For our final day this week, we’ll see how, surprisingly, Joseph’s life was brought full circle for a total and complete redemption. Why? Because he followed the purpose and plan of God.

Genesis 42:1-3 NLT

When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise, we’ll die.” So, Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

You know what’s coming, don’t you?

Genesis 42: starting at verse 6 NLT

Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them…. Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him.

Finally, the moment came for the reveal.

Genesis 45:4-8 NLT

And he said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. … God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So, it was God who sent me here, not you!

What if we decided like Joseph to take every tragedy, every injustice, every wrong done to us, and trust God to show us the “why,” the greater purpose that could come from the “what?”

We know the famous verse to end our story from Genesis 50:19

Don’t you see, you planned evil against me, but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people.

Nothing about this story sounds pleasant or easy. But God provided favor all along the way, even in dark situations.

Is there is a dark situation in your life right now - more than likely, you are not in prison for a false accession like Joseph, but even in that situation can you reflect on one way you can see God’s faithfulness to you, even in the short term as you wait for the long-term promise?

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, there are things in my life that I know you want to restore and redeem like Joseph’s. Help me to see my life through Your eyes, to hear Your truth, and to live my purpose just as You planned when You created me. As above, so below.”

We really hope you are enjoying this week and the amazing story of Joseph. God had given him a strange, mystical gift of being ability to hear someone’s crazy-sounding dream and be able to offer a credible interpretation that applied to the person’s future. And would most certainly come true.

After Pharaoh had a very strange dream and no one could tell him what it meant, he was finally made aware of Joseph and called him before the throne to hear the dream, this is in Genesis 41:15

“I dreamed a dream,” Pharaoh told Joseph. “Nobody can interpret it. But I’ve heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it.”  Joseph answered, “Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh’s mind at ease.”

When the dust had settled after Joseph heard, interpreted, and offered solutions for all of Pharaoh’s dreams, the ruler of Egypt made a surprising declaration to everyone, but most especially to Joseph:

We pick up in verse 38

Then Pharaoh said to his officials, “Isn’t this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God’s spirit in him like this?”

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “You’re the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. From now on, you’re in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you.”

Every problem that humans threw at Joseph, God always in time provided a promotion for him. Ultimately, he became the second most powerful leader in the known world.

This story is much like when Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 19:26: “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

God can overcome anything if we will simply place the circumstance in His hands. The handing-over can be very hard sometimes, because we feel out-of-control. But giving control of something we cannot control anyway to the God who is always in control will be the best decisions we make—every time. Like Joseph told Pharaoh: “It is beyond my power to do this, but God can …”

Is there an impossible situation in your life right now that you can turn over to God?

Let’s pray: “Father, thank You that whatever happens, You can. What is impossible for me is always possible for You. What seems impossible to happen or not happen, You have control over. I submit my life, my purpose, my own need to be in control to You. As above, so below.”

If you either didn’t know the story of Joseph or haven’t heard it in a very long time, the back-and-forth that happened to him is mind-boggling. Today is certainly no different. I want, as you hear Joseph’s story, to overlay your own circumstances to know that God desires to create the same type of outcome for you.

Genesis 39:21-23 NLT

But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.

Are you starting to see the pattern? When Joseph is put in a bad situation, he responds by working hard and having the best attitude he can. That has to be true or these people in authority wouldn’t have done the things they did for Joseph. His life must have expressed something very different than other servants or prisoners. His life reflected, not his own, but that of the God who gave purpose to Joseph’s life.

Genesis 39:21-23 MESSAGE

But there in jail God was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer. The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners—he ended up managing the whole operation. The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because God was with him; whatever he did God made sure it worked out for the best.

It is so crucial and important for us to not miss the many times Joseph had the opportunity to get bitter, to be vengeful, to hate, to curse, and to decide God had forgotten all about him. But he didn’t. He knew that son or servant, palace or prison, God was with him, showing him the way through, not the way out. Apply these truths to your own life today because they are certainly very real and available to you right now.

Let’s pray: “Father, I know what it feels like to be forgotten by people and start to believe that nothing good is going to happen. But with You, that is simply not true. You never forget. You always see me. You are always with me. Help me to accept and know that truth today and every day. As above, so below.”

Today, we continue to read the life of Joseph, we’ll see the roller coaster of good and evil in his life. But most importantly, his response to the injustices done to him and God’s response to Joseph’s faith.

Genesis 39:1-21 NLT

When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.  The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. … This pleased Potiphar, so he … put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. … With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!

Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “My master trusts me with everything in his entire household. … How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her … One day … She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house. Soon all the men came running. “Look!” she said. “… this Hebrew slave … came into my room to rape me, but I screamed.  … Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story … So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison …  But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love.

Among the evil Joseph had to endure, what were the two phrases that created game changers for him?

“The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did …”

“But the Lord was with Joseph … and showed him his faithful love.”

“The Lord was with” simply means there was a constant, continual relationship between God and Joseph. Like a hybrid of family and friend. No matter what you have been through, are walking through now, or will endure in your life, that “with” is available to you 24/7.

These same thoughts are what Paul meant when in Romans 8:31, he stated, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

Let’s personalize and repeat that phrase right now: “If God is for me, who can ever be against me?” … “If God is for me, who can ever be against me?” … “If God is for me, who can ever be against me?”

Let’s pray together: “Father, thank You that nothing that can happen to me is bigger, stronger, or greater than You. I want my life to be marked by the “with” of being in a relationship with You. I invite You into my life to experience the same closeness as Joseph had. As above, so below.”

Throughout this week, we’ll be reading from the life of Joseph.

Genesis 37:2-4 NLT

When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half-brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So, one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.

Now, fast-forward to Joseph being sent by his dad to check on his brothers who were working in the field …

Genesis 37:23-28 NLT

When Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders … Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime.  Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.

We all know the end of the story. How God used all of these terrible situations for ultimate good. But before we get ahead of ourselves to the redemption - Do you have a memory in your own life that this story triggered for you? Something tragic? Betrayal? An injustice?

While this story is painful to hear, the bottom line is we all understand family dysfunction that causes pain and creates scars that we have to deal with for a long time. But these events in our lives offer us a choice: will I let this define me or will I allow this to become a defining moment?

Your relationship with God can bring purpose to create a greater, stronger you out of any circumstance. But for this to happen, the pain and the process has to be surrendered to God and then stay submitted to Him on the journey to wholeness and healing.

As we walk through this week, and the story of Joseph, can you ask God to start to reveal his purpose for your pain, maybe like you have never seen it before.

Let’s pray: “Father, thank You for providing examples in Scripture that show me how to navigate the tragedies of life through You. Right now, I surrender my hurts, my pain, and my process of healing to You. Use it all—the good and bad—to bring me a greater sense of purpose about my life, as You lead me. As above, so below.”

The Message Bible—Romans 5:1-5.

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide-open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:1-5 MSG)

Let’s personalize these scriptures… God has made you right with Him through Christ. That’s what He wanted for you when He created you. God has thrown open the doors of Heaven to you. He wants you to throw open the doors of your heart, your mind, your spirit to Him. And now you are standing where you have always hoped to stand—out in the wide-open spaces of His grace and glory.

Let’s take a few moments … I want to ask you to express Your praise to God. Whether you shout or you are silent, take a moment to worship like Paul expressed, as he calls it standing tall and shouting our praise.

Please know that the enemy of God and the ways of this world do not want you to know who you truly are in Christ. So that is exactly why the battle is so strong on so many of your days to pull you down and keep you down. But please, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking … never stop. Know who you are and only go deeper in your relationship with Christ. You will never find the end of Him this side of Heaven, so I want to inspire you to dive deep in His grace and in His glory.

Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, we worship You today as the One who gives us our life, our breath, and our identity. You alone establish our worth and our value. Help me, lead me, to just keep asking, seeking, and knocking to know You deeper and higher and farther and longer in Your love until I come home to be with You. As above, so below.”

We want to spend the bulk of our time together in meditation on a powerful chapter that King David wrote. Today, our focus will be to understand who we are, we must first know that God is God and we are not. So much of the issues in our lives regarding our identity is when we try to keep ourselves on the throne when we were never created to sit there. Only our God.

(Psalm 84 NLT)

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God! What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. … A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.

What phrase or thought stood out to you? Consider why. What is God saying to you right now?

Listen to verse 5-7 from the Message Bible

And how blessed all those in whom you live,

whose lives become roads you travel;

They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,

discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!

God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and

at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!

Is there a lonesome valley you are facing right now?

Then listen to the closing words once more - For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.

Let’s pray: “Father, David used the word ‘joy’ many times in this Psalm. Help me to find more joy in You and in my life. I need You to be my sun and my shield. Please give me Your grace and glory. I want to do what is right in Your eyes so You will withhold no good thing from me. As above, so below.”

Busyness and distraction are rampant in our culture. Listen to this story about Jesus and his two friends who were sisters.

(Luke 10:38-42 NLT)

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha just knew she was in the right, didn’t she? She was busy fixing a meal for a room full of hungry people and growing impatient with her sister for leaving her to do all the work. Imagine her surprise when Jesus told her that Mary was actually in the right place doing the right thing. … The Bible says Martha was distracted while Mary was discovering. … Notice Jesus’s choice of words, translated into English, of course. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. And Mary has discovered it.

Today, there are things you have to do and things you need to do. But to stay on the path of finding who you are in Christ requires setting aside some to-do list stuff and do what Mary did—intentional time to sit and listen to Jesus. In stillness.

Listen Again

Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Imagine the Lord words from this scripture directed to you today, “My dear friend, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Discover it.”

Let’s pray together: “Lord Jesus, remind me, help me take the time to stop life and listen, to not be distracted, but discover more of You, to discover more of me. As above, so below.”

(Matthew 7:7-8 NLT)

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

These are the words of Jesus Himself. Notice his intentional use of the language—you will receive … you will find … the door will be opened. That said, we have to be careful to not manipulate or misinterpret His teaching. This is not like a blank check. God will never go outside of His Word, His ways, or His will. But, inside those holy parameters, He is inviting all of us to ask, seek, and knock.

He is telling us to be proactive. Asking, seeking, and knocking all take both action and faith.

Listen again to the intentionality “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

What might this look like for you?

Notice the transitions. Ask, seek, knock.

Asking is between you and God. What do you specifically need to ask for right now?

Seek is your choice - If we seek / look for the negative we will find it. It is also true is you look for God in situations you will find Him. Where can you see evidence of God at work in your life right now?

Knock is an action, a deliberate move in a direction. What deliberate step do you need to take towards something? Maybe what deliberate step do you need to take away from something?

This interactive prayer that Jesus give is a format for everything in our lives. Ask our Father. Seek for Him. Move in that direction.

Let’s pray together: “Lord Jesus, give me the boldness, the strength, the passion to get up and ask, seek, and knock to discover whatever You have for my life. I believe You spoke these words because You believe we are worthy because of Your sacrifice. May I walk in Your Word, Your will, and Your ways. As above, so below.”

Of the thousands of questions about our bodies that scientists have answered, there is a certain mystery that has never been successfully resolved: our fingerprints. Why do we have them? What’s their biological purpose? Years of research have not produced a good answer.

The only fact that all scientists agree on is that no two people’s fingerprints are the same—even those of identical twins. Throughout all of human creation, no repetition of fingerprints has ever been found, with every set being original.

What if God gave us fingerprints, making them unique to each person, simply to show us the great detail and care He takes in His creation?

LUKE 12:6-7 NIV

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

In creating us God paid attention to detail. Every fiber of your body is a calculated design. Every function of your mind is a miracle. Our ability to connect with one another, even when we get hurt, is a testament to the eternal character of God that lives in us that is beyond just the physical realm.

Listen again to this passage paying attention, not to the general sense of God’s care for us, but the microscopic view, described about God’s awareness and view of you.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

You are not forgotten. God’s attention and affection for you is as focused on the little things as it is on the big things.

What is a concern that you carry that may feel like God has forgotten about in your life? Can you acknowledge that your Father is keenly aware, and with you, in every situation, big or small?

Look at the tip of your finger. Your fingerprint is used a form of identification, a signature, so to speak, that is unique to only us. There is great value and worth in the fact that you are not like anyone that has ever existed before. Your place on this earth is by design. Your worth and value to those around you is immeasurable and was a calculated plan by God towards those you come in contact with. Your fingerprints are evidence of you on everything that you touch, everyone you interact with. Your unique and special signature of just being you. You are a gift given by the God of the universe to those around you, whether you feel like it or not.

Father, thank you that you see me. Down to the very hairs on my head. There is nothing in my life that you are not aware of or that you don’t care about. Help me to trust in that intimate awareness and care you have for me. Help me to grasp, even a little bit, of how valuable I am to you and to others. As above so below.

Genesis 2:7

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

And now for the beautiful side of the story, let’s skip to verse 21:

So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening.  Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” (Genesis 2:21-23 NLT)

Where was God in these scenes? He was in the dirt—involved, creating, engaged. He was crafting man and woman. He breathed His own breath into them.

Listen to verse seven again, this time from The MESSAGE

God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!

If we are going to believe the Bible and what God says, then these are our truths: You were formed out of a deep love from a God who desperately loves you. You didn’t come from apes.You certainly were not an accident. God planned, designed, and made you. That is who you and your family are … God’s very own. Your worth is found in the fact that God breathed His very breath to bring you, specifically you, into life.

Pray with me: “Father, thank You for planning us with and for a purpose—me and my kids. Guide me, lead me to help us all find that purpose through Your plan and with an attitude of worth, value, and identity that only comes from You. As above, so below.”

We all know today that the world and media want to tell us our value, our worth, and our identity.

Let’s go back to the first pages of the Bible where God Himself speaks of human origin.

(Genesis 1 NLT)

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

As a human being, this passage talks about your life. God looks at you and says, “Very good!” That is the truth about your personal value, your very worth, the essence of who you are in your identity.

This is what the first verse says about you - Personalize the verse, insert your own name.

Then God said, “Let us make _______________ in our image, to be like us.

Let that sink in. When ever you question your worth, your identity, remember you are created in God’s image, His nature, as another translation says. And He looks at you, just the way you are, and says ‘Very Good”

How would believing that about yourself change the way you approach your day, the way you approach others, The way you carry yourself?

Let’s pray: “Father, thank You for my life. Thank you for reminding me the way you see me, in your likeness. Help me to accept and embrace what you say about me and the way you see me as ‘Very good”. As above, so below."

Psalm 139:13-16 MESSAGE

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;   you formed me in my mother’s womb.I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!   Body and soul, I am marvelously made!   I worship in adoration—what a creation!You know me inside and out,   you know every bone in my body;You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,   how I was sculpted from nothing into something.Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;   all the stages of my life were spread out before you,The days of my life all prepared   before I’d even lived one day.

One thing that is, for sure, being communicated in this passage is the intentionality of a creator creating. Nothing in this passage speaks to accidents. Nothing in this passage speaks to randomness. Everything in this passage speaks of grandeur, beauty and care.

In another translation of the first two verses of this passage it reads

“You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mothers womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex your workmanship is marvelous.

It’s interesting to think of God as a master craftsman, molding something from the inside out to be so wonderfully complex. Often we look at ourselves and we give ‘complex’ a negative connotation. But in this passage there is honor being attached to complexity.

What about you sometimes seems too complex?

A lot of us walk around feeling like, at the very best, we are a random addition to the human race, and we discount what makes us different or complex. Not often do we celebrate ourselves as a unique, complex and marvelous workmanships of a master creator.

Can you look at yourself and accept that the way you are created, in all your wonderful complexity, points to the intentional, deliberate care of a master creator who believed that this world was better with you in it? Nothing about you or your life is random.

Let’s pray together: “Father, while I may struggle to use words about myself like “complex, marvelous, and precious,” thank You that You have expressed those feelings toward me. I want to believe my worth in and through You and I want to receive my identity from You. As above, so below.”

The story is told of Sir Isaac Newton, the famous mathematician and scientist, who had a strong belief in God. One day, Sir Isaac went to a carpentry shop and asked the owner to make a model of our solar system. This model was to be to scale, intricately painted, and designed to resemble, as closely as possible, the actual solar system.

Several weeks later, Newton picked up the model, paid for it, and placed it in the center of a table in his house. One day, a friend who was an atheist came to visit. When the man arrived, the model of the solar system caught his eye, and he asked Sir Isaac if he could inspect it more closely. As the friend looked it over, he was awed by the fine craftsmanship and beauty. The friend then asked Newton who had created this wonderful model of the solar system. Sir Isaac promptly replied that no one had made the model but that it had just appeared on his table one day, evidently by accident.

Confused, the friend asked the question again, and Newton repeated his answer that the model had come out of thin air. As the friend became frustrated, Sir Isaac then explained the purpose of his answer: If he could not convince his friend that this crude replica of the solar system had “just happened by accident,” how could the friend believe that the real solar system, with all its complex design, could have appeared only by chance? The moral to the story: Design always demands a Designer.

(Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us a new in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

When was the last time you watched your children sleeping? Why do you suppose as parents we do that? Stare lovingly at a perfectly still and peaceful child? It’s because we marvel at how they are created and are a part of us. … Design does indeed demand a Designer.

Listen again to this passage as I personalize it for us. Repeat these truths over yourself today.

For I am God’s masterpiece. He has created me anew in Christ Jesus, so I can do the good things he planned for me long ago.

God has already stated clearly that you are His masterpiece … just like those beautiful kids you love so much. He has declared your worth and identity. He created each of you and placed you together as a family.

Pray with me: “Father, I want to accept and receive that I am Your masterpiece, created anew in You to accomplish the things You planned for my life long ago. I claim that same identity and destiny for my incredible kids. Thank You for my life. Thank You for their lives. As above, so below.”

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Yesterday we focused on embracing the feelings that freedom brings and living from that sense of security. In today’s passage, Paul directs us towards actions not feelings. He suggests 3 choices for us to make.

Be joyful in hope. Another word for hope is expectant. Will you choose to show joy because your are expectant that God will come through?

Be patient in affliction. Another word for patience is acceptance. Will you choose to accept - to not fight - affliction or trouble?

Be faithful in prayer. Faithful can be defined as loyal and committed. Will you be loyal and committed to praying?

Listen again to this passage, this time from the Message Bible

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

What personal hope do you have for yourself can you choose to be joyful and excited about right now?

What affliction or trouble that you’re facing can you decide to be patient with?

What is something that you need to commit tp praying more earnestly about?

God’s best for you is a combination of feeling, really knowing He has gone before you and is with you, like we explored yesterday, and choosing to follow His path by living in hope, patience and prayer.

Father, I can get so weighed down by all the troubles and concerns around me. Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and trouble, and committed to continually praying. I know you want what’s best for me, help me to choose what’s best for me too. As above so below.

Psalm 34:4-7 (NIV)

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

   he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant;

   their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

   he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

   and he delivers them.

What does it mean to be radiant? The Psalmist says “those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame. As we get older, some would call wiser, we also get our views blurred by man’s measurement of self. Often we can become so consumed with appearances, responsibilities and expectations that we forget that we have actually been freed from all of that.

What would our response be if someone paid off all of our debt, took away all of our stress, took away any reason for us to ever worry again. I suspect we would look radiant. We might even look a little crazy… Wouldn’t living with that realization do something to those closest to us, wouldn’t that kind of freedom be contagious. Listen again to this passage and view yourself from the writers perspective.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

   he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant;

   their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

   he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

   and he delivers them.

How does it feel to carry no shame.

How does it feel to know that God saves you from all your troubles.

How does it feel to know that the angel of the Lord encamps around you.

How does it feel to know that God will delivers you.

Let’s make those feelings the reality that we live from today, and everyday.

Father, thank you that you promise to deliver me from all my fears. Thank you that you say my face should never be covered with shame. Thank you that you deliver me from all my troubles and that your angels camp around me. Help me to be radiant, shining the grace that you give me to others. As above, so below.

Proverbs 3:1-12 NLT

My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

In this passage, and throughout the Bible, the writer refers to the reader as ‘my child’. Returning to a position where we don’t have everything figured out on our own seems to be a common theme throughout scripture.

Listen to this passage again from the mindset and the position of your heart of returning to the perspective of a child, with much to learn, not having everything figured out.

My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. (Proverbs 3:1-12 NLT)

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart do not depend on your own understanding’ pretty much sums up what this is saying.

Is there an area in your life that you have been leaning primarily on your own understanding? Can you do what this passage suggests, ‘seek him in all that you do and he will show you which path to take’? Letting go of the preconceived idea that you are required to have this all figured out on your own is foundational in living with the abandon of childlike innocence, living with a healthy sense of dependency and trust in your Father who goes before you.

Let’s pray: Father, help me to surrender my natural way of looking at things, that I have to have everything figured out. Help me to lean on You, help me to seek You in all that I do as I trust you to show me which path to take. As above, so below.”

Proverbs 2:1-8 NLT

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.  Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.

As we look around in our culture today, it’s getting harder and harder to find those who truly treasure God’s commands, those who seek them like hidden treasures.

Let me ask you … do you want to gain the knowledge of God? Would you like a treasure of common sense and to have your integrity be like a shield to protect your life? For your path to be guarded and your life protected?

Let’s personalize Solomon’s words for us today, as our declaration:

I WILL listen to what You say, and WILL treasure Your commands. I WILL tune my ears to wisdom, and WILL concentrate on understanding. I WILL cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. I WILL search for them as I would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.  Then I will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and I will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants me wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to me as I am honest. He is a shield to me as I walk with integrity. He guards my path to be just and protects me as I am faithful to him. (Proverbs 2:1-8 NLT)

Gods wisdom is the only treasure worth seeking. Treasure available to us freely, upon asking. Relying on our understanding is futile when living a committed life in Christ. What is one area of your life that you can bring before the Lord today and ask for His wisdom to guide you?

Let’s pray together: “Father, guide me to align my life priorities with You and Your ways and Your will. Take my life, all I have and don’t have, all I want and all I need and help me to seek You as my Treasure to find contentment and satisfaction in my life. As above, so below.”

LUKE 18:15-17 NLT

One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.

Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

I remember someone saying to me once when I was in school… Grow up… Since that time I’ve spent most of my time doing that. Growing up. Getting mature. Being responsible. Today, in this passage Jesus confronts that idea, and instead offers us an opportunity to return to how we were made.

All of us started out as infants, then children. Somehow along the way we’ve lost the beauty of that innocence, the wonder of the world around us, the joy of discovery and the faith that is simple.

What would it look like to confound your daily routine and structure and instead take on a mindset of a child? Content. Curious. No fear. It seems in this passage that God is calling us to live with the simple abandon of a child, listen again as I read part of this passage and notice that not only is Jesus suggesting that the kingdom of God is about a child like mindset, but also, He is refuting what the adults are saying the kingdom is like.

Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Can you let go? Even if it’s just for 10 minutes and allow yourself to experience the beauty and wonder of knowing that all that you need is freely given to you, and is not reliant on your efforts.

Trusting in your Good father who asks you to just come to him with the innocence of a child.

Father, help me put aside my belief that I need to grow up, clean up, have it all together to come to you. Thanks you for encouraging me to live with the fearless abandon of a child, with You as my Father. As above, so below.

For our final day this week, we are going to read a tough passage, but we’ll also turn it around and end on a bright spot. Paul shared these words with Timothy in his second letter, chapter 3, verses 1-5:

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

When you heard these words, did it sound like something from today’s news feed? Love only themselves and their money? Boastful? Proud? Scoffing at God? Disobedient? Ungrateful? Nothing is sacred? This is exactly why God’s Word is timeless and always current.

Again we see how the love self, pride, pleasure and the pursuit of wealth is associated with a lack of godly character. The last verse even says the religious people will reject God’s power.

Now, let’s take Paul’s words, and as what would be in line with many of his other passages such as 1 Corinthians 13, for example, turn the phrases around to encourage ourselves to follow God and pursue Him, not the things of this world, to see our money merely as a means, not an end.

For people must love God and not their money. They must not boast and be proud, or scoff at God, be disobedient to their parents, yet be grateful. Consider everything sacred. Be loving and forgiving; never slander others and always have self-control. Never be cruel. Love what is good. Never betray friends, be reckless, puffed up with pride, or love pleasure rather than God. Don’t act religious, and reject the power that can make us godly. Hold strong to people like that!

Pray with me: “Lord Jesus, thank You that You provide us with all that is good in this world and allow us the ability to stay away from what is harmful to us. There is always that choice. Thank You that You died to give us that choice. Help me to follow You and make my money a means, not an end. As above, so below.”