ODJ: too proud to receive
God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs (Matthew 5:3). READ: Acts 20:32-35 Shaina attends a service for 20-somethings at her church. The group is small but growing, and they’re starting to reach out in innovative ways to their community. In the past year, [...]
ODB: redirected
January 20, 2010
READ: Genesis 39:1-10
The Lord was with Joseph. —Genesis 39:2
At the age of 16, pianist Leon Fleisher made his formal debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic. He went on to win prestigious international competitions and played in the world’s finest concert halls. But at the age of 37, Fleisher was struck with dystonia, a neurological condition that crippled his right hand. After a period of despondency and withdrawal, he turned to teaching and conducting, because, as he said, he loved music more than he loved the piano.
When our dreams are shattered, how do we react? After Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, was sold as a slave by his brothers (Gen. 37:12-36), he could have given in to self-pity and self-indulgence. Instead, Joseph remained true to the Lord. Four times in Genesis 39, we read that “the Lord was with” Joseph (vv.2-3,21,23), and his actions revealed his own faithfulness to God. By his exemplary life, those he served in Egypt recognized God’s presence with him.
Do we love God more than our own dreams? Although Joseph must have grieved the loss of his past and what his life could have been, the Lord led him to a calling he had never imagined. Today, the Lord longs to lead us. Are we willing to be redirected by Him? — David C. McCasland
A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. —Proverbs 16:9
Source: Our Daily Bread
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