Freedom For Today

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 47 before reading the devotional below.

We’ve seen Jacob receive and handout quite a lot of blessings in Genesis, and he’s not done yet. In today’s chapter he gives a blessing to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. We don’t hear the details, but it reminds me of the spiritual significance of Jacob’s blessings. Meanwhile, Pharaoh lavishes gifts on Joseph’s family and lets them have all the land they want. The family gets settled in very nicely and enjoys the luxuries of Egypt.

This chapter makes it seem at first like Joseph is taking advantage of the Egyptians when the famine gets so severe that he buys their livestock, their land, and eventually the people. He seems to be enslaving an entire country. But in the end, he creates a government-sponsored program that gives free seed to the people. When they harvest the crops, they keep 80% and give Pharaoh 20%. It’s an early form of taxes and government subsidies, and it helps the people return to a state of well-being.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Using your power to bless others will bring freedom.

We all have different amounts of influence, whether it is in our families or our jobs or our circle of friends. Even when we are interacting with the cashier at the grocery store, we have influence. Joseph was getting filthy rich in the middle of a famine that was destroying everyone else. If he had taken his eyes off of God’s plan, he would have very likely been corrupted by wealth and power. He could have turned into a cruel and unforgiving master. Instead, he uses his power to help people find a way out of poverty. They have a new level of freedom and so does Joseph. The people are able to prosper and Joseph is free from sinful traps that could have easily overtaken him. How are you using your influence and power? What is one way you could bless someone today?

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 46 before reading the devotional below.

Recall that God gave Jacob a new name not long ago: Israel. Certainly we are all familiar with that name as the country of Israel is in existence today. In this chapter foundational history is described, with all of Israel’s sons later becoming the twelve tribes. Later on in the Bible the Promised Land is divided into space for twelve tribes, with Joseph’s two sons each getting a portion and the tribe of Levi being designated as priests without their own land.

Jacob and Joseph finally get to reunite, and Jacob’s dreams are fulfilled. He now feels he can die in peace. He’ll have a bit more to say before he dies, but now he and his family will settle in Egypt. The end of this chapter is fascinating and foreboding as Jacob tells Joseph to talk to Pharaoh about how the family raises livestock. He wants to gain a large amount of land suitable for animals, but he says that “Egyptians hate shepherds.” (Spoiler alert: after a few generations the Israelites will be enslaved by the Egyptians. Maybe don’t lead with ways they could hate you.)

Here’s your freedom for today:

What happens today sets up your tomorrow.

In both good and bad ways, what you do today will shape what happens in your future. God was at work in saving Jacob’s family from dying in a famine, but that move to Egypt sets the stage for 400 years of slavery. Ultimately, that may have served God’s greater plan of keeping his people alive. But I wonder what would have happened if Joseph asked to be released from his position and rejoin his family, taking food stores with them and coming back for more if needed. Had Joseph gotten too comfortable in a lavish lifestyle after living in poverty so many years? He didn’t think twice about having his family move to Egypt rather than going back to be in his homeland again. I’m not sure there’s a right or wrong answer here, but it does show that our decisions shape our future. Make your choices carefully and prayerfully.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 45 before reading the devotional below.

It’s time for the big reveal of Joseph’s identity, and Jacob is about to be in for the shock of his life. After the emotional tension grows too high, Joseph finally breaks down in tears and tells his brothers the truth. It’s an emotional reunion and after the news is broken, Pharaoh rolls out the red carpet for Joseph’s entire extended family to move to Egypt. Jacob has to hear the story twice and see the fancy movers pull up before he believes his ears.

What is amazing to me about this story is the way Joseph tells it. First, he tells his brothers not to be angry with themselves for selling him into slavery. He describes it as all part of God’s big plan to position Joseph and provide for the family during the years of famine. He tells his story of challenge and hardship not out of a place of despair but out of excitement!

Here’s your freedom for today:

Your outlook determines your freedom.

The Bible and modern psychology overlap in many areas, including the idea that a hopeful, grateful, or positive outlook improves mood. Joseph has shown himself to be an emotional guy, yet he’s kept his spirits up throughout a whole lot of pain. How did he do it? He had a perspective that included the bigger picture of how God was at work. Certainly, a hopeful outlook does not mean you will never experience depression, anxiety, grief, or other emotional struggles. However, some of the best treatments for these illnesses include shifting your perspective on what you are going through. Is there a situation in your life right in which you can shift your outlook? If you aren’t sure how to do that, start by writing down three things you are grateful for every day. The Bible and science agree it will help!

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 44 before reading the devotional below.

I don’t know about you, but I would not have been able to keep up the charade that Joseph has in keeping his identity secret from his brothers. He’s still pulling a fast one on them, and as they leave for home he plans one last bit of trouble. He hides his personal silver cup in his brother Benjamin’s bag and then sends his men after them to accuse him of stealing.

The Bible doesn’t make it clear what Joseph’s long-term plan is. Is he just messing with their heads, or did he intend to keep Benjamin with him while sending the rest of his brothers away? We’ll find out tomorrow how it all plays out, but it seems like Joseph was not working off a long-term strategy. Perhaps his emotions were driving him, and ultimately emotions bring him to a breaking point.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Freedom comes with acceptance of your human limitations.

Joseph was a human. He was only emotionally capable of so much. He had been through more trials in his brief lifetime than most of us can imagine, and he’s running a food program for the entire MIddle East region while standing face to face with the very brothers who betrayed him. He’s overcome. He acts out of impulse and has a mix of getting revenge on his brothers and showering them with kindness. Even though I haven’t been through anything like Joseph, I can relate to his humanity. Facing people who have hurt you brings up a lot. Today I’m just sitting in a place of acceptance that hard emotions are part of the human experience. I can find freedom in not trying to make hard feelings “go away,” but instead accept them part of going through life.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 43 before reading the devotional below.

Jacob is playing favorites with his sons again, seeming to have no trouble leaving Simeon in prison in Egypt while delaying at the thought of sending Benjamin back to Egypt with the others. Benjamin was the only son remaining from his beloved wife, Rachel, who died giving birth to Benjamin. As far as Jacob knows, Joseph was killed by wild animals (the lie his other sons made up to explain his disappearance after selling him as a slave). He can’t bear to lose his other son from Rachel.

In the end, he has no other choice but to send Benjamin because they are all going to starve. When they all get there, Joseph continues to pretend he does not know them. He is overcome at seeing Benjamin and has to leave the room to weep. He composes himself and sets the table for a feast, blowing their minds when he seats them in order from oldest to youngest.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Sometimes we need to let go in order to gain.

Jacob did everything he could to avoid giving up Benjamin. He drove the rest of his family to near-starvation because he feared losing Rachel’s only remaining son. But we know the truth — Joseph is alive and well! The only way Jacob can ever reconnect with Joseph is to release Benjamin, which he does. As we will see in the coming days, Jacob will be blessed with the return of all of his sons, including Joseph and Benjamin. Is there something you need to release today? There is no guarantee of gaining something greater, but what you can’t see right now may just be tomorrow’s possibility.