Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 40:

Gen 40:1-23 KJV

(1)  And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

(2)  And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.

(3)  And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

(4)  And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.

(5)  And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.

(6)  And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.

(7)  And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?

(8)  And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.

(9)  And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;

(10)  And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:

(11)  And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.

(12)  And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:

(13)  Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

(14)  But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:

(15)  For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.

(16)  When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:

(17)  And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.

(18)  And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:

(19)  Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.

(20)  And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

(21)  And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand:

(22)  But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.

(23)  Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

Thought For This Chapter…

Meeting the needs of others…

Gen 30:21-23 –  And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

When Joseph saw that both the baker and butler needed their dreams to be interpreted, Joseph was faithful to the Lord and stood up and worked to meet their needs.  After Joseph successfully interpreted the dreams of both the butler and baker, all that he asked was that the butler would “make mention of me to Pharaoh”.  This would include reminding Pharaoh that the Lord’s hand of blessing was upon Joseph and that Joseph had been faithful to Pharaoh as overseer of Pharaoh’s household.

The butler, unlike Joseph, was not willing to step up and work to meet Joseph’s need.  He did not make it a priority but instead “forgat him (Joseph)”

Folks, how often have we done the same thing?  How often does the Lord bring someone into our lives that has a need and we are not willing to stand up and meet that need?  Instead their need is soon forgotten.  This is truly a shame.

We should always seek to be a blessing to those whom the Lord brings into our circle of acquaintances.  We can do that in many ways…

Do they have a need for prayer?  We can daily pray for them and present them before others to pray for them as well.

Do they need to have relationship with Christ?  We can share what the Lord has done for us with them.

Do they have any physical needs in life that we can fulfill?  Perhaps their car or house needs work they cannot do and we have the ability and knowledge to meet their need.

Or maybe just an encouraging word or a small favor on their behalf would mean so much to them.

Everyone has needs in their lives that we can fulfil, if we just take the time to recognize the need and act to meet that need.  This is one of the great callings that God has placed upon each one of us…

Mat 25:35-40 KJV – For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer him,  saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee?  or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?   Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

This type of attitude that looks for ways to fulfill the need of others is a hallmark of one who has experienced the love of God in their life…

1Jn 3:17 KJV – But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

May we all reveal outwardly the love God has shown to us by serving others seeking to meet their needs.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 39:

Gen 39:1-23 KJV

(1)  And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

(2)  And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

(3)  And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

(4)  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

(5)  And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

(6)  And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

(7)  And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

(8)  But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

(9)  There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

(10)  And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

(11)  And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

(12)  And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

(13)  And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,

(14)  That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:

(15)  And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.

(16)  And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.

(17)  And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:

(18)  And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

(19)  And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.

(20)  And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

(21)  But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

(22)  And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

(23)  The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

Thought For This Chapter…

The Lord was with him…

Gen 39:2 – And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

Gen 39:21 – But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison

For Joseph, being sold into slavery to the Egyptians by your own brothers and, later, being wrongfully accused and thrown into prison by the Egyptian ruler were two very difficult life situations to face.  And yet, in spite of it all, we find that “The Lord was with him” during each of these difficult times.   This made all the difference for Joseph.  Even during these difficult times, the Lord’s presence in his life allowed him to be content, faithful, and blessed in all he did.

Folks, the Lord’s continuing presence in the life of His people, even during troublesome times is a promise that is found throughout the Bible.  In both testaments we find this promise given to His people time and time again.  Here are just a few of those verses…

Psa 23:4 KJV – Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Isa 43:2 KJV – When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Rom 8:38-39 KJV – For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Heb 13:5 KJV – Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

As we face discouraging life trials and heartaches, let’s always keep in mind that, if we have placed our faith in Christ as our Lord and Savior, He promises to be with us and bless us during these times.

Because of His presence, we can rest assured that we can be faithful to Him in the midst of all our trials and will be blessed as we serve Him.

Because of His presence, we can know that all that takes place is a part of His will and will work for our good and His glory.

And finally, because of His presence, we can be certain that His love is upon us and we are eternally secure in Him.

May we all praise and honor the Lord for the blessing of His enduring presence in our lives!

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 38:

Gen 38:1-30 KJV

(1)  And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

(2)  And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

(3)  And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.

(4)  And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

(5)  And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

(6)  And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

(7)  And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

(8)  And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

(9)  And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

(10)  And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

(11)  Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

(12)  And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

(13)  And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

(14)  And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

(15)  When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.

(16)  And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

(17)  And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

(18)  And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

(19)  And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

(20)  And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not.

(21)  Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

(22)  And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

(23)  And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

(24)  And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

(25)  When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

(26)  And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

(27)  And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

(28)  And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

(29)  And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

(30)  And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

Thought For This Chapter…

Blinded to our own sin while judging the sins of others…

Gen 38:24-26 – And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.  When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.  And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

Judah’s quickness to judge Tamar for her harlotry (while taking part in the same sin) is a very sobering example of the human nature that we all possess.

Because of this human, fallen, nature that is within us, it is very easy for us to see the sin that is in the lives of those around us, while being totally oblivious to the sin in our own lives!  Our Lord warms us about this tendency in Matt 7:3-5…

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Folks, we all have sinned against the Lord.  We all continue to sin against the Lord everyday of our lives.  We should never forget this.  As easy as it is to see the sin that others commit, we should never forget that we all are in the same boat.  None of us are perfect and none of us are better than others around us.  If we are not committing the sin that we see in the lives of others,  it is entirely due to God’s amazing grace at work in our lives.  It is just like the human saying goes “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

The Apostle Paul helps us to understand this same truth in 1 Corinthians 15:10-11…

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.  Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.”

So what are we to do when we see others we love falling into sin that we know will only bring them to ruin?  Do we remain silent, realizing that we are sinners?  Do we become judgmental towards them finding fault and being critical of them? Once again the Lord is not silent in this matter…

Gal 6:1 KJV – Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

The answer isn’t to ignore the situation and say nothing. Nor is it to judgmentally, critically, find fault with them.  Instead, we are to speak to our loved one in a kind, loving, humble way, realizing we are susceptible to the very same sin and, apart from God’s grace, would fall into it as well.

By keeping our spiritual frailty in mind and the sin that dwells with us, we will find ourselves with a humble spirit.  We will be prepared to help others who have fallen into the temptations that are all around us.  Also, with this same humble spirit, our heart will be prepared for others who approach us with an intention to help us with the indwelling sin that is in our lives.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 37:

Gen 37:1-36 KJV

(1)  And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

(2)  These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

(3)  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

(4)  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

(5)  And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

(6)  And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

(7)  For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

(8)  And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

(9)  And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

(10)  And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

(11)  And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

(12)  And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.

(13)  And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.

(14)  And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

(15)  And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

(16)  And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.

(17)  And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

(18)  And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

(19)  And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

(20)  Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

(21)  And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

(22)  And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

(23)  And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

(24)  And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

(25)  And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

(26)  And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

(27)  Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

(28)  Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

(29)  And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

(30)  And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

(31)  And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

(32)  And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.

(33)  And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

(34)  And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

(35)  And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

(36)  And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.

Thought For This Chapter…

A Voice of Reason …

Gen 37:21 -22 – And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

The importance of a voice of reason in the midst of uncontrolled emotions cannot be overemphasized.  This truth is clearly presented to us in this account of Jacob’s family.  In this historical account, we can see that the sons; jealousy, hatred and covetousness of Joseph were very powerful emotions that led them to plan, and almost perform the horrible sin of murder.  What stopped them from carrying out their sinful plans?  Just one voice of reason that stood out in the midst of all the upheaval that was taking place.

That voice of reason came from older brother Reuben.  Reuben, who apparently kept his emotions well under control, empowered by a God-given boldness, took a stand against the murder of his brother and, as a result, saved his brother’s life.  How difficult it must have been for Reuben to “go against the flow”, of his brothers’ uncontrolled emotions!  Please notice, he gave a wise, measured response to their mad plans.  This gave to them a reasonable compromise that would please his brothers, as well as open up for him an opportunity to save Joseph and return him to his father.

Folks, during the course of our lives, we will run into many situations where we have a very simple choice to make… either allow our emotions to run amok or look to the Lord, by faith, recognizing His presence in our life and seeking His will for the situation at hand.

If we choose to trust the Lord, are we willing to stand against the emotion-driven many and reasonably, lovingly, oppose their sinful plans?  Many times, this can result in sensible compromise that stops the commission of sin and defuses very explosive situations.

Pro 15:23 KJV – A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!