the Lord. Avoid wasting your words on gossip, world crises, or arguments that do not bring life. Instead, use your words to help others focus on what is good and productive. Make the change today to be an encouragement to those around you, and soon you will help others do the same wherever you go.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 18:18-23

18 So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. 

19 And he came to Ephesus and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 

20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, 

21 but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.

22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. 

23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

Journal:

• Who in my life is God calling me to encourage today?
• What kinds of words do people hear from me most often, and how can I improve them?
• How can I become more intentional about strengthening others in their faith?

Equipped by God

Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” ~ Genesis 4:11-12

 In Exodus 4, Moses struggled with insecurity when God called him to speak to Pharaoh. He worried about his ability and questioned whether he was the right person for the job. God’s response was clear. He reminded Moses that He is the Creator, the One who equips and empowers His people to do what He asks of them. God did not choose Moses because he was perfect, He chose him because His power would be revealed through Moses’ obedience.

Insecurity was a big part of my life for many years. Most times I felt completely inadequate for what God was asking me to do. One example was when I was asked to take a position as the hub director for the womens small groups at my church.  The position required me to speak in front of a group of people, which was way out of my comfort zone. As fear tried to take hold of me, I told God all the reasons why I was not the right person. But as I began to take steps of faith in those moments, I discovered that God was not asking me to rely on myself, He was asking me to trust Him. Each time I stepped forward, He gave me words I did not know I had and strength I did not feel on my own.  It wasn’t very long until I gained confidence in His presence with me.  I knew that each time I got up to speak, it may not be perfect, but being a mouthpiece for my Father in that position gave Him a vessel to move through to speak into the lives of others.

This chapter speaks to anyone who feels unqualified or uncertain. Perhaps you are facing a new opportunity, a big decision, or a calling that feels beyond your skill or experience. God is reminding you today that He is the One who equips you. He will give you what you need in the exact moment you need it. Your weakness is not a disqualification, it is the place where His strength will shine through.

Her are some ways you can apply this truth in your life:

• Acknowledge your fears honestly before God in prayer.
• Write down the areas where you feel weak and ask God to show His strength there.
• Take one small step of obedience in the area you feel God is calling you.
• Surround yourself with people who will encourage and pray for you.
• Memorize scriptures that remind you of God’s strength and His promises.

Today I want to encourage you to trust that God has already given you everything you need to do what He has called you to do. You do not need to have all the answers, you only need to take the next step in obedience. God’s power is greater than your weakness, and His presence will go with you wherever you are called. Step forward with confidence, knowing that He will teach you, strengthen you, and speak through you as you trust Him.

Today’s scripture reading: Exodus 4

1 But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”

2 Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.

3 “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.

4 Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand.

5 “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.”

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out again, his hand was white as snow with a severe skin disease. 

7 “Now put your hand back into your cloak,” the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back in, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body.

8 The Lord said to Moses, “If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign. 

9 And if they don’t believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground.”

10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”

11 Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 

12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

13 But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”

14 Then the Lord became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. 

15 Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. 

16 Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say. 

17 And take your shepherd’s staff with you, and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

18 So Moses went back home to Jethro, his father-in-law. “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt,” Moses said. “I don’t even know if they are still alive.”

“Go in peace,” Jethro replied.

19 Before Moses left Midian, the Lord said to him, “Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died.”

20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God.

21 And the Lord told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go. 

22 Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son. 

23 I commanded you, “Let my son go, so he can worship me.” But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!’”

24 On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him. 

25 But Moses’ wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet with the foreskin and said, “Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 

26 (When she said “a bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the Lord left him alone.

27 Now the Lord had said to Aaron, “Go out into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So Aaron went and met Moses at the mountain of God, and he embraced him. 

28 Moses then told Aaron everything the Lord had commanded him to say. And he told him about the miraculous signs the Lord had commanded him to perform.

29 Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together. 

30 Aaron told them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched. 

31 Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Journal:

• What task or calling feels too big for me right now?
• How have I seen God show His strength in my weakness before?
• What is one small step I can take today to move forward in obedience to God’s call?

Called by name

When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. ~ Exodus 3:4

In Exodus 3, Moses encountered God in a powerful way at the burning bush. God called him by name and gave him a purpose that was far greater than anything Moses imagined for himself. Moses may have felt unworthy or unqualified, but God saw who he truly was and what He could do through him. This moment reminds us that God knows our name, He sees where we are, and He has a purpose for our lives too.

In my own life, I remember a time when I felt hidden and unnoticed. I was simply doing what I had to do each day, not thinking God wanted me to step up in a significant way. Yet in the middle of ordinary moments, God reminded me of His call on my life. Just like He did with Moses, He spoke to my heart and gave me courage to take the next step forward. It was not about my ability, it was about His grace and power working through me.

This passage can speak into your current circumstances as well. You may feel like you are in the wilderness of life, doing your best to survive and unsure if your life holds meaning. The truth is, God knows your name. He has seen every step you have taken, and He has not forgotten you. Just as He called Moses, He is calling you to trust Him, to take off your shoes before His holiness, and to step into the purpose He has for you.

Here are some things you can do to get His direction for your life:

• Spend quiet time with God and listen for His voice in prayer and scripture.
• Acknowledge that you are standing on holy ground whenever you come into God’s presence.
• Write down moments where you have sensed God calling you, even in small ways.
• Take one step of obedience today, no matter how small, and trust that God will meet you in it.
• Remind yourself daily that God knows your name and has chosen you to walk with Him.

Today I want to encourage you to know that God sees you, He knows your name, and He has a calling on your life. No matter how unqualified or hidden you may feel, He is calling you just as He called Moses. Your part is to listen, to respond, and to trust that God will equip you for what He has for you to do. Stand before Him in humility, let Him lead you, and walk forward with courage knowing He is with you.

Today’s scripture reading: Exodus 3

1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 

2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 

3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”

4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

“Here I am!” Moses replied.

5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 

6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 

8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 

9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 

10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” 

15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.

16 “Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. 

17 I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”’

18 “The elders of Israel will accept your message. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord, our God.’

19 “But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand forces him. 

20 So I will raise my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles among them. Then at last he will let you go. 

21 And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed. 

22 Every Israelite woman will ask for articles of silver and gold and fine clothing from her Egyptian neighbors and from the foreign women in their houses. You will dress your sons and daughters with these, stripping the Egyptians of their wealth.”

Journal:

• What area of my life feels like a wilderness right now, and how can I invite God into it?
• When have I sensed God calling me to something greater, and how did I respond?
• What step of faith is God asking me to take today?

God sees and breaks through

Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. ~ Exodus 2:23-25

 There are times in life when it feels like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and our struggles go unnoticed. Exodus 2 reminds us that even in the silence, God hears, God sees, and God remembers His promises. The Israelites had been suffering under cruel slavery for years, yet God had already been working in the background to bring about their deliverance through the birth and preservation of Moses.

I remember a season in my life when I was overwhelmed and desperate for God to intervene. I had been praying for a breakthrough in a situation that seemed impossible. Day after day I wondered if God heard me, if He even cared about the heaviness I was carrying. What I did not realize at the time was that He was already putting pieces into place that would eventually bring me freedom. When the breakthrough came, I saw clearly how God had been orchestrating the answer all along.

This chapter speaks to us today. No matter how hard life feels or how long you have been waiting, God sees you and hears your cries. He has not forgotten you. Just as He remembered His covenant with Israel, He remembers His promises to you. Even when you cannot see what He is doing, He is working behind the scenes to bring you into the place of freedom and blessing He has prepared for you.

Here are some things you can do when you are waiting for your breakthrough:

• Keep crying out to God. Your prayers are not wasted, He hears every word.
• Stand on God’s promises in Scripture. His Word is your anchor when you cannot see the answer yet.
• Watch for small ways God may already be moving. Sometimes His work begins quietly before it becomes visible.
• Share your burdens with trusted believers who will pray with you and remind you of God’s faithfulness.
• Stay faithful where you are, trusting that God is preparing you for what is ahead.

Today I want to encourage you that God has not forgotten you. He sees your pain, He hears your cries, and He remembers His promises over your life. Trust that He is working even now to bring about His plan. Do not give up in the waiting. Keep pressing into Him and expect Him to move on your behalf.

Today’s scripture reading: Exodus 2

1 About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. 

2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. 

3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. 

4 The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.

5 Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. 

6 When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said.

7 Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked.

8 “Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother.

9 “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.

10 Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.”

Moses Escapes to Midian

11 Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. 

12 After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.

13 The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. “Why are you beating up your friend?” Moses said to the one who had started the fight.

14 The man replied, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?”

Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Everyone knows what I did.” 

15 And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian.

When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well. 

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father’s flocks. 

17 But some other shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks.

18 When the girls returned to Reuel, their father, he asked, “Why are you back so soon today?”

19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they answered. “And then he drew water for us and watered our flocks.”

20 “Then where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave him there? Invite him to come and eat with us.”

21 Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife. 

22 Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he explained, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”

23 Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. 

24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

25 He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.

Journal:

• What situation in your life feels overlooked by God right now?
• How does knowing that God sees, hears, and remembers encourage you today?
• Write a prayer asking God to strengthen your faith while you wait for His timing.

God’s People Cannot Be Stopped

“But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.” – Exodus 1:12

Exodus 1 opens with a powerful picture of God’s faithfulness to His people. Even in a land where they were enslaved, mistreated, and pressed down, the Israelites grew and flourished. What Pharaoh tried to use to crush them became the very thing that propelled them forward. As we read through the book of Exodus, let it be an example that no force on earth can stop what God has promised or what He has blessed.

I have seen this truth in my own life. There have been times when I felt the weight of pressure and opposition pressing down on me. Places in life where it seemed like nothing was working the way I hoped, and the challenges were piling higher than the victories. Yet it was in those very moments that God was working, growing something deeper in me. What looked like setbacks became preparation. What felt like oppression became the soil for God to bring increase in ways I could not see at the time.

This same truth applies to you today. You may feel pressed down by circumstances, opposition, or even the heaviness of life. You may wonder if anything good can come out of your situation. Exodus 1 reminds us that oppression is not the end. God has the power to cause you to flourish even in the most difficult seasons. The pressure you are under may actually be the very place God is multiplying strength, wisdom, and grace in your life.

Here are some ways to apply this message:

1. Identify one area of your life where you feel pressure or opposition and write it down.
2. Pray, “Lord, help me to trust You in this area and to see how You are still at work.”
3. Begin to thank God daily for how He is multiplying strength in you, even when you cannot see it yet.
4. Speak God’s promises over yourself by declaring, “What the enemy means for harm, God will turn for good.”
5. Surround yourself with people who will remind you of God’s faithfulness when life feels heavy.

Today I want to encourage you that the same God who caused His people to multiply in Egypt is working in your life right now. No amount of pressure, hardship, or opposition can cancel God’s plan for you. What feels like the enemy pressing down may actually be God setting you up for greater growth and blessing. Hold on to the truth that He is faithful and unstoppable, and because you belong to Him, so are you.

Today’s scripture reading: Exodus 1

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who moved to Egypt with their father, each with his family: 

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, 

3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, 

4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 

5 In all, Jacob had seventy descendants in Egypt, including Joseph, who was already there.

6 In time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire generation. 

7 But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land.

8 Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. 

9 He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. 

10 We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.”

11 So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king. 

12 But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became. 

13 So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. 

14 They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands.

15 Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: 

16 “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” 

17 But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.

18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. “Why have you done this?” he demanded. “Why have you allowed the boys to live?”

19 “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,” the midwives replied. “They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.”

20 So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. 

21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. But you may let the girls live.”

Journal:

• Write down an area of your life where you feel pressed down.
• Write how you believe God can use that situation to grow you and bring about His purpose.

Choose your hard

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. ~ Genesis 50:20

We are living in heavy times. Just this past week, our nation was shaken by tragedy and loss. When moments like these happen, it is easy to question why these kinds of devasting things happen and to wrestle with hurt, fear, or even anger. Yet the truth of God’s Word remains the same: what people intend for harm, God is still able to use for good.

Genesis 50 reveals this powerful truth through the life of Joseph. After years of betrayal, slavery, false accusations, and prison, Joseph stood before the very people who had wronged him. He could have chosen bitterness and revenge, but instead he chose forgiveness and trust in God’s purpose. Joseph had to choose his hard. Holding on to resentment and anger would have been hard because it would have left him without peace and in constant turmoil, leading him away from his true destination. Instead, he chose the hard path of faith and forgiveness. One road would have destroyed him, while the other brought healing and life. Joseph chose the hard that honored God, and because of it, he stepped into his destiny.

Here are some points to consider as you make your choices each day.

1. Every choice in life comes with challenges

The bottom line is that life is hard. It is not about choosing between easy and hard but choosing which hard you will live with. It is hard to carry bitterness, and it is hard to forgive. It is hard to live in fear, and sometimes it feels hard to trust God. The question is not whether life will be hard, but which hard will bring you closer to Him.
Joseph’s example: He could have lived in resentment toward his brothers, but instead he chose forgiveness and freedom.

2. God can turn the hard seasons to shape us if we let Him

The difficulties we face are never wasted. God uses challenges to strengthen us, deepen our character, and prepare us for what He has planned.
Joseph’s example: Prison and false accusations were not wasted years. They became the training ground that prepared him to lead a nation through famine.

3. Choosing God’s way leads to life and purpose

Not every path leads to life. Some choices may feel easier in the moment but produce hard and painful results later. When we choose God’s way of forgiveness, integrity, and trust, it may feel hard in the moment, but it always leads to blessing and purpose.  The truth is that when we surrender what we are feeling to the Lord and ask for His help to do the thing that honors Him most, we don’t have to do the hard thing by ourselves.  He shows up with His empowering grace to strengthen in the hard choices.
Joseph’s example: Because he chose the path of faith, he was in position to save his family and countless others. What others meant for evil, God used for good.

Today I want to encourage you to choose the hard that honors God. The way that seems easy or even popular leads to the hard road of regret and disappointment, but God’s way, though it seems difficult in the moment, leads to peace, freedom, and purpose. Joseph’s story shows us that even in times of betrayal, injustice, and tragedy, God is still working for good. Your obedience today is preparing you for something far greater than what you can see right now.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 50

1 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him. 

2 Then Joseph told the physicians who served him to embalm his father’s body; so Jacob was embalmed. 

3 The embalming process took the usual forty days. And the Egyptians mourned his death for seventy days.

4 When the period of mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh’s advisers and said, “Please do me this favor and speak to Pharaoh on my behalf. 

5 Tell him that my father made me swear an oath. He said to me, ‘Listen, I am about to die. Take my body back to the land of Canaan and bury me in the tomb I prepared for myself.’ So please allow me to go and bury my father. After his burial, I will return without delay.”

6 Pharaoh agreed to Joseph’s request. “Go and bury your father, as he made you promise,” he said. 

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. He was accompanied by all of Pharaoh’s officials, all the senior members of Pharaoh’s household, and all the senior officers of Egypt. 

8 Joseph also took his entire household and his brothers and their households. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 

9 A great number of chariots and charioteers accompanied Joseph.

10 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn memorial service, with a seven-day period of mourning for Joseph’s father. 

11 The local residents, the Canaanites, watched them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad. Then they renamed that place (which is near the Jordan) Abel-mizraim, for they said, “This is a place of deep mourning for these Egyptians.”

12 So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them. 

13 They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the cave that Abraham had bought as a permanent burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

14 After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. 

15 But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.

16 So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us 

17 to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. 

18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.

19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 

20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 

21 No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

The Death of Joseph

22 So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. 

23 He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own.

24 “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.” 

26 So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Journal:

• Identify one area where you are tempted to take the “easy way” and instead choose God’s way, even if it feels harder.
• Speak forgiveness over someone who has hurt you, even if your emotions are not there yet.
• Write down one way you see God shaping you through a hard season right now.

Witness while you work

Because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ~ Acts 18:3

I used to think that being in full-time ministry meant working at a church or serving on the mission field. My perception was that only pastors and missionaries were truly in ministry. Now I understand that all God’s people are in full-time ministry. Our mission field is wherever we are each day. It doesn’t matter if you work in a church, in an office, at a school, or at a construction site. Whether you are a student, a banker, or a laborer, you are still in ministry. Every believer is called to be God’s light and witness to those around them.

In today’s reading, Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, who were tentmakers just as he was. This is the first time in scripture that it is mentioned that  Paul worked a trade job. Up until this point, we have mostly read about his preaching and teaching. In Corinth, Paul took on a tentmaker role, submitted to an employer, and worked with his hands during the week. On the Sabbath, he went into the synagogue and preached, but during the workweek he built tents and shared about salvation. Everywhere Paul went, he carried the message of Jesus. He witnessed to others while he worked, day by day, and became a light in every city God sent him to.

That call has not changed for us today. We are in full-time ministry whether we are at work, at home, or even at play. Wherever we go, we are the light of the world. Every person we interact with should have the opportunity to experience the love of God through our words, actions, attitudes and kindness. If our message is not received, we can do just what Paul did and shake it off,  knowing we have been faithful to share, and trust God to grow the seeds planted in the hearts of those who heard.

In verses 9-10, Jesus appeared to Paul in a vision and gave him words that still encourage us today: “Don’t ever be afraid. Speak the words that I give you and don’t be intimidated, because I am with you. No one will be able to hurt you, for there are many whom I call my own.” Those words remind us that we don’t minister alone. God is always with us, and He has already prepared the hearts of people we will encounter.

Here is a list of what to do:

• Begin each day by asking the Holy Spirit to show you one person you can encourage.
• Use simple acts of kindness at work or school as opportunities to point people to God’s love.
• Share your testimony naturally in conversations, especially when someone talks about struggles.
• Pray silently for coworkers, classmates, or neighbors during your daily routine.
• Remember that you represent Christ everywhere you go, so let your words and actions be full of grace and truth.

Today I want to encourage you to witness while you work. Wherever you are, listen to the gentle nudges of the Spirit to speak words of life in kindness and love. Let those around you know there is hope in this dark world and that God desires to be close to them. Do not be afraid, because the Lord who spoke to Paul still speaks to us today. He promises to be with you, and He has already placed many people around you who belong to Him. You are in full-time ministry, and your light has the power to change lives.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 18:1-17

1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 

2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 

3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. 

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

5 When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. 

6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 

7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 

8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 

10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” 

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, 

13 saying, “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”

14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. 

15 But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.” 

16 And he drove them from the judgment seat. 

17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.

 Journal:

• Who are three people I regularly see at work, school, or in my community who may need encouragement today?
• How can I use my gifts or talents in ordinary settings to point people to Jesus?
• What fears do I need to release in order to confidently witness while I work?

My heart’s desire

_{These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. ~ Acts 17:11}

I started writing the Daily Dose back in 2019. It is hard to believe that I have been doing it for over six years now. Initially, I began writing the Dose for myself. I was searching for a devotional that would encourage me in my walk with God and include a portion of scripture to study and meditate on, but I couldn’t find one that fit. So, I wrote my own. At first, I sent it out by email to a small group of people because I needed to be accountable to stay committed to my mission.

At the end of that first year, I had 365 devotionals compiled that became my first book.  By that time I had grown to love writing each day and didn’t want to stop. That is when the Daily Dose blog came into existence. The discipline of writing has changed my life and strengthened my spirit in ways I never imagined. This is why I am always encouraging others to keep a journal and to write down what God is showing them. Writing out your journey allows you to see how God’s Word comes alive in your everyday life.

If I had to sum up the desire of my heart today, it would be this verse in Acts 17:11. The reason I continue to write the Daily Dose each morning is so that you will receive God’s Word with eagerness and search the Scriptures daily to discover truth for yourself. My prayer is that you take time to hear God’s message in each passage and not simply rely on my words.

Receiving God’s Word with eagerness means setting aside time to spend with Him each day, but it also means connecting with a body of believers through a local church to attend weekend services and small groups. When you share with others the promises of God you have been reading and holding onto, you not only grow personally, you also encourage others in their walk. Daily time with your heavenly Father equips you with revelation and empowerment to face whatever the day brings.

Examining the Scriptures every day goes deeper than simply reading. It means slowing down and asking questions. Take your time with the Daily Dose or any devotional you read. Search out cross-references, look at the context of a passage, and most importantly, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand and apply what you read. When you do this, your character will grow stronger and wiser, just as the church at Berea demonstrated.

Here are some ways you can begin:

• Set aside a consistent time each day to read God’s Word with eagerness and expectation.
• Connect with other believers through a local church or small group where you can share what you are learning.
• When reading scripture, take time to look up cross-references and understand the context.
• Keep a journal to write what God is teaching you and how you see Him at work in your life.
• Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to understand and apply God’s truth.

Today I want to encourage you to eagerly receive God’s Word every day and search the Scriptures for yourself. This isn’t just about listening to my words or anyone else’s. It is about God speaking directly to you. His Word has the power to strengthen you, transform your thinking, and give you answers in the middle of life’s challenges. When you keep His Word as your focus instead of life’s distractions, you will be equipped to stand strong and to help rescue others who are struggling. My heart’s desire is that your life will be changed, just as mine has been, by the promises of God’s Word and His unending love for you.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 17:10-15

10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 

11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 

12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. 

13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. 

14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. 

15 So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

 Journal:

• What does eagerly receiving God’s Word look like in your life right now?
• How can you make searching the Scriptures a daily habit?
• Write down one truth from God’s Word that has recently encouraged you and how you can share it with someone else this week.

The power to bless with your words

Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come. ~ Genesis 49:1

Here we are almost at the enc of Genesis where we see Jacob gathering his sons to speak blessings and his last words over their future. Some of his words were words of correction, others were words of encouragement and prophecy, but all of them were spoken with purpose. Jacob knew that his time on earth was short, so he used his final moments to say something that would carry on in the generations to come. His words were not random, they were filled with weight and intentionality because he understood the power of blessing.

I think about this in my own life when I remember the words spoken over me by people I love and respect. Some of those words were encouragements that lifted me in difficult times. Others were challenges that helped me grow and make better choices. Most importantly was God’s Word planted in my heart. I also think of the opportunity God has given me now to speak into the lives of others. What I say in these moments matter because words leave an imprint that can last far beyond the moments they are spoken. Just like Jacob’s words carried forward into the tribes of Israel, the words I speak are carried into the lives of others and will hopefully out live me.

This applies to your life too. You may not think of yourself as someone with influence, but your words carry weight whether spoken to your family, your friends, your coworkers, or even to someone you only meet once. Every time you speak, you have the opportunity to either bring life or bring discouragement. You have the choice to point people toward God’s promises or leave them uncertain about His care. Jacob’s example shows us the importance of choosing wisely how we use our words, especially when they have the power to shape someone’s future.

Here are some ways you can get started today:

• Begin by praying each day, “Lord, let the words I speak today bring life and hope.”
• Write down a blessing or encouragement and share it with someone close to you.
• Notice when negative or critical words want to come out and pause, asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom before you speak.
• Take time to encourage the younger generation in your family, church, or workplace by calling out the gifts you see in them.
• Keep a journal of the encouraging words others have spoken into your life and revisit them when you need strength.

Today I want to encourage you to use your words to bless others just as Jacob blessed his sons. You may never fully realize how far your words will go, but God can use even a simple sentence of encouragement to shift someone’s direction to walk closer with Him. The power of life and death is in your tongue, so choose to speak life. Your words can become part of the legacy you leave for generations to come.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 49

1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.

2 “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first in rank and first in power.

4 But you are as unruly as a flood, and you will be first no longer. For you went to bed with my wife; you defiled my marriage couch.

5 “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind; their weapons are instruments of violence.

6 May I never join in their meetings; may I never be a party to their plans. For in their anger they murdered men, and they crippled oxen just for sport.

7 A curse on their anger, for it is fierce; a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob; I will disperse them throughout Israel.

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you.

9 Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.

11 He ties his foal to a grapevine, the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

13 “Zebulun will settle by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships; his borders will extend to Sidon.

14 “Issachar is a sturdy donkey, resting between two saddle packs.

15 When he sees how good the countryside is and how pleasant the land, he will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labor.

16 “Dan will govern his people, like any other tribe in Israel.

17 Dan will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper along the path that bites the horse’s hooves so its rider is thrown off.

18 I trust in you for salvation, O Lord!

19 “Gad will be attacked by marauding bands, but he will attack them when they retreat.

20 “Asher will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings.

21 “Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.

22 “Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey, the foal of a wild donkey at a spring—one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.

23 Archers attacked him savagely; they shot at him and harassed him.

24 But his bow remained taut, and his arms were strengthened by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

25 May the God of your father help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, and blessings of the watery depths below, and blessings of the breasts and womb.

26 May my fatherly blessings on you surpass the blessings of my ancestors, reaching to the heights of the eternal hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, who is a prince among his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, devouring his enemies in the morning and dividing his plunder in the evening.”

28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.

29 Then Jacob instructed them, “Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 

30 This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site. 

31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah. 

32 It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites.”

33 When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death.

Journal:

• Write down one blessing or encouragement you would like to speak over someone this week.
•  How can you be intentional about using your words to build up and leave a godly legacy?

The Blessing of God’s hand

But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” ~ Genesis 48:19

Today I am writing about God’s blessings do not always follow the order we expect. When Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons, he crossed his hands and gave the greater blessing to the younger son, Ephraim. Joseph tried to correct his father, but Jacob made it clear that he knew exactly what he was doing because God had shown him the greater plan. It shows me that God’s ways are higher than mine, and His blessings sometimes come in unexpected ways and through unexpected people, even at unexpected times.

I have experienced this in my own life when I thought certain doors were the ones I was supposed to walk through, only to have God shut them and open something completely different. Not long ago, we thought He was leading us to join a group traveling to Israel. Just two weeks before the trip, war broke out in that region and the tour was canceled. At first, I felt disappointed and even confused, wondering why things didn’t go as I had planned. I thought we must have missed God’s direction, but in the following weeks, as we worked through the details of the payment we had made, another opportunity opened up that we would have never had if we had not first committed to the Israel trip. We soon realized that God’s hand was guiding us to a completely different excursion that turned out to be even greater than the first. What I thought was a setback was actually His way of redirecting us to something greater that He had promised years before, though I did not understand it at the time.

This truth still applies to all of us today. Maybe you are looking at your life and thinking things did not turn out the way you expected. Maybe you did not get the opportunity you wanted, or someone else was chosen instead of you. Joseph’s life is a reminder that God sees the bigger picture, and His hand of blessing is not bound by human order or expectation. When God chooses to bless, He blesses in ways that far exceed what we imagine.

Here are some things you can do to expect the unexpected blessings God has for you:

• Surrender your expectations to God in prayer and invite Him to guide your steps.
• Celebrate the blessings God gives others, trusting that His timing for you is perfect.
• Look for how God has redirected your life before and thank Him for the outcome.
• Stay faithful in the place you are now, knowing that God’s favor is not limited by position or circumstance.
• Keep an open heart to the unexpected ways God may choose to bless and work through you.

Today I want to encourage you to trust that God knows exactly what He is doing in your life. Even when His hand crosses what you thought was the natural order of things, His blessing is still at work. What may look confusing in the moment will later be revealed as part of His greater plan. Stay steady, keep your eyes on Him, and trust that His hand is guiding you into a future that carries His blessing.

Today’s scripture reading: Genesis 48

1 One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, “Your father is failing rapidly.” So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2 When Joseph arrived, Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” So Jacob gathered his strength and sat up in his bed.

3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 

4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations. And I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’

5 “Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are. 

6 But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh.

7 “Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.”

8 Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. “Are these your sons?” he asked.

9 “Yes,” Joseph told him, “these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt.”

and Jacob said, “Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them.”

10 Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. 

11 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!”

12 Joseph moved the boys, who were at their grandfather’s knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. 

13 Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand. 

14 But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn. 

15 Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked—the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day,

16 the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may he bless these boys. May they preserve my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac. and may their descendants multiply greatly throughout the earth.”

17 But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 

18 “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

19 But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”

20 So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. 

22 And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

Journal:

• What expectations do I need to surrender to God today?
• Where have I seen God redirect my life in the past for something better?
• How can I look for His hand of blessing in what I am currently walking through?