Devotionals
Process Before Event
"So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life." Genesis 45:4-5 (ESV)
Forgiveness is a process, followed by an event. The process includes the pain caused by the offense or neglect or wound. Often, the pain grows into bitterness rooted in unforgiveness. God begins to alert you to the presence of unforgiveness inside of you which produces conviction. Responding to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, you choose to extend forgiveness in private through prayer to the one who offended you. God enables you to release the unforgiveness you have harbored in your heart.
Once you have received God's forgiveness for your unforgiveness and you have extended forgiveness in private through prayer, then you prepare to go public on your private forgiveness. This moves into the event of forgiveness. After you have spent time with God in prayer, you transition into communicating your forgiveness to the offender.
Joseph experienced the process of forgiveness which prepared him for the event of forgiveness. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers whom had sold him into slavery, he deliberately extended forgiveness to them. It was apparent that Joseph had forgiven them privately in prayer as he communed with God each day. Private forgiveness enabled Joseph to go public on his forgiveness by saying, "Come close to me."
When you extend forgiveness to others, it splashes Living Water on them and releases and refreshes you. Remember that forgiveness is immediate, once you go public, but trust takes time.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 27: Genesis 43-45)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
God's Instrument
"Joseph answered Pharaoh, 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.'" Genesis 41:16 (ESV)
God uses human instrumentality in His redemptive process. God chooses to involve us in His master plan. Life is not about our story that we invite God into. Life is about God's story that He invites us into. How will you respond to God's invitation?
Joseph had been forgotten by the chief cupbearer and the baker, but not forgotten by God. The Lord was with Joseph when he was in the palace and when he was in prison. As God would have it, the Pharaoh had a vivid dream that no one could interpret, including the chief cupbearer. God then prompted the chief cupbearer to remember Joseph and to let the Pharaoh know how Joseph had previously interpreted both his dream and the baker's dream. That opened the door for Pharaoh to invite Joseph to seek to interpret his dream.
- "Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.'" Genesis 41:39-40 (ESV)
Make yourself available for God's use. Place your "yes" on the altar and be willing to join God in His activity. Practice instant obedience and maintain your integrity. God will promote you in His timing. Nothing escapes His attention. Be faithful to do what God has called you to do and be willing to get out of your comfort zone in order to be used by God for His glory.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 26: Genesis 41-42)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Unveiling Unforgiveness
"Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt." Genesis 37:28 (ESV)
If anyone ever had reason to be infused with the bile of bitterness, it would have to be Joseph. His brothers were void of mercy and full of hatred and jealousy to the point of selling Joseph into slavery. The brothers even deceived their father, Jacob, by tearing Joseph's coat of many colors and dipping it in blood to portray the possibility of Joseph being devoured by a ferocious animal. We would call this a genuinely dysfunctional family.
The truth is that every family is dysfunctional at some level. Every family has allowed the sewage of unforgiveness to seep into their home for a season and perhaps for a reason. Unforgiveness can quickly become toxic, acidic, corrosive, and radioactive. Many families have been destroyed by the venom of unforgiveness.
Salvation is an event, followed by a process. The event of your conversion took place at the moment you confessed your sin and trusted Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. Your name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life, you were adopted into God's family, and you were filled with the Holy Spirit. Since that moment, you have been involved in the process of growing spiritually. You have been working out what God has worked in. The process continues until you go to Heaven!
Forgiveness is a process, followed by an event. God does a work in you to give you understanding about the unforgiveness resident within you. How will you respond to unfair treatment? Will you become bitter or better? Unveil unforgiveness and extend forgiveness to bring honor to God.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 25: Genesis 38-40)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Reward of Reconciliation
"And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." Genesis 35:29 (ESV)
Isaac was greatly blessed by God and was enabled to finish strong. His sons, Jacob and Esau, experienced a tumultuous sibling rivalry that produced immense family turmoil. Their upbringing was filled with deception, selfishness, and inequality. They embodied dysfunction and inflamed disunity.
The grace of God was clearly evidenced when Jacob and Esau reconciled after years of separation and seething bitterness and resentment. Jacob prepared generously for the day he faced Esau. Jacob feared Esau's retribution, but received restoration instead. "But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept" (Genesis 33:4 ESV). Their reunion reflected the grace of God which sustained them through major transitions throughout their lives.
Esau and Jacob united to bury their father, Isaac. They came together to honor their father and to bring honor to God. Isaac was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Isaac finished strong.
Reconciliation has a tremendous reward. When you choose to restore ruptured relationships, you bring honor to God and you demonstrate obedience to His Word. Reconciliation is a gracious response to God's redeeming work in your life that compels you to make things right with others. You cannot be right with God without being in a right relationship with others. You cannot be in a right relationship with others unless you are right with God.
Is there anyone with whom you need to initiate reconciliation? Do your part to make things right. Experience the power of God as you build a bridge of reconciliation. The peace of God will flow into your life as you practice instant obedience.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 24: Genesis 35-37)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Walking with a Limp
"And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him." Genesis 32:24-25 (ESV)
As God's workmanship, Jacob came away from the night of wrestling with a limp and a new name. You don't come into close proximity with the living God and leave the same. God gave Jacob the name Israel, which means God prevails. Jacob was known as a deceiver, but God gave him a new name to live up to. Jacob would become the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Have you ever wrestled with God? Who won? Wrestling is part of being God's workmanship. Jacob, as God's workmanship, came to know God in a new way after a night of wrestling. Just like in weight training, without resistance there is no growth.
God allows us to go through seasons of uncertainty. God allows us to experience seasons of silence and yes, even seasons of suffering. We wrestle with God in those seasons. Our faith is challenged and often our prayer life is stretched. We come to know God by experience. Sometimes that experience involves pain.
God is for you. He is willing to go to any length to bring you into a vibrant, intimate, and growing relationship that is personal and eternal. God will pursue you and groom you so that you will be conformed into the image of Christ. Your life matters to God. After you encounter the Living God, you may walk with a limp to remind you of His daily provision.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 23: Genesis 32-34)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
God's Protection
"So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said to them, 'I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me.'" Genesis 31:4-7 (ESV)
Jacob experienced God's protection as he served Laban. Though Laban deceived Jacob in several ways, Jacob found comfort in God's Presence. Jacob recognized God's provision in the midst of the unfortunate treatment Laban inflicted. The instability of the circumstances surrounding Jacob did not penetrate the protective covering provided by God. Navigating the current of shifting loyalty from Laban's integrity deficit, Jacob rested in the consistent provision of God.
When you are treated unfairly, be encouraged by the reality of God's protection and God's abiding Presence in your life. Even when your circumstances create an atmosphere of uncertainty, you can anchor your faith to the rock of God's nature and character. You can trust God to see you through.
Jesus knew what it meant to be betrayed and to suffer injustice. Jesus was perfect and encountered unfair treatment by those whom God had created.
- "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:23 (ESV)
Do what Jesus did. Entrust yourself to Him who judges justly. Entrust your life to the One who has given you life and to the One who has the final say in every circumstance you face. God is worthy of your trust and worthy of your devotion. Relinquish control of your life to the One who created you for His glory.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 22: Genesis 30-31)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
God Encounter
"Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.' 17 And he was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'" Genesis 28:16-17 (ESV)
Don't miss God! You can be so preoccupied with your life and your plans that you neglect practicing the Presence of God. God is omnipresent. There is nowhere God is not. He is always at work around you. Unless you intentionally look to see where God is at work, you can miss Him. Detecting God's activity requires being sensitive and observant.
As Jacob placed a stone under his head and went to sleep, he had a dream in which he saw a ladder with angels ascending and descending on it. God said to him, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen 28:13-14 ESV).
Upon reflection of the night's events, Jacob realized that he had encountered God. He named the place, Bethel, which means house of God.
Each time you read the Bible, you are encountering God. Whenever you choose to share your faith with someone, you will encounter God. As you seek to meet needs and continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth, you will encounter God. God reveals Himself to you as you join Him in His activity.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 21: Genesis 27-29)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Leaving a Legacy
"And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, 'I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.' 25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well." Genesis 26:24-25 (ESV)
What kind of impact will your life make on the next generation? What is going to outlive you and outlast you? What deposits are you making into the next generation? In order to leave a legacy, you must live a legacy.
Abraham and Sarah lived out their faith in God before their son, Isaac. They were intentional about handing down the faith and leaving a legacy. Sarah died and was buried. Abraham died years later and was buried in the cave of Machpelah with Sarah.
How did their faith impact Isaac's life? God graciously appeared to Isaac just as He had appeared to Abraham. God affirmed Isaac with His abiding presence and promised to bless him and multiply his offspring for Abraham's sake. Did you catch that? The blessing from God was in honor of Abraham, for Abraham's sake. Isaac responded to this encounter of God by building an altar there and calling upon the name of the Lord. Isaac continued the faith that Abraham and Sarah had modeled before him.
What kind of legacy will you leave? Will those closest to you continue in the faith because of the faith you lived out during your time on the earth? Leave a legacy by living a legacy. Worship God privately and publicly. Serve the Lord with passion and enthusiasm. Be an irresistible influence for the Lord and impact the next generation.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 20: Genesis 25-26)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Jehovah Jireh
"And Isaac said to his father Abraham, 'My father!' And he said, 'Here I am, my son.' He said, 'Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?' 8 Abraham said, 'God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.' So they went both of them together." Genesis 22:7-8 (ESV)
Abraham demonstrated absolute loyalty and devotion to God by his willingness to sacrifice his promised son. Abraham and Sarah were beyond child bearing years. Yet, God provided the miracle of Isaac's conception. Now God is asking Abraham to sacrifice that which was promised to him.
- "And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son." Gen 22:13 (ESV)
Is there anything in your life that takes priority over your relationship with Jesus? Are there any allurements sifting your affection away from your devotion to Christ? Do you have an Isaac in your life that you are unwilling to sacrifice?
What is standing in the way of your realization of unbroken fellowship with God? What is taking the number one place of prominence in your life which is reserved for God? Whatever that item, ambition, or person is may be your Isaac.
Could it be that God wants you to sacrifice that Isaac in your life to enable God to have top priority in your life? God wants first place in your daily walk. God wants to be the supreme object of your energy and affection. He not only deserves it, but He demands it.
Spend a few moments taking inventory of your current priorities and identify what is preventing God from being your top priority.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 19: Genesis 22-24)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
God's Grace
"And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 10 So she said to Abraham, 'Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.'" Genesis 21:8-10 (ESV)
Shortcuts in life can generate adverse consequences. Instead of waiting on God's timing to produce offspring, Abraham and Sarah took a shortcut by utilizing Sarah's servant, Hagar. "And Sarai said to Abram, 'Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.' And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai" (Gen 16:2 ESV). Sarah got what she wanted, but later didn't want what she got!
Abraham had to make the difficult decision to send Hagar and Ishmael on their way in order to keep marital peace with Sarah. Hagar finds herself in desperation and ready to give up her life and the life of her son, Ishmael, as they wander in the wilderness of Beersheba. She placed Ishmael under a bush anticipating his death as well as her own. Then God intervened:
- "Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt." Gen 21:19-21 (ESV)
God's grace always matches the desperation of our need. God has the final say even in the darkest of moments. When life gets messy, don't hesitate to turn to the Master! God's grace is more than enough!
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 18: Genesis 19-21)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
