Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

February 19
Thursday


WHOSE WILL?

READ:
Genesis 39:1-6, 20-23
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"O My Father, if it
is possible, let this
cup pass from Me;
nevertheless, not as I
will, but as You will."
__Matthew 26:39
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May all things happen according to your will," is a greeting frequently exchanged during Chinese New Year. As wonderful as that may sound, events turn out best when God's will plays out and not mine.

Given a choice, Joseph would not have wished to be a slave in Egypt (Gen. 39:1). But despite his captivity, he was "successful" because "the LORD was with [him]" (v.2). The Lord even blessed his master's home" for Joseph's sake" (v.5).

Joseph would never have chosen to go to prison in Egypt. But he did when falsely accused of sexual assault. However, for the second time we read: "the LORD was with Joseph" (v.21). There, he gained the trust of the warden (v.22) so that "whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper" (v.23). His downward spiral into prison turned out to be the start of his rise to the top position in Egypt. Few people would choose to be promoted the way God promoted Joseph. But Joseph's God blesses, despite, and even through, adverse circumstances.

God had a purpose for bringing Joseph to Egypt, and He has a purpose for bringing Joseph to Egypt, and He has a purpose for placing us where we are. Instead of wishing that all things happened according to our will, we could say, as our Savior did before going to the cross, "Not as I will, but as You will" (Matt. 26:39). C. P. Hia

`````````````````Lord, it is far too easy to chase may own desires and```````````````````
```````````````passions. Forgive me for my selfish wants and pursuit of`````````````````
`````````````self-centered activities. Help me to place You first and to``````````````````
```````````````look for what You are doing and want to do in my life.```````````````````
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Patient waiting is often the highest way
of doing God's will.

***************************Today's Bible Reading __ Genesis 39:1-6, 20-23***********************
1 Now Joseph had been
taken down to Egypt. And
Potiphar, captain of the
guard, an Egyptian, brought
him from the Ishmaelites
who had taken him down
there.

2 The LORD was with
Joseph, and he was a
successful man; and he was
in the house of his master
the Egyptian. 7 and his
master saw that the LORD
was with him and that the
LORD made all he did to
prosper in his hand. 4 so
Joseph found favor in his
sight, and served him. Then
he made him overseer of his
house, and all that he had
he put under his authority.

5 So it was, from the time
that he had made him
overseer of his house and
all that he had, that the
LORD blessed the
Egyptian's house for
Joseph's sake; and the
blessing of the LORD was
on all that he had in the
house and in the field.

6 Thus he left all that he had
in Joseph's hand, and he did
not know what he had
except for the bread which
he ate.

Now Joseph was
handsome in form and
appearance....

20 Then Joseph's master
took him and put him into
the prison, a place where
the king's prisoners were
confined. And he was there
in the prison.

21 But the LORD was with
Joseph and showed him
mercy, and He gave him
favor in the sight of the
keeper of the prison. 23 And
the keeper of the prison
committed to Joseph's hand
all the prisoners who were
in the prison; whatever they
did there, it was his doing.

23 The keeper of the prison
did not look into anything
that was under Joseph's
authority, because the LORD
was with him; and whatever
he did, the LORD made it
prosper.