It's Day 10 and we're in Genesis 39.
One problem that regularly bothers me as I read is a wandering mind. A word in the text will make me think of something that I have to do that day and my mind is off to the races, leaving the Bible behind. I've found it helpful to have something near me that I can make a note on when that happens so I can write down that thing I need to do later and get back to concentrating on the reading in front of me.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 21 - It's an interesting comment here. Within the larger bad thing, God showed kindness to Joseph in a smaller way. Of course, we'd usually just avoid that struggle altogether.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Your Questions and Comments:
- "Matthew 19 - Jesus tells his disciples that they will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. That seems like a pretty great reward. Then Jesus says (in verses 29) 'And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.' I've never noticed this before. What is He talking about? A hundred times of what? And who is Jesus talking about, all saved people? or just those who have 'left everything'?" - First of all, yes, you're right - sitting on one of the twelve thrones is a pretty great reward. Now to your questions. We know that Jesus said that some of our relationships might get strained or severed because of our commitment to Christ (Luke 12:53). Here Jesus is envisioning the abundant family that we will gain when we enter into the family of the Kingdom (my new "brothers," etc.). This is, in a real, spiritual, and eternal sense, my new family (see Matthew 12:49). So I might lose my blood brother because of my commitment to Christ, but I will gain another 100 "brothers in Christ" in my local church family. But what about Jesus mentioning "houses" and "fields" in that sentence? I think that envisions the way that Jesus intended for the church to be generous and giving toward each other so that we would take care of each other's material needs. See Acts 4:32-35 for the most beautiful expression of that. In the church in America, we have almost no vision of this Biblical calling. We believe that what's mine is mine and what's yours is yours instead of believing that everything we have belongs to God and we should be eager to share each other's burdens. If we were that way, going back to the passage, I might start with one home, but through Christ I would then have a hundred brothers and sisters in my church family who would gladly take me in if I was in a time of need.