Convenient Memory Loss

“…the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, …and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.” (Genesis 40:1-3)

“After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men…had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.” (Genesis 40:5)

The Chief Butler had memory issues. Joseph did him a huge favor by interpreting the butler's dream. His words provided hope to the condemned man. Joseph only asked that he remember this favor when exonerated. But he totally forgot...or did he?

A butler had a place of importance in the king's court. This one found himself in a fix, we don't know exactly what happened -- if he was innocent or guilty -- but the king forgave the accused offense. If the butler were to bring up the circumstances around the dream he had, and explain how another prisoner helped him, perhaps it would have reminded the king of the unpleasant situation.

The butler wasn't taking any chances. Would we? How many times have we promised God that if he would get us out of a difficult situation, we would change? How often have our prayers of desperation contained a pledge to do better, to do more, to tell others about God, to invite that friend to church?

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (1 Peter 3:15)

God worked on Joseph's behalf despite the butler's reneged promise. God's will for Joseph was still on track and He worked through His servant and saved a nation from starvation and so much more. So, remember to be faithful to those 'foxhole' pledges, but also know God will work it all out no matter what you or I do.

Genesis 40

Please speak

“From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, ‘Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.’” Acts 13:14-15

“Please speak.”

“Uh..... hmm..... well... um............ gee...”

Fortunately for the synagogue rulers and their congregants, it wasn't I, the visitor they tapped on the shoulder and asked to speak that day!  Impromptu, me? I thought we knew each other!

And for all we know, Paul didn’t do stand-up at the improv, either. But, clearly, he was prepared! He knew his audience: “Men of Israel and ... Gentiles who worship God.” His invitation came after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, so he knew their frame of reference and his own starting point. The purpose was clear: the ask was for a “message of encouragement.” And Paul’s foundation was certain, for he knew Jesus and the reason for his hope in him. The man was ready ... and the man delivered.

In his letter to “God's elect,” Peter exhorted us this way: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). People want to know!  People are starved for hope and they want to know if they can trust Him who is our hope. And when people ask, there is no need for us to be frightened into the fetal position, rather ours is to be ready to help them in this life-giving way.

Paul was prepared when his opportunity arose. But me?

Not so much, I'm afraid. And I'm not alone in this deficiency. All around us – and within – here’s the common believer’s experience: we want to share what we've found in Christ ... we want to be part of the harvest ... we wish we had great answers to people's questions ... but we never seem to get past these aspirations and actually do something about them. We admire “be prepared” from a distance, but we don't go there. We hear, but don’t do.

So what do you say we change that right now? Got a pencil and a piece of paper? And five minutes?

I’m serious. Using bullet points, phrases, sentences – whatever works best for you – jot down at least the beginnings of your own response to this question: “Why do you place your hope in Jesus Christ?” It’s a personal question in search of a genuine answer. It could be the change he’s made in the lives of people you know ... maybe you’ve seen a miracle or a compelling event in your life or in someone around you ... perhaps it’s jaw-dropping amazement at all of the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus, centuries after they were uttered ... and don’t forget the incremental changes in your heart after you trusted him.

We all have our reasons. Jot down yours. Hone it, if need be. Rehearse it a couple times, so you can comfortably share it with “everyone who asks you.”

And keep in mind we need not feel compelled to prove anything or fear being “wrong” – they're our reasons, after all – just explain why you hope in Jesus. That’s what witnessing is: simply telling someone what you’ve seen or experienced.

The Holy Spirit will take it from there. He is the one who will use our words to initiate or nurture hope in those who ask, or bring it into fruition of belief. He is the one who will breathe life into others, just as he breathed it into you.

So take a few minutes now to break this inertia in your life. It won’t take long!  When you're done, you will have an answer the next time someone says, “Please speak.”

(To see today's full text, Acts 13:14-43, click here.)

Zechariah 9:9-13

I find foreshadowing so interesting.  The Bible is filled with instances where happenings in the New Testament are foretold in the Old Testament.  Verse 9 in the Zechariah text foretells of Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, Palm Sunday to us.  The verse that jumped off the page for me was verse 12

^"Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you."  (Zechariah 9:12 (NIV) 

Do you ever feel like a prisoner of hope?  Like one who clings to that hope daily and lavishes in the promises that hope provides for us, as Believers? Heaven is much more real to me now, having walked with my husband on the path to his eternal life.  After having shared with him, just how wonderful it will be when we find ourselves in the presence of God and experience life as we were meant to live it - in Paradise, I have peace.

That season of my life has reiterated and firmly ensconced the belief in my Hope, who is Jesus.  On the days when existing here on earth seems fruitless if not pointless, I call myself a prisoner of hope.  "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15)

Read Zechariah 9:9-13 here
Listen to Zechariah 9:9-13 here