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)

Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. Psalms 31:5 (NKJV)

When was the last time you put your trust in someone or something, only to be let down? Was it a product that was advertised as being the answer to all your problems…but when you got it home and put it to the test it was a total bust? Or perhaps it was a person who promised up one side and down the other to do something for you…but in your moment of need, he or she didn’t come through.

We all know what that’s like. At one time or another, we’ve all had that sinking realization that we were wrong to invest our confidence in that thing or that person. They were fake and phony. They let us down. We had an impression of them, an impression that wasn’t…emet.

What? Emet is the Hebrew word that represents the trueness of God, His certainty and dependability. It’s that component of His character that never leaves us with that sinking feeling the way products and people do. Emet points to the fact that God is always as good as advertised, always capable and faithful to come through in the clutch. It means He will always follow through on what He’s promised. Every single time. Without exception.

Many have become disillusioned or disappointed with life because they were promised one thing and got something else. In some cases, they were even let down by something or someone who was supposed to represent God. And the result is that they’ve written the whole “God thing” off as fake and phony.

If that’s you, it’s time to know God for who He truly is. It’s time to know Him as El-emet, the God of truth, who can be completely trusted with every aspect of your existence.

Think about it…

What does this passage reveal to me about God?

What does this passage reveal to me about myself?

Based on this, what changes do I need to make?

What is my prayer for today?

(the Active Word devotional by Pastor Bob Coy from Christianity.com)

Hebrews 13:1-5 (NCV)

¹ Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.² Remember to welcome strangers, because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing it. ³ Remember those who are in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering as if you were suffering with them. ^{4, 5} Marriage should be honored by everyone, and husband and wife should keep their marriage pure. God will judge as guilty those who take part in sexual sins. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said,”I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6

Psalm 25:1-7 (NCV)

¹ Lord, I give myself to you; ² my God, I trust you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies laugh at me. ³ No one who trusts you will be disgraced, but those who sin without excuse will be disgraced.

⁴ Lord, tell me your ways. Show me how to live. ⁵ Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior. I trust you all day long.⁶ Lord, remember your mercy and love that you have shown since long ago. ⁷ Do not remember the sins and wrong things I did when I was young. But remember to love me always because you are good, Lord.

Enemies are those who not only oppose us, but also oppose God’s way of living. Enemies can also be temptations – money, success, prestige, lust. And our greatest enemy is Satan. David asked God to keep his enemies from overcoming him because they opposed what God stood for. If his enemies succeeded, David feared that many would think that living for God was futile. David knew that God would triumph, but he didn’t want his enemies’ success to be an obstacle to the faith of others.

David expressed his desire for guidance. How do we receive God’s guidance? The first step is to want to be guided and to realize that God’s guidance is found mainly in His Word, the Bible. Psalm 119 tells of the endless knowledge found in God’s Word. By reading it and constantly learning from it, we will gain the wisdom to perceive God’s direction for our lives (Hebrews 5:14).

God is unlimited, all-conquering, and has unrestrained authority over all of creation and over each individual. Therefore, He is the only source of salvation, hope, and true peace through the forgiveness of sins.

Psalm 25:8-11 (NCV)

⁸ The Lord is good and right; He points sinners to the right way. ⁹ He shows those who are humble how to do right, and He teaches them His ways.¹⁰ All the Lord’s ways are loving and true for those who follow the demands of His agreement.¹¹ For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my many sins.

We are bombarded today with unlimited appeals to “go my way.” TV advertising alone places hundreds of options before us, in addition to appeals made by political parties, cults, false religions, and dozens of other groups. Numerous organizations including Christian organizations seek to motivate us to “support the cause.” Add to that the dozens of decisions we must make concerning our jobs, our families, our money, our society, and we become desperate for someone to show us the right way.

If you find yourself pulled in several directions, remember that the Lord “shows those who are humble how to do right, and He teaches them his ways.“

Psalm 25:15-20 (NCV)

¹⁵ My eyes are always looking to the Lord for help. He will keep me from any traps. ¹⁶ Turn to me and have mercy on me, because I am lonely and hurting. ¹⁷ My troubles have grown larger; free me from my problems. ¹⁸ Look at my suffering and troubles, and take away all my sins. ¹⁹ Look at how many enemies I have! See how much they hate me! ²⁰ Protect me and save me. I trust you, so do not let me be disgraced.

Life’s problems always seem to go from bad to worse. God is the only one who can reverse this downward spiral. He can take our problems and turn them into glorious victories. There is one necessary requirement – we, like the psalmist (David), must cry out, “Come, Lord, and show me your mercy.” When you are willing to do that, the worst can become something wonderful. But the next step is yours, for God has already made His offer.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7

“For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”
Deuteronomy 4:31

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6

“The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He drove out the enemy from before you, and said, ‘Destroy!’”
Deuteronomy 33:27

“For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.”
1 Samuel 12:22

“For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me up.”
Psalms 27:10

“GOD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalms 46:1

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalms 147:3

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10

“‘For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My loving kindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,’ Says the LORD who has compassion on you.”
Isaiah 54:10

“Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”
John 14:1

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:18

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Just as it is written, FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:35-39

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.”
Hebrews 13:5