Today’s reading covered most of the saga of Joseph’s life. It picked up with his early life in Egypt and ended with Joseph’s death and burial at the close of Genesis.

As I read today, I saw a beautiful story of redemption. A family torn by anger and jealousy was brought back together by grace and forgivness. I also saw how one life could make a difference for God. Did you notice how one man of God had so much impact on a godless nations (the Egyptians and Pharoah)? By the end of Joseph’s life the Egyptians had a deep respect for him and for his Lord.

What about you? What did you see in today’s reading? What made an impact on your walk with the Lord and what did he teach you today through His Word? Make a comment below and let me know.

After reading today’s section of scripture I feel like I just watched a soap opera.   There was so much going on in the lives of Isaac, Jacob, Laban, Joseph, and their family members.  So much stood out to me in these passages that I had to start underlining the crazy things I read.  Here are just a few examples of what I underlined:

1. Gen 29:17 – Leah had weak eyes (apparently she was ugly – or at least compared to her beautiful sister, Rachel).
2. Gen 29:32 – Leah called her first son – “Reuben” – meaning – he has seen my misery…how would you like to be known as the misery child?
3. Gen 31:35 – Rachel used her “time of the month” as a lie to cover up her steeling from her father. (it’s really in the Bible)
4. Gen 32:30 – Jacob saw the face of God.
5. Gen 34:24-25 – Some of Jacob’s sons killed a whole village of men while they were all recovering from their circumcisions because one of them “defiled” their sister.
6. Gen 35:19 – Rachel died giving birth to her second son (Benjamin).
7. Gen 37: 21 – Even though Reuben was called the misery son, in the end he grew up being a good guy – he was the one who talked his brothers out of killing Joseph.
8. Gen 39:15-17 – Judah was willing to exchanged sex with a prostitute for a goat.  Though you can’t blame him for not knowing she was his daughter-in-law (that was bad enough), you can blame him for knowingly trying to hire a prostitute.

These were some crazy passages of scripture.  Though it reads like a soap opera or a crazy reality TV show, it’s really just life.  It has all the ups and downs of the lives we live on earth.  It is wonderful in the midst of it all to see God’s hand at work.  What about you?  What stood out to you in these passages?  Let me know.

Today’s section of scripture begins with God’s covenant with Abraham and ends with the story of Jacob (Abraham’s grandson).  There are many wonderful things in these passages, but the one theme that stands out to me as I read today is God’s provision.  In every story – God provides.  God provides Abraham and Sarah with a son (Isaac) in their old age.  God provides Lot and his family with a way to escape the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah.  God provides a ram for the sacrifice in place of Isaac.  God provides a wife for Isaac (Rebekah).   God provides Jacob & Rebekah with two sons (Jacob & Esau). The awesome thing about all of these provisions in scripture is that God still provides.  Even today, God is providing for his children.  How blessed we are to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.