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)

(devotional by Pastor Jeff Schreve from Christianity.com)

In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11

When I was a kid, I remember times when I got sick. My mom would make me take medicine so I could get better. I hated taking medicine. It always tasted so terrible. I wasn’t able to swallow pills very well, so every pill had to be chewed up and swallowed, and every liquid had to be choked down amidst gags and minor dry heaves. I endured the medicine so that I could get well.

Did you know that is how some people view the Christian life? They view it as if it were akin to bad medicine that one must take in order to get well. It is definitely not something anyone really likes; it is just a necessary burden and chore. It is something you must endure, not something you could possibly enjoy. Hmmm.

MAN’S CHIEF END

Have you ever read the opening statement of The Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1648? Probably not. But it is really good as it states, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Did you catch that? We were created to glorify God and enjoy God forever. And forever is supposed to start right now!

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Jesus Christ is the best friend a person could possibly imagine. He loves us no matter what, and He refuses to ever stop. He never leaves us or deserts us in our time of need. He is there as we walk though every dark valley. He listens to us and counsels us in our troubles and trials. He is a God full of love, joy, peace and excitement – and He wants to fill your heart and life with all those wonderful things.

If you have been guilty of enduring religion instead of enjoying salvation, the time is now to change gears. The Lord Jesus Christ wants you to walk with Him. He wants to help you walk in His ways so that you can be blessed and be a blessing to others. The Christian life is not a penalty, it is a privilege! It is an unfathomable, totally undeserved privilege to live everyday in the presence and fellowship of the King of the universe. WOW!

Life is too short to miss out on the great joy that is available to you and me as we take the hand of Jesus and live life with Him. Will you do it?

PRAYER

“Lord Jesus, help me to walk in the light with You. Help me to see how much You love me and how much You want to empower me to rise above my difficult circumstances. Help me to see You as You really are, “a friend of sinners” and “a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Help me to jettison my burdensome religion (with its long list of rules and regulations) and start enjoying a wonderful salvation and relationship with the Savior. Thank You, Lord, that the chief end of man is to glorify You and enjoy You forever. I choose to start today! In Jesus’ name, Amen!“

Love,

Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast.

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)

Psalm 90:12 (NLT)

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.

Shelley had a dream. In it she was told she had only one week to live. The dream haunted her throughout the day. Every time she did something, she asked herself, “Is this really important?” She found that there were so many things she did that wasted precious time. People became more important to her than things. She wanted to go for a walk, rather than sit in front of the television set. Time became more valuable, and it caused her to realign her priorities. Shelley found her life completely changed. God wants us to value the time we have on earth. We take time for granted, acting as though our earthly life will go on forever. Time on earth is too short to waste. Number your days, and God will fill you with a special wisdom.

Prayer: Don’t let me waste time, but let me use every moment to the fullest. Help me to appreciate my life, and teach me new ways to use my time. Thank You for all my blessings. Amen.

(devotional from Christianity.com)

Own Your Own Copy of this Devotional

(By Dollie Meredith Eckols, Mexia, Texas from Guideposts.com)

Scooping up one-year-old Jason, I grabbed my keys from the counter and called to five-year-old Robert: “Time to go!” We were running late for a doctor’s appointment.

The Texas summer heat beat down on us when we stepped outside. Robert kicked off his shoes and made footprints in the sandy driveway all the way to the car.

“Mommy will crank up the A.C., guys,” I promised, buckling Jason into his car seat. I locked and slammed his door and reached for the handle on the passenger side so Robert could hop in. Now where did I put those keys? My eyes darted back to Jason, who was waving my keys in his hand.

In a panic, I tried all the doors. The car was locked tight. Little Jason wouldn’t last more than a few minutes in that heat. I had to get him out! I grabbed a hoe from the garage. “Move back, Robert!” I shouted. I swung at the rear window, but the hoe glanced off the shatterproof glass. Jason started to cry, his face red. “Oh, God, please help us!” I called.

“Mom, look,” Robert said. A young man in blue jeans stood behind me in the driveway. He took the hoe, broke a side window with a single blow, reached in and unlocked Jason’s door. I gathered him in my arms and pulled Robert close. “It’s okay, boys. We’re all okay.”

“Where did that man go?” Robert wanted to know. I looked around. The street was empty, and our sandy driveway showed only two sets of footprints—mine and Robert’s.