Why God?

Genesis 39:13-23

 

 

In this story, Joseph finds himself between a rock and a hard place. If he gives in to the aggressive advances of his bosses’ wife, he betrays the trust of Potiphar and sins

against God. On the other hand, if he resists Potiphar’s wife, he runs the risk of finding the truth of the saying, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”.

 

From the text we read that he did indeed resist her, but with apparently disastrous consequences as Potiphar’s wife makes up a boldface lie.

Here’s how the Living Bible states it.

 

¹² …she came and grabbed him by the sleeve demanding, “Sleep with me.” He tore himself away, but as he did, his jacket slipped off and she was left holding it as he fled from the house. ¹³ When she saw that she had his jacket, and that he had fled, ^14-15 she began screaming; and when the other men around the place came running in to see what had happened, she was crying hysterically. “My husband had to bring in this Hebrew slave to insult us!” she sobbed. “He tried to rape me, but when I screamed, he ran, and forgot to take his jacket.”

 

Joseph was in a situation where he could have easily cried out, “Why God? Why did you let me be thrown into prison even though I was being faithful to you? Why did you let my brothers sell me into slavery bringing me to this god-forsaken place? Why have you turned your back on me? Why God?”

 

You may have cried out like this yourself at some time. “Why God did you let our child die? Why did I lose my job when I have a family to provide for? Why did you let my marriage fall apart? Why did our house burn to the ground? Why did my spouse contract cancer? Why do I struggle with this addiction? Why God?”

 

And yet, being thrown into prison was not the end of the story for Joseph. Although he could have responded by turning away from God or dwelling on his desperate circumstance, he didn’t. Instead he remained faithful to God, and was eventually placed in charge of the whole prison. God didn’t forget him. God didn’t leave him. God had a plan even in the midst of hopeless circumstances.

 

Therefore, the next time you find yourself in a situation where you are crying out “Why God”; remember this. God is in control and He is always at work in your life drawing

you towards Him. He is always with you. He loves you unconditionally and nothing can separate you from His love. He has a plan for your life and is faithful.

 

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2039%3A13-23&version=NIV;TLB
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Gen.39.13-Gen.39.23


 

Single Mindedness Ezekiel 11:19-20

To be a Buckeye football player requires year-round single-mindedness. There is winter weight training, spring drills, the dreaded late summer two-a-day drills followed by fall weekly practice. Then if you are good enough, you get to play in 12 games or more. But it takes single-mindedness.

Are you single-minded in your faith? James talks about this. "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double minded and unstable in all they do."

James is talking about perseverance in trials. "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". The context of Ezekiel is that the Israelites have been in exile. They have been in constant trials and temptations. They have lived in a country that worships different gods and has different values. For Christians, that doesn’t sound all that different from our world today.

What are the gods of our culture? The list is endless: career, material possessions, status, and relationships just to mention a few. There are so many distractions in our world. There are so many ways for us to not be single-minded. What can we do to keep on track?

The first thing is to remember the promises of the Sovereign Lord. In Ezekiel He promised the Israelites, "I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered. I will give you back the land of Israel. I will give you an undivided heart". Are there not promises as life-changing as these for those who follow Jesus today?

Then what do you need to do? Ezekiel wrote, "They will return and remove all its vile images and idols". Our sinful nature makes it hard for us to do that – to remove the idols from our heart. James says to ask the Lord, "who gives generously to all without finding fault".

God doesn’t judge us. God wants to give us good gifts generously. In fact in Ezekiel, God promises, "Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God". Isn’t that what we need and want?

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Joshua 12

Today we read a listing of all the nations defeated by Joshua, 31 of them.  We may wonder why an entire chapter is devoted to this list and what is the importance of it to us?  This list is a summary of the first half of the Book of Joshua and from it we can see that as long as the people were faithful to God, obedient and trustworthy, He led them to victory.

The parallel here for this writer, the theme I can discern, is perseverance.  Perseverance has been a battle cry for years, especially since I claimed a personal relationship with Jesus.  Becoming a Believer isn't the end of the story or journey, it is the beginning.  Claiming Christ as Savior doesn't bring to a close the chapters of my life that were filled with pain and suffering, it makes them understandable and gives them meaning.

I can look back on the battles for my soul that were fought by Satan.  I am witness to the way he fights dirty.  How he knows my weaknesses and uses my past to cause me to doubt my future.  I have learned to recognize that the enemy is real, very real.  The battle is a lifetime war with evil, it will not conclude until the day Christ claims it is finished.

Joshua and Israel spent their lifetime searching for peace and the good life.  We do the same.  There were many time times God spoke to his warrior, "Be strong and courageous."  His courage and strength carried them to victory.  His faithfulness to his God ensured victory in the end.  Ours will too.  There will be many battles, perhaps daily, but if we are strong and courageous and faithful to God, we will be victorious,

Evil will fall and we will stand before Him one day.

Read Joshua 12 here

Listen to Joshua 12 here