Genesis 50:19-20

So Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for I belong to God. But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Personal Challenge

Do we really believe this in our daily walk with our Lord? Do we believe that everything that has transpired in our life, whether good or bad, every trial and Tribulation, every victory and loss, everything, will be used by God for our good? Do we live our lives this way or do we live like everyone else around us, beaten down by the world and devastated by the conse­quences of our choices? Whether we want to admit it or not, believe it or not, God is still in control of the whole of creation, of time itself and because of His love for us, all of us, He is constantly trying to make everything that happens in our lives be for our good. Are we willing to receive that? Are we willing to make His job easier by choosing His path to follow. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner and forgive me of my stiff necked way of behaving.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Encouraging Words

God operates within an economy that defies all of the ways of doing things here on earth. He asks us to give out of our abundance cheerfully and not grudgingly or of a feeling of compulsion. He promises to poor out His grace upon us, cheerfully, expecting nothing in return from us. This grace poured out upon us will always give us, in abundance, whatever we need to do His good work. We are blessed, so why would we not bless others? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Genesis 45:4-8

But Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now therefore, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to save life. For this is the second year of famine in the land, and five years still remain in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. For God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth, and to sustain you as a great remnant. So now, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Encouraging Words

This story reminds us that God has a greater plan for all of His creation and us as part of that creation. He also has the view across all eternity; past, present, and 
future, so He knows how things will all work out for us. The real question is whether or not we are willing to submit to Him and recognize that all that happens has a reason and will be used by God for our good. Glory be to God!

2 Corinthians 9:6

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Personal Challenge

What does it mean to sow and reap in today’s world. Most of us no longer live in an agricul­tural setting where we have to sow seed for our crops and reap the results. Sowing and reaping applies to all aspects of our lives. If I sow truth, truth will be reaped. If I sow it sparingly, then I will reap it sparingly. If bountifully, then bountifully. I can choose to sow truth, love, compassion, mercy, grace, and any other righteous gift. I can sow from my financial blessings or my gifts and talents or my time. By sowing all of these abundantly, I will see abundant crops being reaped. But I can also sow lies, disparity, dissension, anger, contempt, selfishness, and many other unrighteous actions and beliefs. The same principle applies. If I sow these negative things, then I must be ready to reap in kind. It is so sad to see how much of the focus of our society and even many of our churches have chosen the unrighteous things to sow. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy as we reap what we have sown!

2 Corinthians 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Encouraging Words

There is no such thing in the scriptures as the gospel of prosperity that has become a popular thing in our modern, prolific society. Both Jesus and the apostles talk about the great blessings that we will receive as followers of Christ, but the blessings are eternal and spiritual blessings. If we are given material blessings, we are commanded to give those blessings to those in need. Our hearts and our minds should be heavenly focused and not earthly focused. Jesus set this example by giving up all His heavenly blessings to become one of us and live a life of poverty so that we might become rich in His heavenly realm. Glory be to God!

2 Corinthians 6:2

For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Personal challenge

Paul begins chapter 6 of this letter by telling his readers to not take the grace of God in vain. We are saved into His family and His mission. What is that mission? To love God above all else and to love our neighbor above ourselves. Our salvation is not just for us to relish in, but for us to follow in His footsteps so that others may know of and receive, His grace and salvation. This often means that we do the hard things, sacrificing our desires and needs, for Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord have mercy!

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Personal Challenge

What does it mean to be an ambassador for someone? First it means that we are citizens of the land that is governed by that person. We are then representatives of that person and His land wherever we are. As representatives, we live in such a way that everyone around us knows that our allegiance is to our home country or land and not to where we have been assigned. As followers of Christ, our true home is heaven. We are representatives of our Lord here on this earth. Our allegiance should always to our home and our Lord first. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Encouraging Words

God does not just expect us to turn a corner in our lives when we receive Him as our Lord and be different. He starts that process by making us new creations in Christ, eliminating the old things, and making us new creations in Him. He gives us what we need to turn that corner and to never go back, if we are willing to follow Him on that path. Glory be to God!

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Personal Challenge

For those of us who follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, one thing is in common, we believe that Christ died for all. Where the challenge comes in is whether or not we are willing to die to ourselves and not live for ourselves. The last two years of living in the midst of a pandemic has revealed how easy it is for some to ignore this expectation of our Lord and live for ourselves. There are so many who proclaim Jesus as their Loaf and yet refuse to do what can be atone to defeat this pandemic and protect those around them by choosing to be vaccinated and wear masks. They proclaim that it is a violation of their rights and freedoms, all the while helping to spread misinformation and even Covid. If we are truly choosing to die to ourselves and to live for God and love our neighbor above ourselves then we will have no problem doing what is best for them, not what we prefer for us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!