Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “The Presence of the Lord”
Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord was with Joseph.” Genesis 39:2 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “The Lord is with you even in (especially in) the most difficult of circumstances.”
The Old Testament hero Joseph is a powerful and encouraging example of the presence of God. The story is told in Genesis chapters 37-50. The short version is that Joseph endured many years of unfair treatment, extreme trials, and plenty of suffering. But he did so with a firm resolve to honor God with his conduct and to trust God for the outcome. God was pleased by Joseph’s faith and obedience and blessed him with protection, provisions, a sense of peace, and a great awareness of His presence with him.
Although Joseph wasn’t happy about his situation, he realized that God was Sovereign over all the circumstances of his life and he determined that he would honor God no matter what he was faced with. He did so with such integrity and with so much loyalty to his God that everyone around him noticed.
As Joseph’ story on the pages of Genesis unfolds, we come to realize that his times of trial and testing were actually God’s way of preparing him for what was to come. God had a great role for Joseph to play in the history of Israel, but before he would be ready for it he had to develop the toughness, the perseverance, and the wisdom that would be learned in the fires of adversity.
Joseph’s disciplined life allowed him to live with God through the ups and downs of daily life no matter how tough and difficult it got. And the more he did that, the more real the presence of God became to him.
If you are going through the fires of adversity in your life right now, I encourage you to look for God in the middle of it. He is there. Resolve that you will honor Him in how you handle yourself; trust that He will walk with you through this; and stay aware of His presence with you.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 