Life With Lucas October-December 2022 by Life With Lucas

Jeff’s Bible notes are always so approachable, honest and down to earth, you can’t fail to benefit from them FIONA CASTLE OBE

WITH LUCAS APPLYING GOD’S WORD TODAY

OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2022

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A WORD FROM JEFF

JOSEPH: FROM THE PIT TO THE PALACE As followers of Jesus, we are blessed to know that we will never, ever, be alone again. God is with us and for us. But that doesn’t mean that we will be spared pain. Joseph – the chap with the dreamcoat – knew the blessing of God, but he also suffered some staggering challenges. Sold out (literally) by his jealous brothers, trafficked as a slave, and falsely accused of attempted rape, he had more than his fair share of heartache. No perfect hero, he stayed faithful to God, and the Lord redeemed his circumstances for greater good. And speaking of perfect heroes, there is only one person who fits that description: Jesus. So, as we journey together through Joseph’s life, we’ll see some parallels and contrasts with the life of Christ. I’m praying we will all be encouraged and strengthened. As we draw to the end of the first year of this brand-new product, I want to let you know how things are going. We’re so grateful to all who subscribe and our wonderful Christian bookshops in continuing to make it available. We’re also glad to be able make copies available free of charge to prison chaplains who request them, and we hope to expand that ministry to members of the armed forces. That said, it’s been challenging to deliver Life with Lucas. Everything is going up in price, including the cost of paper, printing and mailing. We are trying to avoid increasing the price and so would be grateful if you would consider donating to help support this resource that is impacting so many across the world. Go to https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/lifewithlucassupport. And thank you again for joining me!

© Son Christian Media (SCM) and Novio Published 2022 by SCM/Novio – PO Box 3070, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6WX, UK All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of SCM/Novio. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, The “NIRV”, “New International Reader’s Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher. Design by Piero Regnante – Rogfog Creative | rogfog.co.uk Printed by Halcyon

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INTRODUCTION

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE WITH LUCAS! CHOOSE A TIME Find the best time that works for you, ideally the same time, same place every day, when you can concentrate and have the least number of distractions. PAUSE AND TALK TO GOD Take a moment to focus on God and ask Him to speak to you as you read and reflect on His word. READ GOD’S WORD Read the daily passage from your Bible. Don’t be tempted just to skip this part. It’s important: who knows how the Holy Spirit might speak to you as you read the actual text? MAKE NOTES

ONLINE VIDEO INTRODUCTIONS, AND GOING DEEPER When you see the video icon this points you to a brief Video Introduction to the subject. Make the most of the occasional Going Deeper resources when you see this icon. They will help you delve further into the passage. GIVE YOUR DAY TO GOD Thank God for what you’ve learned and ask for help if the day’s notes brought to light anything especially applicable to your life at the moment.

Writing slows you down and helps you focus. Write in your Bible, a notebook, or in the white space in the devotions. Don’t hesitate to underline, write in the margins, or circle words. 5

WEEKEND 01-02 OCT

PRESENCE AND SILENCE

READ Acts 7:1-17 Psalm 105:1-23

VIDEO INTRODUCTION lifewithlucas.co.uk /intros

Just today, spending some time alone in prayer, I complained to God. Hungry for wisdom, eager for some kind of dynamic encounter, I vented my frustration. Why does the Lord seem so quiet? Why is His voice so often a whisper, His direction a hint? And then I turned to the words of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. Standing in a kangaroo court, the accused victim of a gaggle of lying witnesses, he includes Joseph’s story in his bold defence. ‘Jacob’s sons... sold him as a slave. He was taken to Egypt. But God was with him’ (Acts 7:9). Immediately we see that suffering doesn’t mean abandonment – Joseph endured years of rejection, slavery and incarceration. And when we turn to the Psalms, we hear that ‘He (God) sent a man ahead of them into Egypt. That man was Joseph’ (Psa. 105:17). God was with Joseph, God sent him. But God was mainly with Joseph silently. In Genesis, God speaks directly to the first couple, then to Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yet He never speaks to Joseph directly, only via the two dreams he has as a teenager. John Lennox puts it like this: ‘Joseph seems to have lived life trusting a God who was mostly silent... he trusted God in the absence of the dramatic.’1 God does speak. But for most of us, there are seasons of relative silence. Perhaps you’re weathering one of those seasons right now. May you know grace to trust that God is still with you, and still directing you. We have His word on that. To ponder: Do we have unrealistic expectations that God will always be speaking to us?

Lennox, John: Joseph: A story of Love, Hate, Slavery, Power and Forgiveness, (Wheaton: Crossway, 2019), p 77

MON 03 OCT

A PATTERN

READ 1 Peter 1:11 1 Peter 4:12-13

FOCUS The Spirit of Christ in them was telling them about the sufferings of Christ... to come [and]... the glory that would follow. 1 Peter 1:11

As I write now, the face of an enthusiastic convert I once knew comes to mind. She was always so hungry to learn more, so passionate in worship. Today, as far as I know, she is far from God, angry and bitter. The reason? Suffering came in the form of an unexpected bereavement, and her faith crumbled. For Joseph, his suffering lasted 13 long years. It’s hard to imagine the depth of pain he endured – we’ll look closer later. But for now, let’s see a pattern: suffering came before glory. The same, of course, was true for Jesus. During that stunning time of Bible teaching on the Emmaus Road, when the newly risen Jesus walked with two of his distraught friends, He repeated the principle as He asked them: ‘Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and then receive his glory?’ (Luke 24:26). And the early followers of Jesus didn’t only see suffering as something that Jesus endured on their behalf; they expected to suffer with Him. In the words of Paul, whose great passion was to know Christ more: ‘I want to know Christ better. I want to know the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings’ (Phil. 3:10). He knew the order to expect. For our Jesus, suffering came before glory. Peter wrote what he did with the knowledge that he would suffer and die for Christ. To live and to love is to suffer. None of us relish suffering, but we shouldn’t be surprised by it. Prayer: When the road is dark, and no relief is in sight, may I be found faithful, strengthened by Your power, enduring in hope, suffering with You, Jesus. Amen. 7

TUE 04 OCT

TENSION AND INTRIGUE

READ Genesis 27:1-40 Genesis 30:22-24

FOCUS Esau said, 'Isn’t Jacob just the right name for him? He has cheated me two times. First, he took my rights as the oldest son. And now he’s taken my blessing!’ Genesis 27:36

I was brought up by kind but wounded parents. My mother had been the victim of a physically and emotionally abusive stepfather; my father spent four years battling to survive in harsh captivity as a prisoner of war. My parents did their best, but our family was not always the most peaceful environment. Joseph was raised in a hugely dysfunctional family, which was racked by jealousy, dishonesty and double-crossing. His father, Jacob, is listed in the ‘Hall of Faith’ in Hebrews, (Heb. 11:9, 20, 21), but he was a schemer, who swindled his brother Esau out of his inheritance. Later, Jacob himself was cheated by his father-in-law, and ended up married to the sister he had not chosen. He managed to turn a further dodgy business deal with the same father-in-law to his advantage. Jacob had a polygamous family, where there were two wives – Rachel, famous for being beautiful, and Leah, (famous for being the opposite). Then there were the two concubines, and enough children to start a football team (including substitutes) from the four mothers! So, Joseph’s home was a cauldron of boiling tension and intrigue; their story includes rape, murder, revenge and lies. Perhaps, as we continue this journey together, some of us can look back over our shoulders at family lives that have also been difficult or disastrous. Without minimising their impact, we should know that when God is our Father, our past doesn’t have to determine our future, as Joseph’s story will show. Prayer: Heavenly Father, where shadows from my past linger, grant me healing from what has been, and hope in You for what is to come. Amen.

WED 05 OCT

EVIL TALES

READ Genesis 37:1-2 Romans 1:1-32

FOCUS Joseph brought their father a bad report about them. Genesis 37:2

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas.co.uk/ goingdeeper

As we consider the unfolding life of Joseph, we will meet a beautiful, faithful character, but not a perfect one, as I said earlier. Only our Jesus can claim that accolade. The Bible never attempts to avoid the faults and flaws of its heroes, and that’s true of Joseph. His story opens with the dysfunction in the family continuing. As we are introduced to a teenaged shepherd boy, Joseph is the catalyst for division. At first glance, he can seem to be a model of integrity, informing on his half-brothers. But a closer look at the Hebrew text shows a different picture – ‘evil tales’ is a closer translation than ‘bad report’. It suggests Joseph’s reports may have been false or exaggerated – the Hebrew word is always used in a negative sense. And then Joseph only reported negatively about his half-brothers: nothing was ever said about his full brother, Benjamin. Commentators generally agree that Joseph was slanderous towards his half-brothers – and that would have added fuel to their simmering resentment, which later exploded. Perhaps Joseph did this to further ingratiate himself with his father. We can view gossip as a rather tame sin; unfortunate and unhelpful, but nothing to get too excited about. The New Testament takes a different view. As the apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome about the utter depravity of humankind, he lists slander and gossip alongside murder. When tempted to tell ‘evil tales’, let’s resist. Prayer: Father, conscious as I am that my words can build, bless or bruise, set a guard around my lips today. Amen. 9

THU 06 OCT

NOT LEARNING OUR LESSONS

READ Genesis 37:1-3 Genesis 29:15-30

FOCUS Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons. Joseph had been born to him when he was old. Genesis 37:3

It’s easy to understand why Jacob (also known as Israel) favoured Joseph over his other sons – the text explains it. Joseph had come late in Jacob’s life, a delight for a man in his twilight years. And then Joseph was the result of his union with the love of his life, the gorgeous Rachel. Joseph was her muchawaited firstborn, and his arrival into the world came after much anguish, conflict and prayer. For Rachel, Joseph’s birth enabled her to declare, ‘God has taken my shame away’ (Gen. 30:23). Joseph’s arrival brought a smile to his parents’ hearts. His brothers’ complaint is not so much about how much their father loved Joseph – it was more about how little love he showed them by comparison. Sadly, favouritism had long been a problem in this family. Jacob had been favoured over his brother Esau by his mother, Rebekah (Gen. 25:28). And Jacob, a man with two wives, favoured one over the other: ‘He loved Rachel more than he loved Leah’ (Gen. 29:30). Despite the carnage that overt favouritism had already wreaked in his family, it seems Jacob never learned his lesson. In turn, it created all kinds of problems for young, headstrong Joseph, as we will see. Failure isn’t final, but it is wasted if we do not learn lessons from our histories. Our past can be a priceless source of wisdom to us. Let’s heed the graphic words from Proverbs: ‘A foolish person who does the same foolish things again is like a dog that returns to where it has thrown up’ (Prov. 26:11). Prayer: Father, enable me to live wisely, in the truth of Your word, in the whispers of Your Holy Spirit, and in the wisdom gleaned from my journey. Amen.

FRI 07 OCT

ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE

READ Genesis 37:1-3 Proverbs 6:12-19

FOCUS Israel made him a beautiful robe. Genesis 37:3

There are some people who habitually make things better. When the day is dark, they brighten it. When conflict erupts, they act as peacemakers. Conversely, there are others who consistently make difficult situations even worse, turning up the volume of disagreement, adding their voices to the shouting. Something like that happens in the relationship between Joseph and his half-brothers. His father’s lack of wisdom and his own headstrong attitude paved the road for major hostility. Imagine the picture. A shepherd boy is out in the fields, sporting a splendid coat that went down to his ankles. The word used to describe it is found elsewhere in scripture in reference to royal robes (2 Sam. 13:18–19). This ‘amazing technicolor dream coat’ was hardly ideal for the messy job of shepherding! Some commentators say this means Joseph would not have been expected to work alongside his half-brothers, so he watched while they toiled – he was now ‘the management’. When Joseph wore that coat, he added fuel to the fire of his half-brothers’ resentment. They already knew their father viewed them negatively. Joseph’s ‘evil reporting’ made things worse. And now, as he swans around in his flashy coat, the contrast between their treatment and his must have felt like the last straw. What are we? Are we brokers of peace who speak calmly and with kindness, or do we, with a lack of wisdom, help turn minor battles into major wars? Prayer: Lord, I’d like my presence and influence to promote blessing, peace and harmony, especially in the middle of conflict. Amen. 11

WEEKEND 08-09 OCT

JESUS’ ROBE

READ John 19:1-24 Ephesians 3:1-13

As we pondered the fashion choice Joseph’s father made for him, let’s pause for a moment and consider what happened to the coat that Jesus wore. The subject of much speculation (at least three churches claim they have it preserved in their buildings), we know that, when Jesus was being crucified, the soldiers drew lots for the seamless garment, and the prophecy from Psalms was fulfilled (Psa. 22:1-18). But today, Jesus has another robe that is likened to the one that Joseph wore. It’s us – His people, His church. As Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, he celebrates how the church, the people redeemed because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, is now called to make known the wisdom of God to the ‘rulers and authorities in the heavenly world’ (Eph. 3:10). The wording used here is the very same word used to describe Joseph’s colourful coat in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The thought is that the glorious inclusive church, where Jew and Gentile, and indeed every tribe and tongue, join together as family – that ‘multi-coloured’ family – a wonderful, diverse display of God’s wisdom. Consider the contrast. Joseph’s coat signified privilege and status that caused enmity. When Jesus was stripped of His robe, and hung naked on the cross, He utterly humbled himself. Now, however, in His resurrection and ascension, the fruit of His humility is a family that would meet in no other circumstances, except at the foot of His cross. No wonder we worship. To ponder: How might we pray specifically and more effectively for the local church that we are part of?

MON 10 OCT

HOW HATRED GROWS

There are two Christian leaders who have both held positions of great influence and responsibility. For decades, they were the best of friends. Serving in distant locations, they called each other every week to express care and share prayer. And today, they are no longer on speaking terms. Perhaps it’s too strong to say that there is hatred, but there’s certainly not much love. Neither one speaks well of the other. How did it happen?

READ Genesis 37:1-4 Hebrews 12:14-15

In the case of Joseph and his brothers, it began with jealousy, and although Joseph made poor choices (and continued to make them, as we’ve seen), the brothers should have directed their anger towards their father. The troubles surfaced because of his blatant favouritism. But also notice that bitterness is infectious. At the beginning, only four of the brothers were involved – the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (Gen. 37:2). But hatred, like misery, loves company, and when Joseph starts showing up in his new coat, all ten hate him.

FOCUS Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them. So they hated Joseph. Genesis 37:4

I’ve seen this happen in church life. We get offended, we vent to others who get offended for us, and very quickly, a bitter group is formed. And then we either speak spitefully, or we withdraw, refusing to engage: ‘They couldn’t even speak one kind word to him’ (Gen. 37:4). The ‘kind word’ is shalom, the basic greeting in the Middle East: ‘peace be with you.’ The writer to the Hebrews tells us that bitterness is toxic. Let’s influence with kindness, not infect others with hatred. Prayer: Holy Spirit, cleanse me of the venom of bitterness; I have been shown great grace. Help me to live graciously, for Your glory. Amen. 13

TUES 11 OCT

I HAVE A DREAM

READ Genesis 37:5-9 Genesis 41:15-16; 28-32

FOCUS Joseph had a dream. Genesis 37:5

It was a restless night. Every time I managed to drift off to sleep, I had the same dream about a well-known personality (whom I have never met). The dream provided detailed information that I could only know if God revealed it supernaturally. It was so vivid that I finally went into my study in the small hours and tapped on my computer, only to discover that what I had dreamt about had just happened, only hours before. It’s a long story, but finally I managed to get word to him, and shared what I felt was from the Lord. Apparently, it made a significant impact. While we need to be very careful about placing too much store on dreams – I’ve only had clear dreams from the Lord two or three times – God can speak to us through them, as he did with young Joseph. There is no mention of God in this episode, which has led some commentators to suggest the dreams were the product of Joseph’s inflated ego. But what the dreams foretold came to pass, much later. And it seems that Joseph came to view a ‘double dream’ as an indication that it was from the Lord, as he would tell Pharaoh years later. When we have a dream that we sense might be from God, we should respond cautiously. Does it align with scripture? How do trusted and reliable fellow believers view the content of our dream? Regardless of how God chooses to speak to us, let’s be people who are open and willing, with ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. Prayer: However You might choose to speak, I want to recognise and respond to Your voice, Lord. I am listening. Amen.

WED 12 OCT

WHAT GOD DIDN’T SAY

READ Genesis 37:5-7 Job 38:1-21

FOCUS ‘We were tying up bundles of grain out in the field. Suddenly my bundle rose and stood up straight. Your bundles gathered around my bundle and bowed down to it.’ Genesis 37:7

Let’s look a little closer at Joseph’s two dreams. In both, God revealed what the ultimate outcome for Joseph would be – he would find himself in a place of staggeringly high honour, where even his own family would bow before him. That, of course, would come true, decades later in Egypt. But the dreams said nothing to Joseph about the murderous betrayal of his brothers, being sold as a slave, Potiphar’s wife and her attempt to seduce him, or his lengthy time in jail. While in prison, Joseph would help two fellow inmates by interpreting their dreams – but the one who was released promptly forgot all about him. God didn’t mention that either. As a young Christian, I was hungry to understand everything I could about the life of faith, and I’m grateful for the appetite I had for wisdom. But as the years have passed, I’ve made friends with mystery, and am much more comfortable with the clear limits that we humans have when it comes to God’s working and life’s complexities. I’m thankful for answered prayer, but every prayer answered begs a question: why did God act on that request, while other more urgent prayers apparently go unanswered? Joseph’s story is not just one of faith, but of faithful trust, as he had to live in circumstances that he hadn’t been warned about. If, like Job, you are in the shadow of circumstances that have hit your life without warning, may you have grace to trust and hold tight to God’s hand by faith today. Prayer: When life takes a sudden turn, and I am shocked or surprised, help me to trust You, faithful God. Amen. 15

THU 13 OCT

TEDIOUS BRAGGING

READ Genesis 37:5–11 1 John 2:15-17

FOCUS So they hated him even more because of his dream. They didn’t like what he had said. Genesis 37:8

Recently Kay and I had to endure a meeting with someone who was only interested in discussing one subject, and it dominated our entire conversation. The subject so sweet to this person’s ears was, simply, himself. With an obsession that seemed glaringly obvious, we were told every detail of what he had, what God had blessed him with, what the future held, and what he dreamed of. I love to hear of the stories and successes of others, but this conversation was turning into a tedious mini-series. Today we consider a lesson in life that could save us grief and ensure that our relationships are sustained. The simple principle is this: even those who love us the most can only put up with so much selfishness and boasting from us: we will wear out even our closest confidantes fast if we endlessly blether on about us. Joseph was clearly either oblivious to the feelings of his brothers or, worse still, he ignored them. He must have known they were hardly members of his fan club. Now, as he shares his ‘I’m going to be the top dog’ dreams, he exasperates them even more. Their irritation turns to hatred (the word is used three times) and even his doting father gets frustrated with his favourite son. Scripture records that Joseph had these dreams, but not that he was told to share them. And, tellingly, Joseph doesn’t mention God at all. Let’s share our successes and blessings with those who will celebrate with us. But let’s not share too much. Prayer: In my conversation, help me to be mindful of others – of their needs, blessings, life stories. Save me from selfishness or boasting, Father. Amen.

FRI 14 OCT

LIVING QUIETLY

READ Matthew 13:53-58 Philippians 2:1-11

FOCUS ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?’ Matthew 13:55

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas.co.uk/ goingdeeper

Yesterday we saw that Joseph unwisely told his family about his two dreams. Perhaps he just couldn’t contain his excitement about all that was ahead. As we’ll see later, God redeemed his mistake, which would ultimately lead to him being taken to Egypt and all that would unfold there. But still, Joseph overshared, with terrible consequences. In His hiddenness, Jesus was so different to Joseph. For the first thirty years of His life, He lived – as far as we know – a quiet, ordinary existence in the little village of Nazareth, where He was known simply as ‘the carpenter’s son’. And when He performed miracles, rather than drawing attention to Himself, He tried to keep them a secret (e.g. Mark 1:43-44, 3:12; Matt 17:9). There were strategic reasons for this, (see Going Deeper today), but still the heart behind the entire incarnation and mission of Jesus was this: He humbled Himself. As the NIrV puts it, ‘he made himself nothing. He did this by taking on the nature of a servant’ (Phil. 2:7). And once He was risen, some commentators suggest, however oddly, He could have visited those who had condemned and dismissed Him, an act of powerful self-vindication. He didn’t. The Pharisees practised a ‘pray-and-display’ spirituality, and Jesus rebuked them for it. As the Son of God – the One who created all things as the eternally existent Lord – He came, not shouting about who He was, but walking in the unfolding plan of His Father. We are called to emulate His example with the help of the Holy Spirit. Prayer: Lord Jesus, when I am tempted to broadcast my good works or successes, help me to embrace the spiritual discipline of secrecy. Amen. 17

WEEKEND 15-16 OCT

TOGETHER IN EVIL

READ Genesis 37:12-18 Matthew 18:19-20

It was a conference attended by just 15 people, held at a guest house near Berlin, Germany, in 1942. Eight of the attendees held academic doctorates, and all were high-ranking members of the government or military. In an atmosphere of congenial agreement, the plot was hatched. Eleven million European Jews were to be killed in what became known as the ‘Final Solution’. These powerful and highly intelligent men collaborated in unspeakable evil. It’s an extreme example, but sometimes we do evil things together that we would not consider alone. ‘Structural sin’ is the term used to describe how corporations, governments, and even church leaders can collude and come under dark influences. I’ve spoken to Christian leaders who participated in making unjust, sinful decisions while sitting around a table, and then were bewildered by their own behaviour once the meeting was over. As Joseph’s siblings hatched a plot to get rid of their irritating dreamer of a brother, we see groupthink can lead to terrible consequences. And the same is true positively – as we agree together in prayer and come together to serve and do good in the name of Christ, beautiful things can happen. By now, Joseph was sixty-four miles from the safety of home, and at the mercy of his brothers’ scheming. The plot was hatched. Let’s pray for those in authority everywhere. And if we are to collaborate with others, let it be to dream for good, and not to scheme for evil. To ponder: Have you ever collaborated on something that was wrong, and made a decision you would never have made alone?

MON 17 OCT

CARELESS WORDS

READ Genesis 37:19-20 Matthew 12:1-14

FOCUS ‘Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to one another. 'Come. Let’s kill him. Let’s throw him into one of these empty wells.’ Genesis 37:19–20

A murmuring mob is dangerous, and that’s what this band of scheming brothers had become. Fuelled by long-term jealousy, and able to recognise the hated Joseph on the horizon at a distance – the drawback of that dreamcoat – they discussed their plan, including their cover story. The text notes that, ‘they said to one another’ – the wording suggests there was no one person leading the charge, although, as we’ll see, one lone cautious voice would emerge later. Together, they hatched the idea, probably egging each other on by referring back to Joseph’s galling dreams. Quickly, they moved from treacherous words – a wild, awful idea, onto terrible actions. Jesus suffered the same fate. The Pharisees developed a plot to have Him killed (Matt. 12:14, Mk. 3:6, John 7:1). These religious leaders worked so hard to give the impression they were ultra-holy, and yet with whispers, false witnesses, and under-the-table dealing, their critical words morphed into a murderous plan. ‘Careless talk costs lives’ warned a poster during the Second World War. Let’s be careful with the way we speak, especially if we find ourselves in a group who are united in their displeasure. Over the years, I’ve seen local churches torn apart as splinter groups emerged, talked, plotted, and then executed their plans. If that seems far-fetched, consider the schisms that the apostle Paul had to confront in the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:10-17). Unwise words can quickly reap a bitter harvest. Prayer: Lord, as I remember the power that my words can carry, ‘may the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight’. Amen. 19

TUE 18 OCT

FISTS WAVED IN GOD’S FACE

READ Genesis 37:20 Acts 9:1-18

FOCUS ‘Then we’ll see whether his dreams will come true.’ Genesis 37:20

Everyone is entitled to their own religious convictions. But just as there are Christians who rant and shout, so there are atheists who seem to be on a furious mission against God. Perhaps they feel angry about some of the terrible acts in history perpetuated in the name of Christ, and they are aggressive and passionate in their determination to rid the world of faith. There’s a hint of this as we listen in on the conspiratorial conversation of Joseph’s brothers. They were no strangers to the idea of a dream from God as Joseph had described it. Their father, Jacob, would have told them about his supernatural encounters, which included dreams about him being greatly blessed (Gen. 28:10-22) and even a wrestling match with God (Gen. 32:22-32). As they’d previously taunted Joseph with the words, ‘Do you plan to be king over us? Will you really rule over us?’ (Gen. 37:8), we have to ask – did they wonder, deep down in their hearts, whether this was actually a message from God, and their worst fears would be realised? The idea of a family, parents included, bowing down to the second youngest son would be preposterous in a Middle Eastern culture. As their eyes narrow and they say with a sneer, ‘Then we’ll see whether his dreams will come true’, we sense they are not only at war with their brother, but with the God who sent him the dreams. Let’s pray for those who fight hardest against faith, like Saul did in Acts, that at last they might surrender to love. Prayer: Father, I pray for those I know who seem least likely to respond to You. Melt hard hearts. You are able. Amen.

WED 19 OCT

WE’RE ALL A MIXTURE

READ Genesis 37:21-22 Romans 7:14-25

FOCUS Reuben heard them talking. He tried to save Joseph from them. ‘Let’s not take his life,’ he said. Genesis 37:21

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas.co.uk/ goingdeeper

It was a strange title for a book that I wrote a few years ago: There are no strong people. Based around the character of Samson, my thesis was that we tend to categorise ourselves and others as either good or bad, weak or strong. But with some exceptions – monsters and stunningly good people living among us – most of us are a mixture. Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn and therefore senior in the family hierarchy, and an example of that mixture. His was the lone voice of protest against the conspiracy to kill Joseph, and he proposed a plan that saved the dreamer’s life, even if it did backfire initially. Years later, it would be Reuben who would pledge his own life and the lives of his sons as he promised to get Benjamin out of Egypt. Here was a man who took responsibility for sins that he had tried to avoid. And yet Reuben was also deeply flawed; he had slept with his father’s concubine, Bilhah, (Gen. 35:22) which was technically incest according to Old Testament law. This brought terrible disgrace on the family, and cost Reuben his inheritance as the firstborn (Gen. 49:3-4). He would be described by his dying father as a man of honour, strength, power – and turbulence and defilement. You and I are capable of great good, and great harm. Positively, Reuben’s story shows that what we were yesterday, for good or ill, does not determine what we will be today. What element of our character will win the day today? Prayer: Today, I have the potential to do both good and ill. Fill me with Your Spirit Father, that good fruit might blossom from my life today. Amen. 21

THU 20 OCT

SEE THAT PERSON

READ Genesis 37:23-25 Genesis 42:21-22

FOCUS And they threw him into the well... then they sat down to eat their meal. Genesis 37:24-25

Sin escalates at speed. Notice the pace here, as we read about what the brothers did: they stripped him of his robe, they threw him into the well, and they sat down to eat. There is such callousness in their behaviour. The word ‘threw’ is usually translated from the Hebrew as ‘dumped’ and is usually associated with getting rid of a dead body. They treated Joseph like an object rather than a living person. He is discarded – and they then tuck into a meal, perhaps using the supplies he had delivered to them! At this point in the story, we are not told how Joseph responded to this trauma. But years later, looking back with regret because they thought they were being punished for their actions, the brothers would recall the harrowing scene. ‘We saw how troubled he was when he begged us to let him live. But we wouldn’t listen’ (Gen. 42:21). Picture that. Young Joseph was probably screaming for mercy, terrified. Yet as his frantic cries echoed around the well, the brothers sat there, enjoying their food. Assuming that none of us has plans to throw any of our family members into a pit (!), what has this got to do with us? The challenge is for us to see people as people, to be tender-hearted, ready to sense their moods, appreciate their history, and respond with compassion and care. We cannot and should not shoulder the cares of the world. But we may well meet someone today who is crying, albeit softly. Let’s hear and, with God’s help, respond. Prayer: I want to live with a tender heart and open eyes today, Father. Enable me, please. Amen.

FRI 21 OCT

PIOUS VENOM

READ Genesis 37:26-27 Matthew 26:57-68

FOCUS ‘Come. Let’s sell him to these traders. Let’s not harm him ourselves. After all, he’s our brother. He’s our own flesh and blood.’ Genesis 37:27

Over my years of ministry, I have been privileged to meet so many kind, faithful, fervent Christian believers. They sacrifice, they serve, they care, and often they are unsung heroes. Sadly, I’ve also encountered a few vicious souls who are barbed in their talk and brutal with their Bibles. God’s word is a sword, and these people swing it around wildly, not caring about the hurt they cause. One gentleman (who was anything but gentle) comes to mind. He would never call me by my first name, but insisted on addressing me as ‘brother’ – and then would attack, using venom mixed with Bible verses. Judah’s speech is sickening. Perhaps unwilling to bear the burden (and possible judgement) of committing fratricide, he makes a suggestion that proposes trafficking young Joseph as a slave – but the word ‘brother’ occurs no less than four times in just two verses, and twice in Judah’s proposal. We’re left in no doubt that his suggestion was anything but brotherly. The word ‘gain’ here is a Hebrew word that is more akin to ‘loot’, and usually relates to greed or dishonesty. I’m reminded of the High Priest who, during the trial of Jesus, used pious words to spin a web of false accusation against Him. Even the religious were not above such behaviour then, and they are not now. Some still weaponise scripture and use it to cover their hostility, battering others. Let’s never engage in that kind of behaviour. Prayer: Lord, Your word is like a sharp sword. May I always be careful to handle it well. Amen. 23

WEEKEND 22-23 OCT

SOLD OUT

We’ve seen that Joseph was rejected and betrayed by his brothers, partly because his dreams conflicted with their hopes. The future Joseph described was the last thing they would have wanted. Over sixteen centuries later, there would be another clash of dreams and a sickening betrayal, this time for thirty pieces of silver, as Judas Iscariot sold Jesus out with a kiss. Judas is repeatedly referred to in the gospels as ‘the one who betrayed Jesus’ (Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16). Despite spending three years as a member of Jesus’ team, Judas is remembered simply as a traitor. But why did he do it? Perhaps Jesus’ kingdom dream clashed with what Judas wanted. The Jews in Jesus’ day wanted a military Messiah, who would deliver them from Roman oppression. The people of Israel longed for a human rescuer to drive out the occupiers, who exacted heavy tax burdens and imposed harsh controls.

READ Genesis 37:28 Mark 14:1-10

I firmly believe that Judas wanted Jesus to take that political route, and betrayed Him because He was headed to a cross instead. Matthew tells us exactly when Judas decided to finally go through with his betrayal scheme – after Jesus was anointed for burial. Some commentators suggest that Judas’ actual act of betrayal may have been part of a plan to spark a confrontation between Jesus and the Roman authorities. Jesus wants to fulfil, not our wildest dream for ourselves, but His kingdom dreams through us. When our dreams clash with His, let’s yield to Him. To ponder: Have you ever had a ‘clash of dreams’ with God? How did that turn out? Amen.

MON 24 OCT

I SEE YOU

READ Genesis 37:29-30 Luke 19:1-10

FOCUS He went back to his brothers and said, 'The boy isn’t there! Now what should I do?’ Genesis 37:30

Today I heard the story of a member of our team, who is a breast cancer survivor. She described two very different experiences with medical professionals. One delivered her harrowing diagnosis with cold indifference – she was traumatised by the news, and the way it was delivered. Her experience with her surgeon, however, was quite different. He was kind, caring and genuinely ‘saw’ her in her most testing season. Perhaps those who spend their days engaging with people can start to objectify them after a while, especially when they are under pressure, as many healthcare providers are. Reuben, who had planned to rescue Joseph, was away when the terrible trade was done, and Joseph was sold into slavery. Some commentators criticise him for this, suggesting a lack of responsibility, but surely this was just the job of a shepherd – there was work to be done, tending the flock. When he returned and Joseph was nowhere to be seen, Reuben panicked: tearing his clothes suggests that he initially thought that Joseph was dead. And the tender language that Reuben used, reminding his brothers that Joseph was just a boy (the word is often translated as child) is in stark contrast to his brothers’ attitude – they saw Joseph as an object to be traded, and good riddance. Reuben saw Joseph as a vulnerable human being. Everyone has a story, and we all want to be noticed. Today, let’s see people, especially if we routinely deal with a lot of people. Prayer: You see me, know me, care for me. In this day, especially if it is busy, help me to see and care. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 25

TUE 25 OCT

ECHOES FROM THE PAST

READ Genesis 37:31-33 Genesis 27:9-17

FOCUS Then they got Joseph’s beautiful robe. They killed a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took it back to their father. Genesis 37:31–32

We reap what we sow. If we are consistently unkind, even our closest friends will ultimately distance themselves from us. Betrayal in marriage produces a bitter fruit of hurt and sorrow. Dishonesty in the workplace may lead to unemployment or worse. Years earlier, Jacob had chosen a pathway of fraud, deceiving his own father using a goat skin to steal his brother Esau’s blessing. And now he becomes the victim of a similar trick, as his own sons kill a goat and use its blood to report a death that never happened. This is not ‘what goes around, comes around’ thinking. The simple truth here is that our actions have consequences, both negatively and positively. The book of Proverbs tells us that ‘Anyone who plants evil gathers a harvest of trouble’ (Prov. 22:8). Lying and selfishness had long been part of Jacob’s life, as we have seen (Gen. 31). Temptation comes with whispered lies. ‘Go for it.’ ‘You need this.’ ‘Nobody will get hurt.’ But the choices we make today shape the future we experience tomorrow. Perhaps some of us find ourselves right on the brink of a decision that is going to affect not only us but those we love. If we take that step, it might be years from now when we look back with bitter regret, and wonder, ‘What was I thinking?’ Perhaps the truth is that we are not thinking. The pleasure and satisfaction of sin are temporary. The awful harvest comes later because those seeds have been sown. If that’s where you are, pause, reflect, consider, pray. Please. Prayer: Jesus, when temptation urges me to rush to a disastrous choice, help me pause, think, pray, and choose well. Amen.

WED 26 OCT

SHOCK AND FEAR

READ Genesis 37:31-33 2 Corinthians 10:1-5

FOCUS Jacob recognized it. He said, 'It’s my son’s robe! A wild animal has eaten him up. Joseph must have been torn to pieces.’ Genesis 37:33

Let’s look at this scene from another angle, and reflect upon Jacob’s response as Joseph’s bloodied robe was handed to him. The brothers made no suggestion about what might have happened to Joseph. Perhaps their words were carefully chosen, pre-planned. ‘We found this. Take a look at it. See if it’s your son’s robe.’ Understandably, the shock catapulted Jacob into fear. He was familiar with the dangers that shepherds and travellers routinely faced from wild animals, but now his imagination moved at lightning speed, hastily concluding that his beloved Joseph must have been a victim of an animal attack. From there, he dashed to the idea that Joseph had suffered a horrendous death, torn apart and eaten alive. Fear is stoked by imagination. Anyone who has wrestled through a sleepless night knows that our minds can present all kinds of awful possibilities in the small hours. When the sun comes up, calmer logic returns. Yet the fact is, most of what we imagine when we’re afraid doesn’t actually occur. Mark Twain lamented, ’I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.’ There’s a corny joke that reflects this idea. A man was suddenly awakened in the middle of the night and discovered a burglar in his living-room. ‘Come and meet my wife’, he said. ‘She’s been expecting you for thirty years...’ Are our imaginations working overtime? God grant us grace and wisdom to ’keep every thought under control in order to make it obey Christ’ (2 Cor. 10:5). Prayer: Grant me faith, Father, when fear stalks me. Amen. 27

THU 27 OCT

JESUS ON FEAR

READ Matthew 8:23-27 John 14:1-14

FOCUS He replied, 'Your faith is so small! Why are you so afraid?’ Matthew 8:26

Jesus spoke a lot about fear. In the gospels, He gave 125 commands. No less than 21 of them are about fear. The closest ‘runner up’ (recorded eight times) is the command to love God and love our neighbours as ourselves! Last weekend I spoke about fear in our church, and halfway through the sermon, I invited everyone to take a minute or two to fly around our auditorium (we have a very high ceiling) before returning to their seats. People understandably looked puzzled, because I was asking them to do the impossible. In calling us to turn away from fear, Jesus is not taunting us. He is asking us to do something that is possible, with His help, to do. As we learn to ‘keep every thought under control in order to make it obey Christ’ (2 Cor. 10:5), we can conquer the power of fear’s imagination. That does not mean that we will not have any circumstances to be afraid of. Most of Jesus’ team endured beatings, threats, and painful martyrdom. The Christian life is not all smooth sailing, and storms are promised (John 16:33). But we are summoned away from fear by the Christ who promises to never leave or forsake us. The universe can be a harsh place, but with Jesus, we will never be alone in it again. Perhaps, like the disciples, the waves seem mountainous in your life right now, and terror torments you. As I write this, I am praying you will experience a radical, unexplainable peace that comes from knowing that He is with you, and always will be. Prayer: All-powerful Jesus, grant me grace to heed Your call not to be afraid, especially when the waves of life’s storms seem high. Amen.

FRI 28 OCT

SIN BEGETS SIN

READ Genesis 37:34-35 James 1:12-16

FOCUS All of Jacob’s other sons and daughters came to comfort him. But they weren’t able to. Genesis 34:35

It was the Scottish poet, novelist and historian, Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), who gave us those famous words of warning about deception: ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.’ One lie leads to another, and so on. As Jacob’s motley crew of a family made their way home, obviously fully aware they’ve sold their own brother into a life of slavery, they meander downhill into a quagmire of further sin. We’ve already seen they became heartless liars as they took the false evidence of the bloodied coat to the old man. They are forced to watch his tears and listen to his declaration that his life is ruined – with stoic cold-blooded determination. And then they were forced to become hypocrites, ‘comforting’ their father in turn, feigning sympathy and support while all along knowing the terrible truth. In a moment, anyone of them could have swept the tangled web of deception aside, told the truth, and set out to rescue their captive brother. Jacob was inconsolable, and they could have brought an end to his tears. But the lying continued, and the grief and pain with it. Even Jacob’s insistence that his sorrow would be undiminished until his death failed to soften the stony hearts of his sons. Their calculated callousness knew no depths. It’s one thing to make a mistake, but quite another to go all out to add sin to sin as we continue to cover our tracks. Sin multiplies in the darkness created by deception. Prayer: I never want my heart to be hardened by sin, Lord. Keep me sensitive to Your conviction, Your direction. Amen. 29

WEEKEND 29-30 OCT

WHEN GOD IS SILENT

READ Genesis 37:34-35 Job 31:29-40

GOING DEEPER

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I’ve often talked about how my early years as a Christian were shrouded in angst. Despite being part of a wonderful, caring church community, led by a pastor who exuded kindness and preached with great clarity, I fretted endlessly. I didn’t pray enough. I found parts of the Bible dull, so I concluded that my attitude must displease the Lord. I might miss God’s will for my life if I took just one wrong turn. Some of what should have been my happiest days were lost to anxiety and fear. The thought of the second coming of Jesus terrified me. Looking back over the decades, there have been times when I have not only felt embittered about my youth being so overshadowed, but I have wondered – why didn’t God rescue me from all that confusion? And the answer is... I have no clear answer – but that’s okay. It might be that my wrestling led me to deeper study, or that I needed to experience such bewilderment to prepare me for a teaching and preaching ministry. For whatever reason, God was silent on those concerns. Jacob thought that everything was working against him (Gen. 42:36). For twenty-two years, Jacob, a man who had experienced such powerful encounters and revelations from God, thought his son was dead – and the Lord didn’t tell him otherwise. And Job was honest in his complaint, hungry for God to break the silence that he felt lay between him and God. Let’s respond with obedience when God speaks, and trust Him when it seems that He is silent. To ponder: Have you experienced seasons when God seemed silent? Are you in one now? What has your response been?

MON 31 OCT

GOD AT WORK IN THE MESS

READ Genesis 37:36 Romans 8:28-39

FOCUS But the traders from Midian sold Joseph to Potiphar in Egypt. Potiphar was one of Pharaoh’s officials. He was the captain of the palace guard. Genesis 37:36

Let’s press the pause button for a moment and review. Joseph is in deep trouble – his life has been threatened, he’s been sold into the hand of the Midianites (famous in the Bible for their heartless brutality), and now has plummeted from being a dressed-to-kill son in a prosperous family to being a slave in a foreign country. Joseph, like many people today, is a helpless victim of people trafficking. All of this has happened because of a cocktail of human evil: his own father’s favouritism began the trouble, and was exacerbated by Joseph’s haste to speak about his dreams. His brothers’ hatred gradually distilled into thoughts of murder, and a botched solution from Reuben backfires. The whole thing is a hopelessly tangled mess of lies, conspiracy, and bitter envy. And yet, somehow, in the midst of all the muck and the mess, God is working out His purposes. He is not the architect of the chaotic evil, but He is the redeemer of it. Quietly, God was placing Joseph in a place where he could become the rescuer of a nation. Perhaps you find yourself somewhere, and it’s all because of a stunningly stupid decision you made some time ago. Bluntly, you were wrong. Or maybe you’ve been the helpless victim of the madness of others: their choices have conspired to land you in ‘second choice’ circumstances. Don’t lose hope; ask the redeemer to do some redeeming. He is bigger than the mess, and can bring something quite beautiful out of it. Prayer: You are able to redeem what others, or the enemy of my soul, have intended for harm. Work, move, act, redeem, O Lord. Amen. 31

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04/10/2021 13:46

TUE 01 NOV

GOLDEN BOY

READ Genesis 39:1-2 Psalm 18:1-26

FOCUS The Lord was with Joseph. He gave him great success. Genesis 39:2

It’s a well-known saying about the so-called Midas effect: ‘whatever they touch turns to gold’. In the case of the unfortunate King Midas of Greek mythology fame, all that gold didn’t turn out to be much of a blessing, seeing as all his food and drink turned to gold at his touch too... Joseph had that golden touch, but this was nothing to do with chance, magic or good luck. The favour of God was with him. We skip over the story in Genesis 38, and we find Joseph, doing rather well for himself in the household of Potiphar. The two salient themes of Joseph’s story from this point on clearly emerge here, and we’ll return to them repeatedly. Wherever Joseph finds himself, God is with him, faithfully, and Joseph is with God, faithfully, (in common with us all, though, Joseph is not with God perfectly). Surely that’s the truest definition of authentic success: a human being cared for by God (even in adversity), found in relationship with God, honouring the Lord and their fellow humans, entrusted with success and refusing to be spoiled by it. Joseph always rises to the top: in his family, he’s the celebrated one with the fancy wardrobe; as a servant, he’s entrusted with everything; even when he lands upon what could become Death Row for him, he flourishes. But, far more than merely being successful, Joseph is trustworthy. True success is not just about having more: it’s about faithfulness, and about how we act, when we’re down and out, or up and coming. Prayer: Wherever I find myself, may I be found faithful to You, strengthened by Your presence, faithful God. Amen. 33

13:46

WED 02 NOV

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

READ Genesis 39:3 Luke 2:41-52

FOCUS Joseph’s master saw that the Lord was with him. Genesis 39:3

I’ve often talked about Pamela Richardson, my RE teacher in high school. A busy pastor’s wife, she also juggled the pressures of a full-time career. Whenever I saw her, she was rushing, out of breath – but for some reason, she always made time for me. I watched her life, and slowly I became convinced that I should think carefully about faith. I became a follower of Jesus because of two miracles; I was physically healed (that’s another story), and the miracle of Pam’s beautiful life turned me towards Jesus. Living in a pagan culture so completely different to his own, Joseph’s life shone, so much so that his boss could see his qualities, and that God was with him. The false accusation made later against Joseph was not only a threat to his life, but a smear on his testimony and integrity. Yet again we see a parallel between Joseph and Jesus, the perfect man. ‘Jesus became wiser and stronger. He also became more and more pleasing to God and to people’ (Luke 2:52). We are to emulate Him, and fulfil His call to us: ‘let your light shine in front of others. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will praise your Father who is in heaven’ (Matt. 5:16). Peter echoes that call: ‘People who don’t believe might say you are doing wrong. But lead good lives among them. Then they will see your good works. And they will give glory to God on the day he comes to judge’. (1 Pet. 2:12). With God’s empowering, let us seek to live beautifully for Him. Prayer: Lord, today, in big and small ways, I have influence. May I live a life that turns heads and hearts towards You, and so make an eternal difference. Amen.

THU 03 NOV

THE POWER OF TRUST

READ Genesis 39:1-4 Psalm 56:1-13

FOCUS Joseph’s master... Genesis 39:3a

In his wonderful book Ruthless Trust, the late Brennan Manning points us to the writing of Henri Nouwen. In his last book, (published on the day of his death) The Inner Voice of Love, Nouwen uses the word ‘trust’ 65 times. Manning notes that in his previous works, Nouwen talked a lot about faith: now, at the end of his journey, trust was his focus. As we read of God being with Joseph and giving him success, we can be tempted to think all is now rosy. But the narrative jolts us back to reality with the reminder that Joseph’s life and destiny were now in the hands of his master. His days are not his own; he is not free to come and go – or return to his homeland and his father. And as we’ll see, the pathway he will take to power and greatness is far from smooth. Through all this, Joseph had to trust God. Perhaps it’s just because I’m getting older, but I so enjoy being around people who have walked with God for years. Recently I was privileged to spend time with Theda, a bright, witty and loving 106-year-old! Conversation with her is like time travel: she remembers events from distant history with such clarity. But Theda also has such a deep love for Jesus, and has trusted Him – and continues to do so – with such tenacity and joy. Mother Teresa was approached once by a man who asked her to pray for him, that he would have clarity in his life. ‘I will not pray for clarity’, she replied, sagelike. ‘What you really need is trust.’ Surely all of us need more of that. Prayer: ‘I trust in God. I praise his word. I trust in God. I will not be afraid.’ (Psa. 56:3-4).Amen. 35

THE GOD WHO KEEPS HIS PROMISES

Sometimes when news is sad, or wonderful, we repeat it, as if to allow it to sink in. Look closely at how the narrative describes how Potiphar related to Joseph. It’s so staggering that he would be so trusted, the writer refers to it four times in one paragraph. For a slave to be elevated like this was unthinkable. But there’s something else we should notice here: the personal name of God – Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God – is used eight times here. After this, that name never appears in Joseph’s story, except at the end of it when Jacob uses it on his deathbed (Gen. 49:18).

READ Genesis 39:4 Romans 4:1-25

Pan back with me for a moment. Joseph had found himself captive in a culture that was utterly alien to him. As his eyes blinked open each morning, he would hear the chanting of occult hymns to awaken the gods – and there were many of them: gods of the locality, like Ptah, and cosmic gods like Re, the sun god. Even the Pharaoh was considered to be a god, the falcon sky-god Horus.

FRI 04 NOV

FOCUS He put Joseph in charge of his house. He told Joseph to take good care of everything he owned. Genesis 39:4

Thrust into the centre of all this darkness, the narrator wants us to know that, despite circumstances that could have made Joseph feel abandoned and bewildered, nevertheless His God was the God who keeps His promises. When we gather to share bread and wine, we remind ourselves of something that we so easily forget: God is, He loves us, He will always be with us and for us, and the power of death is beaten. When our lives feel as dark as darkest ancient Egypt, we need to remember and celebrate that. Prayer: Father, in a world of scams and false promises, You are steadfast, true, reliable, my rock. I praise You. Amen.

WEEKEND 05-06 NOV

THE GOD WHO OPENS DOORS

READ Genesis 39:5-6 Revelation 3:7-13

Years ago, I was serving as a young church planter, on a mission to see a healthy Christian community established in a housing estate in the Midlands. At that time, I’d had just a handful of opportunities for wider ministry. Halfway through a youth service, Mike Sherwood, a fellow minister, announced he had a prophetic word for me which he wanted to share publicly. ‘God is going to bring you to a place in ministry, Jeff, where you will look around at the doors He has opened, and you will say, “How did this happen?” Be patient, because God will do it.’ I share this with some nervousness, fearful of sounding pretentious, but as I look back, Kay and I have been privileged to speak in over a thousand different churches and conferences over the ensuing decades. We’ve have travelled the world in ministry, and been privileged to share God’s word with countless people via radio and in print. In all this, our boast is only in the God who has opened the way. As we saw yesterday, when He makes a covenantal promise, He keeps it. Despite all the harrowing circumstances that Joseph endured, God opened doors for him that no human hand could shut, and He can do the same for us. This is true for all who follow Christ, in whatever role. You don‘t have to be a pastor or a preacher for this to be true: God covers all careers and none. In your life and circumstances, may you be able to trace His fingerprint and sense His guiding hand. To ponder: What might be the difference between an opportunity and an ‘open door’ from God?

MON 07 NOV

TEMPTATION

READ Genesis 39: 6b-12 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 FOCUS She spoke to Joseph day after day. But he told her he wouldn’t make love to her. He didn’t even want to be with her. Genesis 39:10

GOING DEEPER

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We Christians need to talk about sex more: everybody else is talking about it, a lot of the time, and in our hearing. The idea we are somehow immune to the multiple temptations that sex brings is nothing short of madness. This relentless attempted seduction of Joseph gives us a hint about the nature of temptation. Perhaps you’re facing major sexual temptation right now: here are a few of the false notions that may be swimming around inside your head. ‘I’m only human. I can’t take the pressure.’ But Joseph had to endure the come-to-bed eyes and graphic invitation of Potiphar’s wife every day. Temptation seeks to wear us out with its repetitive demands, but Joseph refused to give in. ‘No one will know. You can cover your tracks.’ When the final move came from Potiphar’s wife, nobody else was in the house. It was the perfect opportunity. Perhaps you’re in a situation right now where you’re confident your secret would never emerge. But Joseph knew the issue was not his ability to get away with sin, but rather the betrayal of the trust given to him by his employer, as well as his relationship with God. Or we think, ‘a little flirtation is harmless.’ Joseph not only distrusted his would-be seductress, he distrusted himself, hence his doing a runner, literally. He didn’t even stop to retrieve his cloak. There has to come a time when the talking stops, and the only sensible option is to head away from the temptation at full speed. Prayer: Grant me the wisdom to know when to run, and the clarity and determination to resist relentless temptation. Amen.

TUE 08 NOV

JESUS AND TEMPTATION

READ Luke 4:1-13 James 1:12-18

FOCUS There the devil tempted him for 40 days. Luke 4:2

As we imagine Joseph fleeing the place of temptation, we’re reminded that right at the beginning of His three-year ministry, Jesus faced the fullest heat of temptation, in a direct confrontation with Satan. Scripture tells us that Christ was tempted in every way, just as we are (Heb. 4:15). Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. This is deeply significant, because it’s a sign that a new exodus, and new march to freedom were dawning. Also, under Moses’ leadership, the wilderness had been the place of testing for the Israelites, and they failed miserably. Deuteronomy records that, in the wilderness, they complained bitterly and had to learn that life was not just about having bread (Deut. 8:3), that God alone was worthy of worship, and that they should not test Him (Deut. 6:16). Now the Messiah faces the same temptations, but He triumphs in the epic battle. But there’s a danger we can think that Jesus, as Son of God, got a ‘free pass’ when it came to temptation. The reality is that He faced the struggle with exactly the same resources as we do, through the help and power of the Holy Spirit. He also taught how we should face temptation: ‘Watch and pray. Then you won’t fall into sin when you are tempted’ (Matt. 26:41). And rather than arguing with the tempter, He used His knowledge of scripture as a weapon to deflect the enemy attack. There’s no sin in being tempted. And as we immerse ourselves in God’s truth and presence, we can win too. Prayer: Jesus, I am glad You experienced the fiercest heat of temptation. Strengthen me when I am in the wilderness. Help me to choose well. Amen. 39

WED 09 NOV

IT’S JUST NOT FAIR

READ Genesis 39:13-20 1 Peter 3:8-22

FOCUS So he put Joseph in prison. It was the place where the king’s prisoners were kept. Genesis 39:20

I want life to be fair, and would be delighted if I was rewarded instantly for making good choices. As we know, not only is life not fair, but existing on this confused, sin-bound planet means that often we ‘suffer for doing what is right’ (1 Pet. 3:14). Sooner or later, we will all be treated unjustly. Just when things were looking up, disaster strikes. In the short term at least, Joseph ends up losing everything again for the second time, once more the victim of conspiracy, this time the wrath of a woman spurned. Sharpeyed commentators have noted that Potiphar may not have fully believed his wife, because the standard punishment for attempted rape was death, whereas Joseph just ends up in prison. Not only did the slinky seductress have to live with the knowledge that she had condemned a wholly innocent man, but it’s possible she had to endure the sideways, questioning glances of her husband too. Notice her manipulative language with her husband: ‘That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to rape me (Gen. 39:17), and ‘That’s how your slave treated me’ (Gen. 39:19, italics mine). It’s all her husband’s fault, for bringing the Hebrew into the home in the first place. This is no happy marriage, but a battleground of control and accusation. Meanwhile, Joseph is incarcerated. Are you suffering unfairly, the victim of lies and injustice? It happened to Joseph, and of course it happened to our Lord Jesus. You’re in good company. Prayer: Father, on the tougher days of suffering and even injustice, may I know Your strength and peace sustaining me. Amen.

THU 10 NOV

JESUS FALSELY ACCUSED

READ Mark 14:53-65 Matthew 26:1-5

FOCUS Many witnesses lied about him. But their stories did not agree. Mark 14:56

Let’s pause for a moment and reflect on the truth that we considered yesterday, that Jesus was the victim of a whole series of false accusations and injustices. During his trial before the 71-member Sanhedrin – the Jewish court – Jesus chose not to defend Himself. Many believe this was because He knew this was a kangaroo court, and His guilt was already a foregone conclusion, for those taking part: they were determined to get a conviction. Scripture makes it clear the religious leaders had carefully plotted to kill Jesus. The court met during Passover, which was completely illegal. According to Mark’s version of the events, there was an atmosphere of chaos because of the array of false witnesses who testified. As we might expect, their stories did not agree, and so, according to Jewish law, their claims were inadmissible as evidence. Mark also alerts us to the strength of corruption in the proceedings: ‘The chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for a clever way to arrest Jesus. They wanted to kill him (Mark 14:1). Jesus was then sent to Pilate for trial. The charge would be treason, but Pilate rejected the charge, as did Herod. Yet still the Sanhedrin pushed to get their ultimate aim: the death of Jesus. We know that God redeemed all this evil scheming and corruption, and ultimately Jesus was not just executed: He laid down His life willingly for us. It does not change the fact that He knows what it feels like to be falsely accused. Prayer: When false accusation comes, give me wisdom to know when and how to speak, Father. Amen. 41

FRI 11 NOV

LIVING IN THE GAP

READ Genesis 39:20-23 Hebrews 11:32-40

FOCUS While Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him. He was kind to him. Genesis 39:20-21

As we read that Joseph was sent to prison, we should realise his situation bears no resemblance to our modern prison systems. Ancient works of art show how hard their lives were. Egyptian prisoners were considered to be free labour, and would be forced to work in the scorching heat of the granite mines all year round, with no day of rest. Yet here, Joseph flourishes yet again, and he rises to the top. All of this is because God is ‘with’ Joseph, a statement repeated four times just in this one chapter (verses 2,3,21 and 23). So how did Joseph manage to sustain hope through those thirteen years of slavery and imprisonment, when freedom was denied him? Remember those dreams and revelations that Joseph had perhaps rushed to share with his envious brothers? Surely God gave them to the young man to sustain him through all that was to come. Joseph had caught a hint of their fulfilment, in the favour he had experienced in Potiphar’s household. Even in prison, he must have mulled them over many times, as each grinding day unfolded: greatness and significance were to come; God had said so. Our maturity – or lack of it – is often revealed by the way we live in the gap between a promise from God and the fulfilment of that promise. There may be lengthy seasons when circumstances seem to flat out deny that something God has promised will ever arrive; then, sooner or later, a new day dawns. But in the meantime, we hold on to hope, by faith. Prayer: Increase my faith, Lord, especially when I have to stand – or live – in the gap. Amen.

WEEKEND 12-13 NOV

PRACTICAL CARE

READ Genesis 40:1-7 John 11:1-44

In a conversation I shared with a friend just this week, he said: ‘I feel like I am quite sensitive to people’s pain, Jeff. I can often sense when people are struggling. My problem is that often I’m too busy to actually reach out to them to help or encourage them.’ I appreciated his honesty and understood his position. We can all live self-preoccupied lives, especially when we are wrestling with hurt ourselves. Joseph could have spent his days licking his wounds, bewailing the injustice that we considered earlier, living within the boundaries of his own hurt. But he didn’t: he looked outward and considered the needs of others. And while he obviously had a profound ability to discern the voice of God through dreams, look past that gift, to the character of the man who operated it. His prophetic insight flowed from a heart of real care and concern for others. He noticed the two imprisoned royal officials were dejected and asked why they were so low. Genuine compassion came before supernatural revelation. Jesus is the ultimate supreme model of a compassionate heart. His open grief over the death of Lazarus and His response shows that behind the stunning miracle of raising a stinking corpse, a heart of tender care was beating. We can’t carry everyone else’s burdens, but we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us eyes to see, hearts that care, and hands that reach out to those that He leads us to. May that be true of us this weekend. To ponder: Can you think of a time when somebody reached out to you with practical compassion? 43

MON 14 NOV

HUMILITY

READ Genesis 40:8 James 4:1-10

FOCUS Then Joseph said to them, ‘Only God knows what dreams mean. Tell me your dreams.’ Genesis 40:8

Our gifts can be our downfall. A sense that we are being used by God, especially in a ‘sensational’ way, as Joseph experienced, can lead us to an inflated view of our importance, and our gift becomes a way of promoting ourselves rather than glorifying the God who is the giver of the gift. How easy it is for a genuine testimony to be a contrived way of us actually boasting about our usefulness to God. And it isn’t just that we can focus on ourselves: others can prefer to focus on the person exercising the gift, rather than the source of that gift. I’ve been in situations where it was claimed people were physically healed. Sadly, the focus was more on the person who prayed the prayer for healing, than the God who actually answered the prayer. Joseph had the opportunity to accentuate his own significance, placing himself as the exclusive bridge between God, the cupbearer and the baker. He could have tried to strike a deal and refused to share the interpretation of their dreams unless they solemnly promised to help him get out of prison. But while he asked to be remembered, Joseph insisted the ultimate solution to the dream-riddles rested with God alone. He went out of his way to let the two confused men know he was not the source of the much-needed wisdom, but merely a channel God could use. Let’s ask God to use us. And let’s ask that, if He does, we’ll always remember who should get the glory. Prayer: May my heart be humble before You, especially when You use me, Father. Amen.

TUE 15 NOV

FAITH AND EMOTIONS

READ Genesis 40: 9-15 Matthew 26:36-46 FOCUS ‘I was taken away from the land of the Hebrews by force. Even here I haven’t done anything to be put in prison for.’ Genesis 40:15

GOING DEEPER

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Often living the life of faith has absolutely nothing to do with what we feel. Obedience may involve us putting one foot in front of another yet again, choosing to be faithful. Here, we get a glimpse into Joseph’s feelings, as he pours out his frustration and grief about the injustice he has experienced, firstly at the hands of his brothers, and then latterly in Potiphar’s house. He is innocent, but has ended up in a dungeon. He feels forgotten, and so asks to be remembered. He has been ill-treated and asks them to show him kindness: in return for his prophetic insights, he requests, ‘Mention me to Pharaoh.’ Notice that Joseph has been used mightily by God to speak into the lives of these two officials – but even in that specific episode of being God’s mouthpiece, his own heart is overshadowed by sadness. Yet even though he does not know it, he is right in the epicentre of God’s purposes –while still feeling profound despair. Jesus felt that sense of deep sorrow in Gethsemane, where ‘He began to be sad and troubled’ (Matt. 26:37). Being outside of God’s will for us is a recipe for serious unhappiness – but being inside His purposes doesn’t guarantee a spring in our emotional step either. We all have to live with disappointments, unresolved questions, tiredness and, at times, just the sheer grind of everyday existence which can wear us out. Sometimes we simply have to faithfully continue to do what is right, as Joseph did, even though our hearts remain heavy. Prayer: In times of sadness, Father, draw close. And enable me today to bless and encourage others who are weary. Amen. 45

WED 16 NOV

TO TELL THE TRUTH

READ Genesis 40:16-19 Galatians 2:11-14

FOCUS ‘In three days Pharaoh will cut your head off. Then he will stick a pole through your body and set the pole up. The birds will eat up your body.’ Genesis 40:19

Christians are called to be people of God’s truth, and often our convictions clash with others around us. Courageously standing for what is right can be awkward and costly. Surely Joseph struggled as the interpretation of the baker’s dream dawned on him. The baker had just days to live. Joseph predicted the baker would be beheaded, and following his execution, his body would be picked over by birds. In Egyptian culture, this was a strategy designed to prevent the soul resting in the afterlife. It must have been traumatic for the hapless baker to hear of his fate, and we might wonder what the point was of Joseph’s prediction. But perhaps, even in the terrifying ordeal the condemned man was to endure, he would now have a sense there was a God who knew what befell him? Whatever the reason for the revelation, Joseph was faithful to the truth, and spoke what was revealed to him. Paul did the same in his clash with Peter and Barnabas. Our task is not to always make people feel good through what we say, as if compliant agreement with everyone is always the Christian way. At times, we will need to speak solemnly, but always with kindness, about what is clearly right or wrong. Care is needed, lest we become unyielding about what are merely our opinions rather than God’s truth, but we must know that faithfulness demands we tell the truth. Tacit agreement isn’t always possible. People of faith should be people of conviction, mingled with sensitivity and kindness. Prayer: Jesus, You are the way, the truth and the life. In following You, may I live in and by Your truth, and when called to do so, speak truth with tenderness and care. Amen.

THU 17 NOV

UNGRATEFUL

READ Genesis 40:20-23 Luke 6:27-36

FOCUS But the chief wine taster didn’t remember Joseph. In fact, he forgot all about him. Genesis 40:23

Ingratitude is one of the most difficult wounds that come to us in life. As a Christian leader, I can look back with sadness at people in whom I invested significant amounts of time and care. It hurts when they seem oblivious to that investment or even, in some cases, set themselves up as vocal critics of mine. I share this, not for sympathy, but to express empathy! Joseph was right. For the baker, a banquet turned into a funeral, just as Joseph had predicted. You’d think that Joseph would have been hailed by the cupbearer as a hero, the one who had predicted his deliverance so precisely, especially as he watched his poor colleague being dragged away to the gallows. Perhaps, however, the cupbearer made a political decision to keep quiet about his prison encounter with Joseph. Why risk upsetting the Pharaoh with the news there was someone, a lowly prisoner of all people, who had been able to so accurately predict the great man’s actions? Better keep quiet. Let the young prophet rot. Joseph was forgotten. The time would come when the cupbearer’s memory would be jogged, and he would be part of the process that led to Joseph being set free, and ultimately appointed to high office. But there’s no record of Joseph punishing him for his two years of political forgetfulness. We must assume that, though disappointed, prisoner Joseph guarded his heart, and left the matter to God. When feeling stung by ingratitude, let’s seek the grace to follow in Joseph’s footsteps, and walk in the teaching and example of Christ. Prayer: Ingratitude is hard to bear, Lord. May I always be alert to express thankfulness. Amen. 47

FRI 18 NOV

SERENDIPITY

READ Genesis 41:1-14 Proverbs 3:5-6

FOCUS So Pharaoh sent for Joseph. He was quickly brought out of the prison. Joseph shaved himself and changed his clothes. Then he came to Pharaoh. Genesis 41:14

There are some Christians who choose to believe that everything which happens in life is because God wills it. I don’t believe it. We live in a broken world, where we are called to pray God’s kingdom will come, and His will will be done. If every circumstance is the result of His will, why bother? That said, God can steer us into situations for which, without our being aware of it, He’s been preparing us. I don’t want to fast and pray about which supermarket to visit today; but I do want to make myself available to God, the great choreographer. One quaint word for this is ‘serendipity’ which means a happy coordination of circumstances that means we find ourselves in the right place at the right time, ready to fulfil God’s purposes. Joseph lost his youth to slavery and prison – by now the seventeenyear-old who was betrayed by his brothers is a man of thirty. One can only imagine the mental anguish he had endured as his life apparently wasted away. And yet as Pharaoh is troubled by an economic revelation from God about the years to come for the nation he leads, the cup-bearer’s memory is stirred, he repents of his amnesiac negligence, and he tells his fearsome boss about a young man who was rather good at dream interpretation... Enter Joseph, all cleaned up, ready for action, poised to seize his moment, and become the architect for the saving of Egypt and the salvation of the Hebrews too. God give us faith to believe in His leading, and trust when we wait for evidence of His hand. Prayer: Lead me, guide me, connect me, Father. My life is Yours. Amen.

WEEKEND 19-20 NOV

In the LifePlan process that I facilitate (17 hours of one-on-one reflection), we consider the major turnstiles in life, which we call ‘Life Gates’. They might include the time we decided to follow Christ, chose a career or relocation, or began a marriage. For Jesus, baptism was a life gate. At that moment, after all those years of quiet obscurity, His public ministry began.

A LIFE GATE

Sometimes the junction isn’t so clearly marked. What seems like a chance meeting, or a casual conversation of little consequence turns out to be vital in the big scheme of things. Often, we only see the significance of that event as we look back on it. So, it matters how we live, in order that we should be ready.

READ Genesis 41:15-16 Luke 3:21-23

At last, the pivotal episode in Joseph’s life arrives. This is the day when everything changes – in this case, very much for the better. As Joseph stands before Pharaoh, again he wonderfully avoids what might have been a huge temptation to make himself indispensable in the situation. As he did with the triumphant cupbearer and the tragic baker, Joseph insists that all wisdom comes from God alone: again, he is but the channel. The ‘big days’ of our lives come announced so that we can prepare for them; Joseph awoke as normal to what seemed like another tedious day as a prisoner – only to discover this was the dawning of a whole new life. What might God do for us today? We need to be prepared to live as normal, or life as anything but. To ponder: What has been your most recent ‘Life Gate’? 49

MON 21 NOV

KNOWING GOD’S WAYS

READ Genesis 41:17-32 Exodus 33:12-14

FOCUS ‘God gave the dream to Pharaoh in two forms. That’s because the matter has been firmly decided by God. And it’s because God will do it soon.’ Genesis 41:32

In walking with God, I’d like to know His word, but also His ways. In his gift of interpreting divinely fuelled dreams, Joseph shows his heart for learning. He had to be confident to stand boldly before Pharaoh and announce the elusive meaning of his dream, which was beyond the comprehension of a whole gaggle of court magicians. All would be revealed by this newly shaven ex-prisoner. As the baker had discovered, it was not advisable to irritate Pharaoh – one could lose one’s head at the snap of his fingers. So how did Joseph get to the place where he could say what dreams meant with such uncanny accuracy? That question is impossible to answer fully, but one hint is found in the way he identified the ‘double-hit’ dream given to Pharaoh. The same message delivered in two forms emphasised what had been stated would definitely happen – no negotiation was possible. There are some episodes in the Bible when prayer and fasting averted a course of action – like Nineveh (Jonah 3:5) – or Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:16-33). But nothing is going to shift the outcome for Egypt; the need was to prepare strategically for the inevitable, rather than try to change it. Joseph had seen this two-time dream strategy before – years earlier when he glimpsed the place of primacy that would eventually be his, in the dreams that made him so unpopular. Joseph learned the ways of God. Let’s ask God to teach us, not only about what He does, but how He does things. Prayer: I want to know You more, Jesus. Reveal more of Your heart, Your will, Your ways to me. Amen.

TUE 22 NOV

FULL OF THE SPIRIT

READ Genesis 41:33-40 1 Samuel 16:1-7

FOCUS Pharaoh said to them, ‘The spirit of God is in this man. We can’t find anyone else like him, can we?’ Genesis 41:38

Take a look at prisoner Joseph. His face is pale, due to years of poor diet; perhaps his teeth are in a mess for the same reason. He owns nothing: even the clothes he wears are borrowed, hasty replacements for his prison rags. Since his youth, he has been the property of another: liberty, sunshine, laughter and love have all been denied him. He has suffered hideous injustice, especially from those with whom he should have been safe. His reputation has been shredded. He had been officially condemned as a convicted rapist, a felon who years earlier repaid the incredible trust and generosity of his employer by attacking and sexually assaulting his helpless wife. He had made no mark on the world: even those few people he helped along the way had forgotten him. Look again, and see what Pharaoh, wideeyed with wonder, now sees so clearly. Joseph is a man so utterly full of the Holy Spirit, he stands head and shoulders above all others. Outwardly he is nothing to look at: inwardly he has been shaped and crafted, mainly through suffering, into a spiritual giant, a man who can be taken from the depths of the dungeon to the heights of Pharaoh’s court, because God is with him. Today, you and I may well be tempted to interact superficially with people, quickly making judgement calls because of how they look, or first impressions they make. Let’s look carefully, and with discernment: sometimes really great people come heavily disguised. Prayer: Whatever my outward appearance, may my heart be pleasing to You, loving Father. Amen. 51

WED 23 NOV

SURVIVING SUCCESS

READ Genesis 41:41-57 Psalm 105:16-22

FOCUS He also had him ride in a chariot. Joseph was now next in command after Pharaoh. People went in front of him and shouted, ‘Get down on your knees!’ Genesis 41:43

Perhaps God can’t trust everyone with success, because sudden success can be destructive. Tabloid newspapers are loaded with lurid stories of those who became ‘overnight’ successes – but being catapulted to prominence so quickly damaged them, sometimes beyond repair. Joseph survived prison. Could he survive becoming an international VIP? His was probably the fastest promotion in history, as the prisoner becomes Prime Minister in an instant, and then for seven years he tours the nation overseeing the extensive programme of economic preparations that he had proposed. Much pomp and ceremony accompanied his entourage, with plenty of bowing and scraping – literally. But all through his trials and struggles, Joseph knew exactly where his giftedness, and therefore his prominence, had come from: God. Now he had riches and influence beyond his wildest dreams, but position and prominence did not have him; his heart remained set on God, and, as we’ll see, he names his children in honour of his God. You don’t have to be a super-rich soccer prodigy or an overnight television celebrity to be damaged by success. A little prominence here, a sense of acknowledgement there, can all conspire to fill our hearts with conceit. Leadership, even in the small goldfish bowl of the church, can corrupt, as some get a sense of power, control and entitlement. The dungeon is a danger zone – but so is the place of success. Prayer: In all the seasons of life – in leanness, abundance, struggle, success – guard my heart, Lord. Amen.

THU 24 NOV

SOME OF US NEVER LEARN

READ Genesis 42:1-5 2 Timothy 3:1-7 FOCUS So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain there. But Jacob didn’t send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with them. He was afraid Benjamin might be harmed. Genesis 42:3-4

GOING DEEPER

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For Joseph, everything is utterly different – but back in his homeland, much is the same. The brotherhood is still united in their deceit – for many years now, the aging Jacob has believed his beloved, favourite son was dead. His family have watched grief wither him. Although the brothers could have brought an end to his tears with a word, or at least have started a search for Joseph that might have brought their father hope, instead they have allowed him to weep his way towards the grave. And perhaps Jacob himself is still much the same, in that he hasn’t learned much about favouritism and parenting. If anything, the tragic loss of Joseph has caused him to be even more protective of the other great love of his life and fruit of his marriage to the much loved and missed Rachel: Benjamin, Joseph’s full brother. Imagine what it felt like to be one of the ten brothers – the B team – whom Jacob was willing to send off to Egypt. Apparently, their father wasn’t nearly as concerned about their welfare, and would risk their lives without a qualm, as long as precious Benjamin was kept out of harm’s way. Jacob is continuing a pattern of behaviour certain to fuel the fires of resentment and jealousy in his dysfunctional family. Am I still stumbling around in the same idiotic behaviour that ensnared me years ago? To err is human, but not to learn from the errors of our ways, and so continue in destructive patterns is madness. Prayer: Lord, when I stumble, may I get up, and learn from my fall, lest I go through life repeating the same acts of foolishness. Amen. 53

FRI 25 NOV

FORGIVING

READ Genesis 42:6-17 Colossians 3:12-14

FOCUS So Joseph kept all of them under guard for three days. Genesis 42:17

Forgiving isn’t easy. Joseph, now a husband, father, and leader, has established his own family in Egypt, but now his brothers show up, hoping to buy grain. Considering all the years of pain they’d inflicted on him when they sold him into slavery, his response to them is mild, but we have to wonder: as he put them under guard, was Joseph giving them a small taste of the bitterness of his prison years? And as he accuses them of being spies, is he showing them what it feels like to be falsely accused? Then he insists they go back home to bring Benjamin to Egypt, leaving Simeon behind as a ‘deposit’ against their return. Perhaps Joseph was testing them, placing them once again in a situation where they could take their grain and run, abandoning Simeon as they had dumped him. Had their hearts changed at all over the years? Or perhaps what we see here is Joseph coming to terms with being able to express forgiveness to his brothers. An initial thirst for payback – which led to the brief three-day arrest – is gradually replaced by a real desire to bless his brothers, and father, and enjoy a wonderful family reunion. I’m nervous when I hear of people being told to ‘just go ahead and forgive’ those who have hurt them horrendously. Demanding a woman who has been raped must rush to forgive her tormentor seems like further abuse to me. Scars may take a long time to heal, and forgiving may take years. Perhaps even the mighty Joseph had to journey into forgiveness. Prayer: When forgiving seems impossible, help me to be willing to take the journey towards it, You enabling and empowering me, Father. Amen.

WEEKEND 26-27 NOV

THIS IS US

READ Genesis 42:18–21 Romans 3:23-24

A Christian leader friend, who has been in ministry for over thirty years, recently told me that nothing surprises him any more when it comes to human behaviour. He is grieved when he hears of bad attitudes, church splits, and blatant immorality, but he is not surprised. At first, I thought he had allowed cynicism to erode his sense of hope: now I realise that he is just a realist. We humans do terribly ugly things. We are all fallen, without exception. We are capable of wonderful love, acts of great nobility and selfsacrifice, and yet we can in turn be heartless, self-obsessed and cruel. And the people of God, while saved, are still in the process of being sanctified. As the brothers conclude they are being punished for their past sins, some harrowing details about the viciousness of their actions come to the surface. They vividly recall their own brother literally pleading for mercy, cries that, as we saw earlier, they coldly ignored. It’s a stark portrait of just how vicious we humans can be. We won’t be able to make sense of church, or indeed any set of relationships, unless we have a clear doctrine of sin. Humanness means messiness; the Bible makes that plain. So, while we might be disappointed and hurt when people let us down, let’s not be surprised. We humans are accomplished – and predictable – when it comes to mess. Let’s embrace disillusionment – because when that happens, we are divested of an illusion. To ponder: Is disillusionment a positive gift? What is the difference between disillusionment and cynicism? 55

MON 28 NOV

SIN IS SIN

READ Genesis 42:22-24 Isaiah 5:20

FOCUS Joseph turned away from them and began to sob. Then he turned around and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken and tied up right there in front of them. Genesis 42:24

Here’s a phrase that isn’t too popular these days. Those who use these two little words in the same sentence are in real danger of being written off as intolerant. This is an unfashionable phrase for many: ‘It’s wrong.’ In a culture awash with relativism (where truth is all about what we decide it should be, so if you personally feel that a certain moral – or immoral – choice is okay, then that’s fine: it’s your life) the suggestion that anything might be absolutely right or wrong doesn’t go down too well. Couple this with the deceptiveness of the human heart, where we can easily excuse our bad behaviour, and you have a recipe for moral chaos. Sometimes we just have to face up to the facts – we’ve sinned, and we can deny it, or come to repentance and find a better tomorrow. Choose one. The brothers had barely finished whispering about their sinful treatment of Joseph years earlier being the reason for their present calamity. And now, they have to watch in silence as their brother Simeon is bound with ropes and led away. Look at the fear that widens his eyes. See the tears that glisten on his flushed cheeks. The rope chafes at his wrists; the guards push him roughly. Remember? Joseph is making them relive the moment, and see it for what it was: heinous evil. Look, boys. Remember well what you did, and weep. Freedom doesn’t come when we avoid calling sin for what it is, but when we face up to what we have done. Let’s call sin what it is: sin. Prayer: Save me from the deceptiveness of the human heart, that I might walk in Your ways and live sensitive to Your nudges, Holy Spirit. Amen

TUE 29 NOV

SUSPICIOUS OF GRACE

READ Genesis 42:25-28 John 8:1-11

FOCUS They had a sinking feeling in their hearts. They began to tremble. They turned to each other and said, ‘What has God done to us?’ Genesis 42:28

Today I received an email informing me I had won millions of dollars in a lottery, which is a miracle, seeing as I didn’t enter the lottery. I just had to provide my bank account details to collect the prize. Then my smartphone announced an incoming call, which was yet another scam. Daily we are bombarded with fraudulent offers, which makes us suspicious, and rightly so. But some amazing offers are genuine. The grace of God is shocking – the gift of His love and friendship forever. Jesus has paid the bill for it, for all for us. That grace takes sinners like us and allows us a seat of honour at God’s table. The woman caught in adultery was surely staggered by the grace that Jesus showed. God’s people are called to be like Him, and Joseph shows some stunning grace himself. Years earlier, his brothers had held his life in their hands – and they threw it away, as they had sold him down the river. Now they were in his hands. What do you do with a herd of scoundrels who have ruined your life? You load them up with food and put money in their sacks. You overwhelm them with such unmerited kindness that they worry that somehow God is out to get them with a clever trick. You freely give them what they could never afford to pay for. Like the brothers, sometimes we think the gift is just too good to be true. We wonder if God’s kindness is only a ruse, and he will ‘get us’ in the end.’ We too have been loaded down with grace. Let’s not fight it. Prayer: Your grace is so amazing, Lord, that there are times when I struggle with it, and fight You instead of receiving it. Help me. Amen. 57

WED 30 NOV

SELF-PITY

READ Genesis 42:29–38 Luke 15:11-29

FOCUS But Jacob said, ‘My son will not go down there with you. His brother is dead. He’s the only one left here with me.’ Genesis 42:38

When his sons finally returned, Jacob launched into self-pity. The thought of losing Benjamin was just too much for him. Admittedly, it was a grave situation, but Jacob became so overwhelmed with his own sadness that confusion set in. Self-pity can mean we whine away about what everybody else has done and fail to admit we have any responsibility for a situation. We are the poor helpless victims of others. Jacob railed against his sons but ignored the fact that his own foolishness had begun the whole sorry process in the first place. He apparently wrote off Simeon as dead already. Feeling sorry for ourselves often creates a landing strip for fear to take over our minds: we succumb to consistent negativity and can only think of the worst possible outcomes. And self-pity also destroys our relationships. Reuben promised to sort the whole problem out, and pledged his own sons too, but that was brushed aside by the now insensitive Jacob who made the thoughtless comment about Benjamin being ‘the only one left’. The brothers must have been terribly wounded: were they not Jacob’s sons too? Self-pity means we can only focus on our troubles, and we easily dismiss the needs of others, wounding them as we do. The elder brother in the prodigal story indulged in self-pity – and apparently missed the beautiful party celebrating his brother’s homecoming. Perhaps there’s a tough situation that you’re battling right now. Don’t allow self-pity to make it worse. Prayer: When I am tempted to indulge in mindless self-pity, help me to be thankful, Father. Amen.

THU 01 DEC

STRAIGHT TALK

READ Genesis 43:1-5 Matthew 16:21-23 FOCUS ‘If you won’t send him, we won’t go down. The man said to us,”You won’t see my face again unless your brother comes with you.”’ Genesis 43:5

GOING DEEPER

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Jacob seriously needed to hear some straight talking. His sense of self-pity was lingering. There are still traces of it in his heart in this chapter: the grain ran out, but the self-pity remained. Finally, perhaps facing up to starvation, Jacob told his sons to head for Egypt again, but without mentioning their taking Benjamin. Even though the conditions had been clearly set out by Joseph, Jacob seemed to have been one of those people who always feel they are beyond the rules everyone else has to follow. It takes Judah’s straight talking and his outright refusal to even contemplate a trip to Egypt without Benjamin in tow – to snap Jacob out of his pity-filled daze. Recently I asked a good friend for an honest opinion about something I had done. It took a few minutes to get an answer. He was so desperate not to offend me, he hesitated to say what I knew was on his mind – but he was right in his appraisal. Even though his words weren’t what I wanted to hear, they were what I needed to hear. I’m grateful for the few people in my life who can tell me straight. With them, I have a deal: tell me what you think; no holds barred, no dancing around the issue, just give it to me. It’s painful sometimes, but the pain of being left in my own selfdeception is a lot worse. I’ve seen Christian leaders who rise to such prominence that no one challenges them; a dangerous place to live. Jesus was loving, but spoke painful truth when needed. Who can tell us straight? Prayer: Lord, please help me to build resilient friendships, and help me to respond when a faithful friend tells me what is difficult to hear. 59

FRI 02 DEC

GET ON WITH IT

READ Genesis 43:6-10 Proverbs 14:23

FOCUS ‘As it is, we’ve already waited too long. We could have gone to Egypt and back twice by now.’ Genesis 43:10

There may be many reasons why we procrastinate: sometimes fear of making a wrong decision paralyses us into inaction. We worry that we might step out of God’s will, and fret that the wrong choice might be cataclysmic. I believe this is a mistake: God knows our hearts, and our future doesn’t depend on us making a crystal-clear choice about everything. Or we fail to be proactive because we think that a situation, left alone, might eventually sort itself out. It might, but it is rare. Or our inaction is simply due to laziness, but then often unattended business creates further problems. Too many people shove that credit card bill, unpaid, into a kitchen drawer, insisting that they’ll get around to it eventually – then high interest builds up. And sometimes leaders fail to be decisive because they cannot cope emotionally with the reactions they might face if they make a tough decision. Finally, the problem of a growling stomach focused Jacob’s mind, and at last he instructs his sons to head to Egypt to buy more grain. But while time has ambled on, Simeon is still a hostage in Egypt. He is perfectly safe under Joseph’s patronage, but procrastinating old Jacob doesn’t know that. Instead of jumping into action to get his son out of jail, once again Jacob shows that streak of favouritism that had created such deep enmity in this family. Only his own hunger finally prompts him to act. Are we delaying doing something that we know is overdue? Let’s get on with it. Prayer: I want to be alert, diligent, hardworking and decisive. Show me what I might be neglecting, Lord. Amen.

WEEKEND 03-04 DEC

SUSPICIOUS

Whenever he approached me after a Sunday service, I would brace myself for another round of criticism. If there was nothing to complain about specifically, he would voice his suspicions. The worship leader was a show-off, he said. That new family who was serving selflessly were trying to grab a place of power in the church, he thought. Apparently, he was the same in the workplace, always thinking that his colleagues had ulterior motives. The brothers, back now in Egypt and ushered in as guests of honour to the prime minister’s personal residence, begin to wonder if they’d walked into a trap. Surrounded by the incredible opulence of that home, they still thought the prime minister might be planning to seize their donkeys! Were they about to be captured and placed into slavery? As they had done with their own brother years earlier?

READ Genesis 43:11–18 1 Samuel 18:1-9

When we consistently behave badly, we can project our patterns of wrongdoing onto others, and assume they are just like us. The brothers would continue to be suspicious of Joseph’s intentions even after their reconciliation – they thought that the later death of their father would signal punishment for them (Gen 50:15-20). Saul, the king who began so well and ended so badly, was tormented by a constantly suspicious mind. When he saw young David’s popularity, we read that 'Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on’ (1 Sam. 18:9, NASB). Let’s not be naive. But let’s not live suspiciously either. To ponder: Have you ever projected your patterns of bad behaviour onto others? 61

MON 05 DEC

GOD IS REAL

READ Genesis 43:19–28 Hebrews 11:1-6

FOCUS ‘It’s all right,’ the manager said. ‘Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you riches in your sacks. I received your money.’ Genesis 43:23

There’s something that keeps slipping my mind, busy Christian person that I am. It’s an unfortunate lapse of memory that I have: and this amnesia seems to affect me for days – sometimes longer. But the truth that I so easily forget is the reason that I am alive. It is that Christianity is true. God is real. Jesus really is alive. God can be trusted. The busyness of life, and familiarity with the greatest story ever told, means that sometimes the Bible can read a little like highly creative fiction: clever, imaginative stuff – but fiction. Life can seem more real than the God who makes life. That means the hope of eternity spent forever with Jesus – in what we generically often describe as ‘heaven’ – can seem like a faraway, distant dream. It’s a nice, comforting idea but surely too good to be true. As the brothers bowed down twice before Joseph, he must have realised his two dreams from his youth had finally come to pass, just as God has said. And what had brought this about? Their search for grain, which is an interesting link with the ‘sheaves of wheat’ dream Joseph had received. There had been years of slavery, heartache, and loneliness. But still what God had said came to pass. God was real. It was true. Pause and think, and pray too for a moment or two. Ask God to fulfil His promises in your life. Ask Him to make His presence firmly felt in your day: ask for fresh faith, and a renewal of hope. This news makes all the difference: God is for real. Prayer: I come afresh to You by faith, risen, ascended, glorified Christ. This I declare: Jesus, You are alive at this very moment. Amen.

TUE 06 DEC

HIS CHILD

READ Genesis 43:29-34 1 John 4:9-10

FOCUS It moved him deeply to see his brother. So Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to cry. He went into his own room and cried there. Genesis 43:30

At first glance, it seems like Joseph was enjoying a perverse sense of revenge by playing games with his brothers. Was he goading them with his planting silver in sacks, setting out the seating plan for the banquet according to their birthdates, which would have prompted the brothers to wonder how on earth he knew their ages, and then loading Benjamin’s plate? The brothers had treated Joseph like a worthless commodity – was he now getting his own back with a heartless series of charades, cunningly designed to disorientate and bewilder them? It’s difficult to say it so bluntly, but there are times when we might be tempted to think the same thing about God. Are we just unimportant pawns on a gigantic chessboard, manoeuvred around at will by a God who only cares about His mission for the earth, and therefore treats us as mere playthings, foot soldiers at the disposal of a dispassionate, strategising general? Look again at Joseph, who is a ‘type of Christ’ – a person in biblical history who represents some of the wonderful character traits of Jesus. He wants to see reconciliation in a divided family, and is so overwhelmed with love, even for those who have treated him so cruelly, that he has to find a place alone to weep. His nature is warm, passionate, and kind. As we see Joseph weep, know that Jesus cries over us too: at times with joy, at times with frustration. You’re more than an instrument of His purposes. You’re His child. Prayer: Father, I cannot begin to fathom the vastness of Your love, but I rest the whole weight of my life upon this truth: I am so loved by You. Amen. 63

WED 07 DEC

GROWING AND TESTING

When we follow Christ, we change and grow. We are not all that we will be, but because of God’s constant activity in our lives, we are not what we were. Joseph’s strategy in hiding his cup into Benjamin’s sack gave the brothers the opportunity to discover they had learned from their past mistakes. Years earlier, they had made a terrible, selfish decision. Now, as Benjamin appears to be caught red-handed, they find themselves in the valley of decision once more: will they abandon their father’s favourite son to slavery in Egypt, and head for the hills? Or will they stand with him, whatever the cost to them personally? Joseph makes sure they know all options are open, as he insists only the one caught with the cup will be sentenced to slavery. They have failed before: how will they do now?

READ Genesis 44:1-16 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

FOCUS ‘God has shown you that we are guilty. We are now your slaves. All of us are, including the one who was found to have the cup.’ Genesis 44:16

Thankfully, they refuse to abandon Benjamin and, to a man, voluntarily offer themselves for a life of slavery rather than turn their backs on him. We’ve all said and done things we regret. No time machine exists to allow us to go back and undo those episodes, but we hope we would not repeat those mistakes, even given the perfect opportunity to do so. The cup-inthe-sack strategy was an act of kindness as well as a test. Joseph was not sporting with his brothers, but showing them – and proving to himself – they had changed for the better. Let’s not live in regret about the past, but if we’ve moved on to a better place today, let’s be grateful. Prayer: While I am eager to move forward in my walk with you, Jesus, I thank you for how far we’ve come together. Amen.

THU 08 DEC

LOVING OTHERS

READ Genesis 44:17-34 1 John 4:7-8

FOCUS ‘How can I go back to my father if the boy isn’t with me? No! Don’t let me see the pain and suffering that would come to my father.’ Genesis 44:34

Sin doesn't just hurt God and destroy our potential: it hurts those around us. We need to decide well, not just because we are committed to ‘do the right thing’ in impersonal moral terms, but because we care too much about others to allow them to be wounded by our stupidity. Judah delivers the longest speech in the entire book of Genesis, pleading to be able to take Benjamin’s place as a slave, so that Benjamin can be returned to his father. His words show us something vital about the nature of sin and repentance. Judah was not only concerned about what was right or wrong morally, but about the terrible effect losing Benjamin would have on his aging father. He was worried the shock would kill frail Jacob. Pause for a moment. Judah and his brothers had been partners in crime for decades, watching their father weep for Joseph, able to ease his grief in a moment by telling the truth and then going in search for the brother they’d sold into slavery. They had inflicted terrible pain on the old man. But it was enough. The thought of him suffering any more was more than Judah could bear: he would be a slave until death rather than let it happen. When we profess to love God, we will love others. Perhaps you are on the brink of making a really bad choice; your spiritual life is low right now, and frankly, you don’t care too much about what is right morally. Think again: will what you do bring tears to those who love you so much? Prayer: Father, keep my heart and mind clear, lest my choices should ever bring pain to those I love, and who love me so much. Amen. 65

FRI 09 DEC

REAL GRACE

READ Genesis 45:1-13 Ephesians 4:32

FOCUS ‘But don’t be upset. And don’t be angry with yourselves because you sold me here. God sent me ahead of you to save many lives.’ Genesis 45:5

As the story of Joseph and his brothers comes now to a climax, and as he reveals his true identity to his brothers at last, he also shows some quite remarkable, almost wild forgiveness. They have cost him most of his adult life up until recently. Judah’s speech was moving and a great demonstration of how the brothers had changed, but there was no mention of their betrayal of Joseph. They never did come totally clean. Yet Joseph tells them not to be upset or angry with themselves, and affirms the sovereign purposes of God have been worked out, as he was ‘sent ahead’ of them – a gracious way of looking at it. Finally, he promises to generously provide for them and their wider families. It’s possible to offer words of forgiveness to someone, while at the same time making them squirm about their past actions. We carefully describe the full extent of their dark sin and say how difficult forgiving them is. We have decided to do so, because God has forgiven us, but we are leaving them with an ongoing sense of obligation to us. They are very much in our debt, not least because we have ‘freely’ forgiven them. We punish even while we speak words of grace. It isn’t God’s way. Grace is risky, because it has the potential to minimise what people have done. And forgiveness is not about saying ‘It doesn’t matter’ or refusing to acknowledge our hurt. So let’s be ready to go on a journey of forgiving. It might take a long time, but others – and we – will be the better for it. Prayer: When I am tempted to hold others in my debt, help me to give – and forgive – freely, as I have been forgiven in Christ. Amen.

WEEKEND 10-11 DEC

TALKING AGAIN

The last couple of years have obviously been so difficult, with the unprecedented challenges that the Covid pandemic has presented. But not only have we suffered loss, grief, fear and disruption in our lives – many relationships have been shattered as well. Recently I heard of a dying father who refused to talk or have anything to do with his daughter because she disagreed with his stance on masks and vaccines. Too often I hear of Christian families where harsh words have been spoken over other issues, and now people are estranged from each other, and have been for decades. At this point in the story, Joseph was emotional again – consider how often we have watched him weep. These were not just a few tears, but often an overwhelming sobbing that meant that he had to excuse himself and find a place alone. The emotion that he showed when he revealed himself to his brothers was loud enough for courtiers outside the room to hear, and now we see yet more weeping, kissing, and hugging.

READ Genesis 45:14–15 Romans 12:19-21

But it didn’t stop at tears and hugs – now the brothers are talking again, after twentytwo years of estrangement. For some of us, we lament a breakdown in what was once a precious, close relationship. We’re not talking, and we haven’t for a while, and we’ve decided that it is what it is. If it’s in our power, perhaps it’s time to make a move? ‘If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone’ (Rom. 12:18, NIV). To ponder: Is there a relationship in our lives that needs to be repaired? What shall we do? 67

MON 12 DEC

GOOD BEGETS GOOD

READ Genesis 45:16–20 Matthew 5:13-16

FOCUS The news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come. Pharaoh and all of his officials were pleased. Genesis 45:16

Being good isn’t too fashionable these days. It sounds rather stuffy, prim, antiquated. But as followers of the God who is good, we are repeatedly called to goodness. ‘May our Lord Jesus Christ himself... encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word’ (2 Thess. 2:16, 17, NIV). And Paul writes, ‘Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work’ (Col. 1:10, NIV). And goodness is contagious. News of Joseph’s acts of mercy and generosity reached Pharaoh – the very same chap who had ordered the decapitation of the baker, so he wasn’t renowned for his graciousness. The news of goodness and mercy obviously warmed his heart, and so quickly Pharaoh plans to roll out the red carpet for the immigrating Hebrews. The brothers must have been stunned, not only by the grace shown them by Joseph, but also by Pharaoh’s outpouring of generosity. His words promise them they will live off of the ‘fat’ of the land. Good begets good. Love is catching. When we do something good, we potentially create a ripple effect, and, though we might never know it, others might be moved and motivated by what they see in us. Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, a people who mirror God’s beautiful character. Our workplaces, our homes, our social environments – they can all become better if we will choose goodness. Who knows what kind of positive influence might we exert today? Prayer: Today, Father, I’d like to be good, and do good. Amen.

TUE 13 DEC

REALITY AND WISDOM

READ Genesis 45:21-24 Proverbs 4:6-7

FOCUS Then Joseph sent his brothers away. As they were leaving, he said to them, ‘Don’t argue on the way!’ Genesis 45:24

We’ve already seen Joseph had poured outrageous grace upon his brothers. They were forgiven, and now could begin a new life in Egypt, together with their families. They have acted well when tested over the issue of Benjamin. But Joseph shows great wisdom as he warns them not to argue on the way home. Their past history was wiped clean – but Joseph wasn’t blind to their weakness, their capacity to scheme and be consumed by envy – hence the parting shot encouraging them not to ruin things with a fight. This week I heard the tragic news of a number of children who had been sexually molested by a paedophile who had used his local church as a place to build trust with young people, and then use them as his prey. What makes matters worse is that the leaders of the church were fully aware of the man’s history, but in an attempt to make him feel fully included, they allowed him free, unescorted access to the children of the congregation. When challenged about their irresponsible and negligent behaviour, they defended their actions by insisting the man had been forgiven – and this was their way of demonstrating he truly had a new start in life. They were terribly mistaken, and it resulted in yet more damaged young lives. Forgiveness was not the issue here: but wisdom was severely lacking, in allowing the man into a place where he had so obviously shown such vulnerability. It was like giving an alcoholic a job in a bar. Let’s celebrate grace. And be wise. Prayer: Give me wisdom, Lord. You know just what to do. Amen. 69

WED 14 DEC

SURPRISED BY GOD

READ Genesis 45:25-28 Ephesians 3:14-21

FOCUS They told him, ‘Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of the whole land of Egypt.’ Jacob was shocked. He didn’t believe them. Genesis 45:26

For years, you’ve mourned your dearest son. For too many nights you have laid awake, staring into the night, imagining his face, and wishing you could have shared more laughter, more play, and more conversations together. But he was gone, ripped apart by some ferocious animal. You’ve lived with a terrible fear that it’s going to happen again. You’ve endured a terrible famine. And then another day dawns, and the impossible comes with it. Your son, dead for over two decades, is alive. Not only that, but he is one of the most powerful men in the world, the Egyptian prime minister, no less. You have a five-star invitation, backed up by the Pharaoh himself, to be guest of honour – permanently. Night has turned to day. No wonder Jacob was stunned. Recently, I’ve found myself being more than a little stunned by God. That’s not to say that this last year of my life has been easy: for various reasons, it has been one of the most challenging seasons of my life, with busyness, frustration, and sickness, to name a few of the obstacles that I’ve encountered recently. But I have also been stunned by the sheer kindness and extravagance of God. Just when I thought that I really knew that God is love, He surprises me with yet more tokens and evidence of His huge heart. He really is wonderful, and never ceases to surprise me. I’m praying for you today. May you too know what it is to be eyes-wideopen amazed at this stunning God of ours. Prayer: Father, You are greater, more powerful than I could ever begin to imagine. Enlarge my vision of You. Amen.

THU 15 DEC

GOD’S LOVING KINDNESS

READ Genesis 46:1–4 Psalm 139:1-24

FOCUS ‘I will go down to Egypt with you. You can be sure that I will bring you back again. And when you die, Joseph will close your eyes with his own hand.’ Genesis 46:4

Yesterday I talked about being stunned by God. Perhaps the one thing that has impacted me the most in recent months is His sheer kindness and (if I can put it like this) thoughtfulness. Jacob has also been overwhelmed by good news: he hardly has a big choice to make about heading for Egypt: after all, there will one of the greatest family reunions in history there. Jacob will have the incredible joy of being proud father to a prime minister; leaving famine behind and heading for plenty. All of this was surely enough to send him scurrying off with a one-way ticket... Think again. Jacob is old, frail, and has walked through more than his fair share of disappointments and turnarounds. Emigration at this stage of his life will be a huge disruption, and a possible threat to his health. Would he survive the arduous trip? Enter, once again, the kind God, who appears in a dream and encourages Jacob not to be afraid. He gives him hints about the future in Egypt, and speaks of him dying in peace: ‘Joseph will close your eyes with his own hand.’ God is the God of comfort and assurance, who at times seems to go beyond what we might actually need, and gives us extra help. That’s not to say that big decisions are easy, or that dreams and visions are as frequent as we might like them to be. But whether this is a season where God is obviously working overtime in your life, or if it’s a time when, spiritually, all is rather too quiet, know this: you are on His mind constantly. Prayer: You are all around me. You are behind me and in front of me. You hold me in your power. Thank you, loving Father. Amen (adapted from Psalm 139:5). 71

FRI 16 DEC

THE WONDERFUL OFFER

READ Genesis 46:5-27 Ephesians 1:1-14 FOCUS The total number of those who went to Egypt with Jacob was 66. That number includes only his own children and grandchildren. Genesis 46:26

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas.co.uk/ goingdeeper

As we saw earlier, there is a real contrast between being offered something that is a scam, too good to be true, and being offered the amazing grace of God. His generosity is legendary, and His grace beyond our ability to fathom. He offers so much to us through the shed blood of Christ; now our greatest shame can be healed. It’s the greatest free offer in history, and the most expensive as well, since it cost God everything. But as we saw earlier, we can be reluctant to accept it. Too many Christians spend their lives cowering beneath regret and guilt, affirming a theology of forgiveness but never allowing the marvellous experience of being forgiven to impact their own failure. Ironically, we know the only way we can call ourselves Christian is through the cross: yet we can be reluctant to allow God to take care of the sins that we’ve stumbled or marched into since our conversion. We find continuing grace just too hard to believe in. Look at Jacob, staggering around with the wild abandon of a lottery winner. Everyone in the wider family saddles up and heads for the land of promised plenty. This offer was too good to miss, and so no less than sixtysix people travel, not so much a family, more a huge convoy of hope. There’s no hesitation, or nervousness about how such a crowd will be perceived: rather they rush to take advantage of the wonderful blessing, freely on offer to them. And so should we. Prayer: Lord, You have lavished grace upon me. Help me to live in the beauty and bounty of Your loving kindness today. Amen.

WEEKEND 17-18 DEC

THE FAMILY REUNION

READ Genesis 46:28–34 Matthew 26:36-46

Last night we experienced a wonderful evening with close friends – which included an ice cream cake for my birthday! What sheer delight relationships can bring. There’s nothing that can compare with the joy of being with much loved family and friends. Jesus shows us this, in Gethsemane, when He needed to lean on the support of His disciples. As we finally see Joseph reunited with his father, all of the wonderful elements of relationships at their best are present. There is the building anticipation of time to be spent together, as Joseph prepares his chariot. Uninhibited love is found here too, as Joseph, ever the emotional, expressive one, throws his arms around his father. And as we might totally expect from this remarkable man of tears, there is extended weeping, tears of overwhelming joy. And notice too what is missing in this wonderful episode. Joseph doesn’t utter a single word about what had gone on before, and the failings of those involved. The whole thing had begun with the terrible idea of that coat of many colours. But that was all in the past; not every single issue has to be sorted out. Some Christians destroy their friendships because they so insist on performing a righteous post-mortem on every episode in their relationships. Some things don’t need to be said: a hug is enough. Invest heavily in relationships: the love of God, and the love of others is all that ultimately matters. To ponder: Is more investment needed in your closest friendship or family relationships? 73

MON 19 DEC

STAND TALL

I suffer from a bit of a lingering inferiority complex, especially when I am with large groups of Christian leaders. Often, they all seem so powerful, so very confident (their certainty unnerves me). Many leaders come from families who have provided numbers of prominent leaders – and then there’s the issue of education: I did go to Cambridge, but it was just for a day out! My workingclass background makes me feel like I don’t belong. Who am I, I wonder, to be rubbing shoulders with the great and the good? And then I remind myself that I do what I do because of God’s calling, and His hand of kindness and favour is all that I need. That’s not in any way an argument against a great education, but our confidence cannot be based simply on that.

READ Genesis 47:1-10 Psalm 27:1-14

FOCUS Jacob gave Pharaoh his blessing. Then he left him. Genesis 47:10

Look at this picture – a foreign shepherd (and shepherds were considered disreputable in Egyptian culture) stands before the most powerful man in the world – and blesses him twice. Pharaoh has all the money in the world – literally, as a result of Joseph’s deals, as we’ll see tomorrow. But old Jacob, who confesses that he has had a rough life, is able to speak words of divine authority and the grace of his amazing God. Perhaps you find yourself in a situation where everyone else looks greater, more clever, powerful, and competent. Ask yourself: has God asked you to stand in that situation? If you think He has, then stand tall, and be the blessing that God has called you to be. Prayer: You, Lord, give me light – You save me. Why should I fear anyone? You, Lord, are my place of safety. Why should I be afraid? Amen.

TUE 20 DEC

WHEELER DEALER?

READ Genesis 47:11-27 1 Corinthians 16:13

FOCUS Joseph made the people slaves from one end of Egypt to the other. Genesis 47:21

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas.co.uk/ goingdeeper

As we ponder the difficult sight of Joseph dragging a whole nation into slavery, we may wish to legitimise his actions. Various commentators have done so, arguing slavery meant something quite different at this time, a secure job for life, and was not slavery as we understand it now. I’m no expert, but I’m not convinced. It does seem ironic and unfortunate to watch Joseph, himself sold into slavery because of envy and greed, now conscripting the whole of Egypt into the service of Pharaoh. And while this programme of enforced servitude (and according to some, wholesale, massive relocation) was rolled out, the Hebrews were prospering and acquiring land in Goshen. None of this seems very fair and just. I may be wrong, but this seems to be a dark incident in Joseph’s life. But then why do we have to sanitise this event, as if Joseph always has to get it right every time? Surely one of the many reasons the Bible is so inspiring is because it is real, insisting on telling us the less savoury elements of people’s stories. Scripture refuses to present us with airbrushed portraits of the heroes of faith, but rather presents them in their glory and their ugliness. The man who passed many tests may have flunked this one. We may be incredibly strong in one area of our lives, only to lash things up because of weakness elsewhere. Thank God for yesterday’s triumphs. Today’s temptations are another matter. God give us all grace for the various seasons of life. Prayer: Lord, in life’s twists and turns, help me to be diligent, wise, and alert today. Amen. 75

WED 21 DEC

WORSHIP

READ Genesis 47:28-31 Philippians 4:10-13

FOCUS ‘Promise me with an oath that you will do it,’ Jacob said. So Joseph promised him. Genesis 47:31

Jacob spent the last 17 years of his life living in completely unexpected circumstances. At one level, things had unfolded marvellously, with the joy of reunion with Joseph and deliverance from the Canaanite famine. Gone were the years of anxiety and grief, as Jacob grew older with his family around him. But living in Egypt would have been a huge challenge. For one thing, it was not the promised land pledged to his father Isaac and his grandfather, Abraham. No wonder Jacob didn’t want to be buried there. He insisted that Joseph promised to transport his bones back to Canaan, the land of his fathers. And then Jacob had been forced to make this huge transition and emigrate when he was at a great age. Change, even when it’s very much for the better, is always hard (ask any church leader who has tried to rearrange the pews). But it’s even tougher for those in their senior years: as life rushes by, they cling, understandably, to what is familiar. But despite the total change of landscape for Jacob, he remains a worshipper, as the Bible shows. Recently someone asked me if I was doing what I always dreamed of in my life, if many of my ministry objectives have been fulfilled. My response was that almost nothing has worked out as I either wanted it to be or foresaw – it’s far better than that. Perhaps you find yourself where you never thought you would end up – for better, or for worse. May you be a worshipper anyway. Prayer: Lord Jesus, I would like to walk with You and worship You always, all the way home. Sustain me for the journey I pray. Amen.

THU 22 DEC

WHAT’S BEYOND OUR CONTROL

READ Genesis 48:1-19 1 Peter 5:6-7

FOCUS Joseph saw his father putting his right hand on Ephraim’s head. And Joseph didn’t like it. So he took hold of his father’s hand to move it over to Manasseh’s head. Genesis 48:17

For a good while now, Joseph had become used to having everything his own way. In a sense, he had the whole world in his hands, because Egypt was the most powerful nation on earth at that time, and he had forced all those who came for help into slavery. He had held the lives of his brothers in his grasp too: one word from him and a terrible execution would have followed. And now he was the mighty provider for his entire extended family, flourishing in the land of Goshen. Joseph was the boss, whatever he decided happened – until he took his two sons to his dying father for his blessing. Placing Ephraim at his dad’s right hand (the place of primary blessing in Hebrew culture), Joseph carefully choreographed the moment so that his firstborn would get the lion’s share of favour, as was the custom. When old Jacob refused to cooperate, Joseph was irritated, and tried to rearrange his hands. But Jacob was going to do what he had decided to do: there was to be no change. Perhaps you’re especially struggling right now, because circumstances have hit your life that mean you feel out of control. There’s not much you can do, and your efforts have drawn a blank. It’s even worse for you if you’re well-organised, at best – or a control freak, at worst. Panic is setting in. Joseph had to trust the words of his seasoned veteran of a father: ‘I know, my son, I know.’ If we’re in the same predicament, may we say, and not in despair: God knows. Prayer: Father, I know that worrying about that which I have no control over is futile. When I feel helpless, I trust You as my helper and carer. Amen. 77

FRI 23 DEC

PROMISES FOR THE FUTURE

READ Genesis 48:20-22 Romans 8:18-39

FOCUS Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘I’m about to die. But God will be with all of you. He’ll take you back to the land of your fathers.’ Genesis 48:21

When I hear Christians talk excitedly about heaven, occasionally I feel guilty. Sometimes heaven – the term we use to describe what will be our eternal home with God – doesn’t seem very real or tangible. At my worst, lowest moments, I can convince myself that heaven is little more of a ruse that we Christians use to fool ourselves there is something after the finality of death. The concept of a perfect place, where there are no more tears or sorrow, and where union with God is total, seems quite impossible to think about seriously. I was comforted by the honesty of the late David Watson, who wrote in his book Fear No Evil about the crisis he felt as a dying man, and the fear that he had given his life in pursuit of a false notion. The daily choice to invest our lives into something that is largely invisible takes faith. Perhaps Joseph felt like that, as he received the promise of a distant inheritance, one he had left many years earlier. What use would he have with a ridge of land in such a faraway place? But Jacob had eyes for the future, and saw the day, soon to come, when the Hebrews would head for Canaan once more. Perhaps Joseph couldn’t possibly conceive the value of what his father had pledged to him, so immersed was he in the hustle and bustle of the here and now. Heaven is real. Our inheritance awaits us, whatever we ‘feel’ about it. In Christ, and because of His coming that we celebrate this weekend, we have a stunning future. Let’s not forget that. Prayer: Lord, when heaven seems so distant, I choose to stand firm on the solid promises of Your Word. In Christ, we will live, always. Amen.

WEEKEND 24-25 DEC

JOSEPH AND JESUS

As we pause for this most beautiful weekend to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, let’s consider some more parallels and contrasts between Him and Joseph. Like Joseph, Jesus was the favoured, ‘beloved’ son of His Father. At baptism, that truth was celebrated and armed with that affirmation, Jesus embraced the ministry that would cost Him everything. Joseph, too, was the favourite son, but his father’s foolishness stirred up hatred. Jacob sought to protect his son from the hard graft the other brothers endured, but our heavenly Father ‘did not spare’ His son. This weekend, we celebrate the truth that the Lord Jesus came from the splendours of eternal glory to rescue us. Joseph had a ‘riches-to-rags’ story as well, and he was an unwilling victim. But Jesus came, lived, and died for us willingly.

READ Luke 2:1-20 Hebrews 2:5-12

CHRISTMAS GREETING lifewithlucas.co.uk /intros

Just as Joseph’s brothers were lavished with blessing because of him, so we, the brothers and sisters of Christ, experience blessing and grace that we could never earn. This Christmas, with all of the tinsel, the lights, the family gatherings, the gift-giving, let’s give thanks for the greatest gift there has ever been: the Lord Jesus, born for us. And for those of us who experience a ‘grey’ Christmas – sadness because of memories of loved ones now gone, or loneliness when the world seems to be celebrating – I pray that God will bless and comfort your hearts. There is a Christmas greeting from me in the Introductory Videos which I pray you might enjoy.

MON 26 DEC

RESPECTING OUR ELDERS

READ Genesis 49:1-28 Proverbs 23:22-25

FOCUS Then Jacob sent for his sons. He said, ‘Gather around me so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.’ Genesis 49:1

Jacob, near to death now, (he was 147 years old!) still very much has his wits about him, and can speak with incredible insight and accuracy about what lies ahead in the future, for his sons and their descendants. There isn’t space here to examine the details of his predictions, but we must note one vital point: as the senior elder of his family, he calls for a listening ear – and gets it. He lived in an era where advancing years were not synonymous with neglect or irrelevance: instead, longevity was treated with reverence and respect. Many of the elderly among us are priceless treasure troves of wisdom. They have weathered the seasons of life and loss, and have trusted God for decades. They have earned and deserve our respect. Adolescents often think their parents know nothing. Sometimes I think we are an adolescent culture, because of the wanton disrespect we show to our elders. And we, the church, bear our own share of guilt. Too often, in an unseemly rush to be relevant to young people (an absolutely vital desire) we throw everything that older people might love into a proverbial skip; we trash their hymns, their traditions, and smear all with the pejorative term: old-fashioned. And in a world where society’s pressures have often rightly taught us to speak appropriately about others, elderly people are often the last group targeted with demeaning and dismissive language. Jacob spoke. People listened. We’d do well to emulate them. Prayer: Bless and strengthen the older members of our church family, Lord. May they know our love and respect always. Amen.

TUE 27 DEC

MOURNED BY EGYPT

READ Genesis 49:29 – 50:14 Matthew 7:12

FOCUS The Egyptians sobbed over Jacob for 70 days. Genesis 50:3

A story is told of missionary Gordon Maxwell, who was known as the ‘Pilgrim Missionary of the Punjab’.2 He went to India as a missionary, and his Christian conduct and commitment were evident to all. On one occasion, he asked a Hindu man to teach him the local language. The Hindu man replied, ‘No, sahib, for you will convert me to Christianity.’ Maxwell tried to clarify: ‘You don’t understand, all I want you to do is teach me the language.’ But the Hindu replied, ‘I will not, for no one can live with you and not become a Christian.’ What a challenge! I’d like to have a legacy of making a good impression on people who don’t currently share my faith. It’s too easy to be on one’s best behaviour when we’re around church people, because that’s what’s expected, only to lapse into living another way when we’re doing the rest of everyday life. I’m sure that I’ve been guilty of that at times, and I’ve been around a few ministers who smiled beatifically and spoke with great warmth to their congregations on Sunday morning, but became brisk and demanding in a restaurant after the service. Having encouraged the congregation to generosity, they were mean with the tip, or lack of it. Jacob’s funeral meant that Egypt mourned his loss, even though they didn’t share his faith. Let’s live beautifully and well, and embrace the ‘golden rule’ of Jesus, so that when we pass from this earth, we are missed and mourned by those who didn’t necessarily share our Christian faith. Prayer: Today, Lord Jesus, may I, in everything, do to others what I would want them to do to me, for Your glory. Amen.

Paul Borthwick, Leading the Way, (Colorado Springs, Nav Press, 1989), p 132

WED 28 DEC

STILL SCHEMING

READ Genesis 50:15–17 James 5:16

FOCUS So they sent a message to Joseph. They said, ‘Your father... said... “I’m asking you to forgive your brothers. Forgive the terrible things they did to you.”’ Genesis 50:16-17

It looks like the brothers are up to their old tricks again, although we can’t be certain. There’s no evidence to suggest Jacob did leave a message for Joseph, insisting that he didn’t go back on his forgiveness for his brothers’ old betrayal. The way the text reads, it looks like they put words in their dead father’s mouth, as a hasty ruse to protect themselves. Perhaps a combination of grief for their dead father (and regret for all the years of emotional torture they’d inflicted upon him), coupled with uncertainty about the future meant they came up with this scheme. Certainly Joseph, in the response that we’ll consider tomorrow, makes no mention of honouring his father’s words. He weeps, and gently reminds them they had meant him harm in the past – the first time we hear any words of recrimination from his lips. Perhaps he wanted them to know they had done great wrong – and shouldn’t start their old tricks again. The brothers were gifted schemers. Faced with trouble, this was their sin of choice, the one they easily drifted into, apparently at every stage of life. Even though we’ve moved on and grown as Christians, we’d do well to observe our own ‘faultlines’. Notice that the Bible encourages us to confess our faults (James 5:16-17) – our besetting weaknesses – rather than just specific individual sins which come as a result of those faults. Let’s know ourselves – and know that we never retire from the possibility of sin. Prayer: Search my heart, Lord, that I might be fully aware of my faults, and so manage my weakness through Your strength. Amen.

THU 29 DEC

LOVE COVERS

READ Genesis 50:18-21 1 Peter 4:1-11

FOCUS ‘So then, don’t be afraid. I’ll provide for you and your children.’ He set them free from their fears. And he spoke in a kind way to them. Genesis 50:21

Let’s assume for a moment that the brothers really were operating a cunning little scheme – which perhaps was quite simply a lie – as they went to Joseph with their post-death message from their dad. This could have been the cue for a time of punishment, seeing as it seems that they have not learned their lesson. As we saw yesterday, there was mild rebuke in Joseph’s response, but that is all. No explosion of indignant temper. No ‘Look what I’ve done for you, and still you lie to me’ speech. Joseph looks past their probable sin instead, and sees fear driving them. And so, he speaks kindly to them. He didn’t suggest they were doubting his word and integrity by being fearful (which they were) but instead he reassured them. Their apparent scheming was met by grace. We saw earlier that we don’t need to ‘sort everything out’ when we see others making a mistake. Some Christians seem to be on a correction crusade, seizing any perceived weaknesses they see in others and making the biggest possible deal out of them. But love covers over a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8, NIV). We don’t have to correct every little failing, or call a summit meeting to work through any and every problem that emerges in our relationships. Sometimes we just need to let things go, lighten up, and realise that, this side of eternity, we too, are always in process. Imagine what life would be like for us, if every time we mildly irritated someone, they made a court case out of the moment? Prayer: Lord, please help me to respond thoughtfully and kindly when provoked, so that grace might be shared. Amen.

FRI 30 DEC

JOSEPH: A MAN OF LOVE

READ Genesis 50:22-26 1 John 4:7-21

FOCUS So Joseph died at the age of 110. They prepared his body to be buried. Then he was placed in a casket in Egypt. Genesis 50:26

One of the briefest, to the point statements about the character of God is ‘God is love.’ In a sense, this is New Testament shorthand for everything that we know about God. At the end of our lives, could something similar be said about us? We’re almost at the conclusion of our threemonth trek with Joseph. We’ve walked with a man who learned grace the hard way. Emotional to the core, his early boasting about his dreams gave way to trusting God when falsely accused and unjustly imprisoned. He was a seer, gifted by God with an uncanny sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. He forgave in the face of terrible rejection, and, for the most part, managed to stay faithful both in power as well as poverty. He wasn’t perfect, as his programme of national slavery seems to show. But one commentator sums up the man like this: Joseph loved. What a great statement that would be for our gravestones. Whatever our accomplishments, the accumulation of our successes and failures, the people we’ve met, or the places we’ve been to – all of these fade into insignificance before this great attribute. Will it be said of us, that we have been loving? Perhaps it’s time to alter our ambitions. Maybe that alluring job, that will mean more cash but less family time, isn’t such a great deal after all. Maybe that moral temptation that you’re facing, shimmering and inviting though it is, will shatter others, and destroy any possibility of a legacy of love for you in the process. Joseph loved. Prayer: May I love, with Your love, Jesus. Amen.

WEEKEND 31 DEC

JOSEPH: A MAN OF FAITH AND HOPE

Yesterday we considered that Joseph loved. Hebrews provides a final postscript about him that offers vital partners to love: faith and hope. Joseph loved others, even when they were at their most unlovely, but that love flowed from a source: his love for, and his faith in God. To his dying day, Joseph remained sensitive to the revelation and strategy of God, and so looked forward to a day of exodus, and called for his bones to be taken along for the trip. Faith led him to hope for a better future for his people, even though tough times were coming, as a Pharaoh would rise up who didn’t know Joseph (Exod. 1:8). Thousands of years later, another man would write a letter to some people of faith, living in the amoral town of Corinth. Paul, the apostle, would remind them that only faith, hope and love will endure; only these three matter.

READ Hebrews 11:22 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

GOING DEEPER

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They matter for the whole of our lives; and they matter today. Will we choose to trust God, even if we feel we’re somewhere – like a dungeon – where we don’t choose to be? If we will, we must trust him when we don’t feel His presence or see any evidence of Him being at work. Will we love, even if we’re the victim of calculated spitefulness? And will we stay in hope; hope for prayers to be answered, hope for better days, hope that looks beyond the grave, and sees an incredible eternity ahead? Joseph lived and died well, with an epic legacy. May the same be true of you and me. And thank you so much for joining me. To ponder: Our legacy is not just what we leave behind when we die, but what happens now as we live beautifully. What is your current legacy? 85

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Join Jeff and Kay Lucas on a life-changing tour of Israel and Jordan, visiting famous sites that will transform the way you read and view the Bible, including Galilee, Jerusalem and Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene. Capernaum and the Garden of Gethsemane are included, as well as the amazing desert landscape of Wadi Rum with its idyllic orange sands and rock formations. Imagine sharing communion while sailing on the Sea of Galilee; exploring the ruins of Capernaum, where Jesus based his ministry; ascending Mount Nebo where Moses viewed the promised land; sharing worship, prayer and teaching on the beach where Jesus cooked His disciples breakfast after a long night’s fishing. And then there’s Petra, the world famous archaeological site in Jordan’s southwestern desert. Dating to around 300 B.C., it was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom. Accessed via a narrow canyon called Al Siq, it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs. Perhaps its most famous structure is 45m-high Al Khazneh, a temple with an ornate, Greekstyle facade, and known as the Treasury.

Professional local guides share their wealth of historical and archeological knowledge; Jeff offers teaching as we tour, and Jeff and Kay host the entire experience - one that some travellers have enjoyed so much they have returned to do the same trip a second and even a third time! With excellent hotels, amazing food, and the unforgettable experience of exploring the stunning old city of Jerusalem (with markets where you can haggle for a bargain) this trip will delight and inspire. Come with us! For 2023 dates and details go to www.jefflucas.org

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NEXT TIME: JESUS IN MARK'S GOSPEL Jesus. Surely He is the most compelling person that there’s ever been. He’s loving, surprising, winsome, humorous, tender, forthright and strong. He escapes from the clever traps that the religious set him; He shows up in the most unusual places – like on the crest of the wave in the midst of a terrifying storm. He is the centre and reason for our living.

Come with me in this next edition of Life with Lucas as we take a long, luxurious look at our astounding Jesus through the pages of Mark’s gospel. As we do, we can rediscover the reason that prompted us to follow Him; we will surely find strength and hope as we make our way through the confusing maze that is life. And together, we’ll see aspects of him that we’d never noticed before.

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What does it mean to live under the blessing of God? As we take a close look at the Old Testament story of Joseph, we discover that blessing doesn’t exclude us from pain, disappointment and conflict - but we also see a God who is able to redeem our darkest days, and promises to be with us and for us always. Tracing Joseph’s journey will deepen our faith and trust in God, and equip us for faithfulness, whatever our circumstances.

Life with Lucas is written by Jeff Lucas, an international author, speaker, broadcaster and coach. Married to Kay, his passion is to equip the Church with biblical, practical Bible teaching, marked by vulnerability and humour. Jeff is a best-selling author of 34 books, and broadcasts weekly on Premier Christian Radio. He is a teaching pastor at Timberline Church, Fort Collins, Colorado. JeffLucasUK

JeffLucasUK

lifewithlucas.co.uk PO Box 3070, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6WX, UK Tel 01903 732190