Time Out! Devotions

Genesis 39:1-23 (NIV)

¹ Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

² The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. ³ When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, ⁴ Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. ⁵ From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. ⁶ So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, ⁷ and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” ⁸ But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹ No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” ¹⁰ And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

¹¹ One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. ¹² She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. ¹³ When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, ¹⁴ she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. ¹⁵ When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” ¹⁶ She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. ¹⁷ Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. ¹⁸ But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

¹⁹ When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. ²⁰ Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, ²¹ the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. ²² So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. ²³ The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

In this day of “instant” news, we regularly see images of calamity in our world. And on a personal level, we experience seasons of hardship as well. The same is true of friends and family who encounter difficulties with children, job layoffs, and marriage breakups.

As Christians, we have a heavenly Father who has promised to be with us in our troubles. We can rely on Him—He knows what will happen before we do; nothing is hidden from His sight (Hebrews 4:13). He sees in the darkness of troubled times as clearly as He does in the daylight (Psalm 139:11-12). Through His Spirit, He offers us the comfort, strength, and wisdom to persevere. The story of Joseph illustrates this truth. After being rejected by his brothers at a young age and sold into slavery, he was falsely accused by his master’s wife and imprisoned. But in the midst of those terrible times, the young Hebrew man experienced God’s presence and favor.

I doubt Joseph comprehended the Lord’s intentions during his slavery and imprisonment. But later on, as second-in-command to Pharaoh, he understood God’s purpose in allowing those difficult years. In the end, Joseph testified to what he knew to be true. His brothers had meant to harm him, but God used all the hardship to accomplish His good plan (Genesis 45:4-8; 50:20).

When troubles hit, remember what is true and take heart. The indwelling Holy Spirit has the resources to provide what we need, equip us for the journey, and sustain us with His presence throughout the dark days. Nothing can stop the purposes of our Lord from being carried out (Isaiah 14:27).

(devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley from the

June 2010 issue of In Touch magazine)

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 (NIV)

¹ When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. ² When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. ³ He shall say: “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. ⁴ For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

A lot of negative emotions accompany hardship: frustration, despair, fear, and doubt. People ruled by those feelings often make poor choices. This is why I recommend that you decide now to respond to troubled times the way the Israelites did: with praise. Even in the darkest hours, worshipping God fills the heart with joy and the mind with peace. A believer who is filled in this way can wisely keep a commitment to obey the Lord no matter what.

Worshipping the Lord enlarges our vision. By doing so, we begin to see how He is at work in the world, perhaps in ways and places we never noticed before. More particularly, we see what God is doing in our situation and notice areas where He requires our obedience.

Our human tendency is to plot a course through a situation toward the easiest solution. But believers who strike out on their own do not mature in faith. Moreover, they miss out on the blessings of following the Lord’s plan. Stopping to praise can divert us from the easy way out and direct us to the right path—namely, the way of God’s will. Taking a step forward in faith can be frightening. However, believers are completely safe risking their whole future on the Lord’s faithfulness. He has never disappointed anyone!

It’s hard to despair while honoring the Lord for His love and strength. We can dispel doubt by recalling His past faithfulness—and ease frustration by committing our future plans to Him. Praise is not the obvious reaction to hardship, but it is the wisest response.

(devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley from the May 2010 issue of In Touch magazine)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

“Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
Acts 10:43

“Just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
Romans 9:33

“As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”
John 1:12

“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
John 3:18

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
John 3:36

“For this is contained in Scripture: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.’”
1 Peter 2:6

“They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’”
Acts 16:31

“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.”
John 12:46

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’”
John 6:35

“Jesus said to him, ‘”If You can?” All things are possible to him who believes.’”
Mark 9:23

“Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’”
John 20:29

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.”
John 6:47

“Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction.”
Romans 3:22

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”
Romans 6:8

“The Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”
Galatians 3:22

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14

“For this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”
1 Timothy 1:16

“This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.”
1 John 3:23

“Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.”
Jude 1:5

“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”
Philippians 1:29

¹ But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

³ For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.

⁴ Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.

⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

Isaiah 43:1-5

Last summer, a Canadian family celebrated their son’s third birthday with a camping trip to a popular park in British Columbia. One day during their stay, the boy’s parents thought he was playing with other children.  When they realized he was missing, a frantic search ensued.  According to the subsequent report of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the boy had ridden his toy truck into a swiftly-flowing river.  The river swept the boy, still on the truck, downstream for nearly eight miles.  It was a two-hour trip; and the boy, when he was discovered, seemed to have enjoyed himself.  He rode his truck down the river like a raft.  “He was very excited,” said an officer. ¹

Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.”  The Lord watches over us, even when we don’t fully understand the perilous nature of our condition.  Thank goodness for His daily protection!

1 “Canadian Boy Floats Unharmed Down River on Toy Truck” by Reuters, July 14, 2009, at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090714/od_nm/us_boy.

(by Dr. David Jeremiah from the November 2009 issue of Turning Points devotional magazine)

“Though come what may from day to day, my Heavenly Father watches over me.”
Clyde Heathcock

Exodus 5:22-6:7 (NIV)

²² Moses returned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? ²³ Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”

² God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. ⁴ I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. ⁵ Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

⁶ “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. ⁷ I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

Pharaoh had just increased the Hebrews’ workload. Moses protested that God was mistreating His people by not delivering them. He expected faster results and fewer problems.

When God is at work, however, suffering, setbacks, and hardship may still occur. In James 1:2-4, we read that we should be happy when difficulties come our way.

Problems exercise our patience and character by teaching us to (1) trust God to do what is best for us, (2) look for ways to honor God in our present situation, (3) remember that God will not abandon us, and (4) watch for God’s plan in our life.

Small problems only need small answers. But when we face great problems, God has an opportunity to exercise His great power. As the Hebrews’ troubles grew steadily worse, God planned to intervene with His mighty power and perform great miracles to deliver them.

How big are your problems? Big problems put you in perfect position to watch God give big answers!

(from the Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)