- Genesis 44 Daily DEVO And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” Genesis 44:16 – What can we say for ourselves when we stand before God with our sin uncovered? The brothers are here speechless. There is nothing they can say or do that can change the direction all this is going. Same with us, with our sin nothing we say or do could change the direction our life was going which was eternal separation from God in Hell. Thanks be to God though that while we didn’t have anything to say, God sure did about the situation. He let Jesus step in, take our place, take our punishment, and take our death. So today, stop walking in your life with God like the brothers in our story. Scared in the presence of the Lord because you’re worried He’s going to punish you. Your punishment has been paid, you’re free! Live in that freedom that has been bought for you in Christ! You’re no longer a criminal awaiting death row, you’re a child enjoying an inheritance! I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 524
- Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my Lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father. Genesis 44:33-34 – It’s important to know who is talking in this passage. It was Judah, one of Joseph’s brothers. Years ago Judah was the one who came up with the idea to sell Joseph into slavery, ensuring Joseph wasn’t coming home to Jacob his father. Now we have this same Judah pleading on behalf of his brother, willing to offer himself in the place of his brother. What we see here is an example that people can learn from their mistakes. They may cause some deep, long lasting hurt, but God can capture their heart and change their heart. If then we have someone in our story who’s hurt us, but God has been doing a good work in their story and they are seeking peace with you, we should be open to exploring that peace. The holidays are the times we are surrounded by family which often means we find ourselves in close proximity to the people who have hurt us the deepest. If someone then is seeking Godly peace with you, despite the pain they’ve caused in the past, I believe scripture is encouraging us to not dismiss them or the possible peace that could be found. Be wise and pray deeply on this because this process of finding peace won’t be easy, but with Jesus we see it’s possible. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1850
- And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. Genesis 44:12-13 – Joseph’s brothers were on their way home after a feast in Egypt when they were stopped by one of Joseph servants and questioned about a stolen cup. Unknown to the brothers, the cup was planted in Benjamin’s bag by Joseph, and when discovered, we see above the reaction of the brothers. Now we can begin to think Joseph was cruel in playing with his family like this, but let us remember the Spirit of the Lord was with him in his decision making. Joseph wasn’t trying to play with them or punish them for their actions over 20 years ago, he was testing them to see if their hearts had truly changed. For when it came to Joseph, the first favorite son, the other brothers hated him, wanted to kill him, gladly sold him to slavery, and cared nothing about how it would affect their father. Yet now with Benjamin, the new favorite son, when he was threatened to be sold into slavery or killed, it broke the brothers. They tore their clothes in grief, they all returned to Egypt even when they didn’t have to, and Judah was even pleading to swap places with Benjamin. Jospeh saw the change in heart that God had made within his brothers. Like Joseph, God will sometimes lead us through seasons that seem on the outside as He is playing with us or punishing us. God’s heart though is not to harm us, but to reveal in us the change He has and is making within us. For we may not yet see or acknowledge the full change God has made in our life from where we once were until God allows us to go through something where that change is highlighted. God’s heart is to bring change within us and reveal that change. Let us praise the Lord for the changes He is willing to make within our life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2850
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