“Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” Genesis 50:19-20 D. A. Carson says in “For the Love of God, Volume 1, Feb 17 (free pdf here) that we should reflect on what … More God intended this
All the ends of the earth shall rememberand turn to the LORD,and all the families of the nationsshall worship before you.For kingship belongs to the LORD,and he rules over the nations. (Psalm 22:27-28, part of our reading plan for today) Charles Spurgeon, in The Treasury of David: As an obedient Son the dying Redeemer rejoiced … More His Kingship
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. —Genesis 48:21 ESV C. H. Spurgeon, in “Faith’s Checkbook” Good old Jacob could no more be with Joseph, for his hour had come to die: but … More But God will be with you…
Today we read Acts 13:1-25 in our reading plan. John Piper concluded a message from Acts 13:1-12 this way: God is a searching and saving God; that he is a God on a mission; he has straight paths that lead to faith; he is still sending us “to seek and to save the lost.” He … More God makes persecution a launching pad for missions
Sin. Betrayal. Evil. Joseph’s brothers’ evil intentions to kill him shaped his life forever. The consequences from their actions are part of his history. Joseph doesn’t excuse their behavior or act as if it never happened. BUT he sees God’s hand in his brothers’ treachery. He believes that God was working His purpose out through their sinful … More Joseph’s story: God’s plan, providence and purposes
The brothers of Joseph had committed great sins. They knew this, were no doubt plagued with guilt, but thought they had gotten away with it. Now, after obtaining life-saving grain in Egypt from Joseph (NOT knowing who he really was) they discover the payment for the grain was back in their sacks. Their immediate response? … More Our Sovereign God Summons and Saves
John Piper’s sermon, “The Sale of Joseph and the Son of God” concludes this way: The story of Joseph is the story of a righteous one who is sinned against and suffers so that tribe of Judah would be preserved and a Lion would come forth, and would prove to be a Lamb-like Lion, and … More Destroying the Dreamer
John Piper in a sermon, “Jesus Still Turns Things Around” brings this encouragement from Acts 9, our reading for today: Luke drives this home by showing the persecutor becoming the persecuted. First, in verse 23 Luke tells us that the Jews in Damascus plotted to kill him. The hunter becomes the hunted. And he escapes … More Jesus turns things around
God to Job: “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high?” In Job 39, we see a list of animals that Job can’t in any sense govern or rule. Adam was given … More Control the Hawk?
John Piper, in a sermon on Job 38-42 What we have seen so far, then, is that Job’s suffering has a twofold explanation: its purpose at the outset was to demonstrate God’s value and glory, and its ongoing purpose was to refine Job’s righteousness. His suffering is not punishment. It is not a sign of … More Purposes in suffering
