Today Daily Devotional

“Let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”
— Genesis 37:20

Jacob sent Joseph to check up on his brothers. They saw him coming from a distance, and their jealous, hateful feelings toward him took a mean turn. Several of them wanted to kill Joseph.Not all of the brothers had the same level of anger, though. Reuben tried to save Joseph. And Judah did not want them all to have their brother’s blood on their hands, so he suggested they sell Joseph to some traveling merchants who were passing by. And the brothers agreed.At the end of this scene, their father, Jacob, is distraught and cannot be consoled. The blood of a goat covers Joseph’s robe. And the brothers probably wonder if they will ever be found out, but for now their father accepts the scam that Joseph the dreamer has been killed by a wild animal. They think their brother, now sold to be a slave in Egypt, will not be heard from again. And they assume their life can go back to something like normal.But God is faithful even in the midst of violence, treachery, and tears. As the story continues, we will see how God works behind the scenes. Despite the brothers’ hateful jealousy and anger, God works out a way to raise up Joseph and, through him, to save the lives of many people—including his family—from starvation.In what ways do you see God working in your life?

Dear God, thank you for working through pain and loss. Guide our hearts and help us to see what you see in this world and in the people around us. Amen.

When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him. . . .
— Genesis 37:4

Jacob should have known better. He knew what it was like to have a brother whom his father loved more than him (Genesis 25:27-28), but he favored his son Joseph over his other sons anyway. Sadly, that led to jealousy and resentment among Joseph’s brothers.When Joseph’s older brothers looked at him, their blood pressure went up and hatred filled their hearts. Still, they might have kept their emotions in check if Joseph hadn’t stirred the pot with notions about the dreams he had had.God had provided the dreams, but Joseph took pride in them. He interpreted those dreams as showing that he was better than his brothers, and even his father rebuked him for the self-centered nature of those interpretations. The meaning of those dreams became clear later (Genesis 41-47), but all that the brothers knew now was that they didn’t want anything to do with Joseph!In this story we eventually see that God can take the human failings of all of these broken family members to bring about something good, despite the sinful attitudes in each individual’s heart. We also learn in life that God works through the troubles in our world and in our hearts to make something new and better. He is faithful to the purpose and plan that he holds and creates for us.

Lord, thank you for being willing to meet us in the messes and troubles of life. Open our eyes to see the sin in our own hearts before we see the failings of others. Help us to live in unity as your family and to spread your love and blessings to others. Amen.

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
— Genesis 32:28

Jacob was a schemer. It came naturally. His mother was a schemer, and so was his father (see Genesis 26-27). Scheming was part of the family DNA.Jacob was returning home and wondering what kind of reception he would have from his brother, Esau, whom he had schemed against many years earlier (Genesis 27).But then one night when Jacob was all alone, he faced the one who could not be outwitted. Jacob wrestled that night with God.We might think of this wrestling with God as being for one night, but wasn’t it more like for a lifetime? Jacob had wrestled through lots of situations in his life, all of which were in the hands of God. For example, Esau, his elder brother, was the favored son of his father, and Jacob dealt with that by scheming. Jacob also wrestled with finding love and wondering if he could ever return home.We might think of wrestling with God as the opposite of seeking to know and learn from God, but in this case the wrestling became a pathway to a new life signified by a new name. Jacob, now known as Israel, would go through life limping because of that night, but he would have in that limp a sign that God had come to him and blessed him as he faced an uncertain future.God showed up even for a schemer like Jacob.

Lord, thank you for being willing to wrestle with Jacob. We can see you are willing to wrestle with us too. Give us what we need in order to follow you. Amen.

“Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
— Genesis 21:18

God is faithful beyond our ability to think or imagine.Some years earlier, Sarah (formerly Sarai) had come up with a plan to produce an heir for Abraham (formerly Abram). Her scheme was outside of God’s plan (Genesis 16-17), but she decided to try it anyway. She gave her servant, Hagar, to Abram to see if she could have a child for her. Hagar conceived, and her child was named Ishmael. At first, Sarah saw the birth of Ishmael as a good thing, but that became a threat when her own son, Isaac, was born. So Sarah decided to remove that threat. Despite the protests of Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away. They wandered aimlessly in the desert, but God provided for them and promised to raise up Ishmael into a nation also.Have you ever tried to limit God’s faithfulness to include only certain people or those who act in a certain way? In the Bible, God shows that his plans and purposes go beyond our expectations.At many funerals I have conducted over the years, I have often stated this biblical truth: “God is more faithful and just than we can ever imagine.” This can be a comfort to people who wonder about God and may also fear for their loved ones who have died. In such moments I often think of a teenager (Ishmael) and his distraught mother, who found that God was with them—in ways beyond our imagining.

Lord, thank you for your surprising faithfulness and care. Open our eyes to the ways you are continually at work in our lives —and far beyond. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
— Genesis 15:1

How long can you live on a promise? Abram and Sarai had lived with God’s promise of a child for many years. Their faith was being tested, and their hope was beginning to fade.One evening God came to renew his promise to Abram, saying that his descendants would be as many as the stars in the night sky. Abram’s faith was strengthened—and God provided even more.Our reading for today shows how God not only approaches people but also creates a pathway of relating to them. In this passage we read about a special kind of covenant (a binding promise) in which two parties would walk between the split carcasses of animals, as if to say, “May the same be done to me if I break my promise.” But here we find that only God goes between the carcasses. While Abram is in a deep, trance-like sleep, God himself takes on both sides of this covenant. This arrangement will have twists and turns, and God looks to the future, telling Abram that his descendants will become slaves in Egypt. But God also promises to bring them back—and he does that (see Exodus 12- 20; Deuteronomy 1-3).Since history began, people have tried to grab for themselves whatever they think their “great reward” should be. But God offers himself, making clear that the way to full life comes from understanding that the Lord is our shield and our ultimate reward.

Dear God, thank you for making the way and providing for us. May we remember that you always provide for us and for our salvation. Amen.