DRAWING NEAR
November 24
Acknowledging God's Sovereignty
"By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus
of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones"
(Heb. 11:22).
God uses your present circumstances to accomplish His future
purposes.
Like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Joseph was an heir to the covenant
promises of God. His hope was firmly fixed on God, and he knew that
some day his people would be at home in the Promised Land.
Although he spent all his adult life in Egypt, never seeing the
Promised Land for himself, Joseph's faith never wavered. At the end
of his life, he instructed his brothers to remove his bones from
Egypt and bury them in their future homeland (Gen. 50:25). That
request was fulfilled in the Exodus (Ex. 13:19).
But Joseph's faith wasn't in the promises of future events only, for
his life was marked by exceptional trust in God and personal
integrity. His understanding of God's sovereignty was unique among
the patriarchs. Even though he suffered greatly at the hands of
evildoers (including his own brothers, who sold him into slavery),
Joseph recognized God's hand in every event of his life and submitted
to His will.
Joseph said to his brothers, "Do not be grieved or angry with
yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to
preserve life . . . and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.
Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God" (Gen. 45:5,
7-8). Later, after their father's death, he reassured them again: "Do
not be afraid, for am I in God's place? And as for you, you meant
evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to . . . preserve
many people alive" (Gen. 50:19-20).
The genius of Joseph's faith was understanding the role that present
circumstances play in fulfilling future promises. He accepted
blessing and adversity alike because he knew God would use both to
accomplish greater things in the future.
Joseph is the classic Old Testament example of the truth that God
works all things together for good to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).
That's a promise you can rely on too.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Reaffirm your trust in God's sovereign work in your life.
For Further Study:
Read of Joseph's life in Genesis 37-50.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Genesis 50:25
25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying,
"God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from
here."
Exodus 13:19
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed
the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, "God will surely
visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you."
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
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and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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