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Today we continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume IV — The Wonder Twins.” I am using Joseph as an excellent example of our need for patience. We are seeking to learn from the different phases of Joseph’s life. Let’s get into it.
(James 1:2-4 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Ecc 3:1 ERV)
There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.
(Gen 42:37,38 CEV)
37 Reuben spoke up, “Father, if I don’t bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I will bring him back.”
38 But Jacob said, “I won’t let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I’ll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame.”
So what does this mean for you today? I am going to take a slightly different approach to today’s message. Let’s get into it.
1. God is still God.
Today is June 25, 2020. This morning we woke up to a world that is still dealing with a global pandemic. There are over 9.3M confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world, with 481k confirmed deaths. In the United States, the numbers are 2.43M cases and 124k deaths. Add to that the legal injustice and civil unrest that is THE major topic in the United States right now. Add to that the fact that the global economy and the trading markets have been going crazy ever since March. You could make the case that the world is in chaos right now.
You may be thinking, okay Rick, but what does that have to do with this message. I will make the connection. Let’s think about Jacob’s family for a minute. From the outside looking in, you would think that things had gone haywire. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sold off into slavery. He had to endure the pit, Potiphar, and prison phases of his life before reaching the palace. Jacob had no knowledge of Joseph’s whereabouts for 20 years and he thought his son was dead. 10 of Jacob’s sons seemed reckless and unreliable. 1 of those 10 was being held hostage back in Egypt. Jacob would not trust his other sons with Benjamin. They were in the midst of a famine and people were starving. The man in charge of the only nation with food was holding one of Jacob’s sons hostage. Yes, things may have seemed out-of-control, but they were right where God knew they would be. God was not surprised by any of this.
Today we are in Genesis 42. But we go all the way back to Genesis 15, we will see some things that help us understand God’s sovereignty. In Genesis 15 God said the following to Joseph’s great-grandfather. “Abram, you will live to an old age and die in peace. But I solemnly promise that your descendants will live as foreigners in a land that doesn’t belong to them. They will be forced into slavery and abused for four hundred years. But I will terribly punish the nation that enslaves them, and they will leave with many possessions.” (Gen 15:13-15). The foreign land God was talking about was Egypt. God was using Joseph to lead Abraham’s descendants in Egypt and He knew that they would ultimately wind up in Canaan over 400 years later. This was all part of God’s providence.
While God did not make all these things happen, He already knew they would. So no matter what is going on in your life, remember, God is still God, and He is not moved by what is going on. Even in the midst of chaos, God’s is still sovereign!
2. God’s foreknowledge gives us peace.
a) When things are seemingly going haywire in your life, you need to take a step back and remember that God is still on the throne. He still sits on the circle of the earth. He knew what was going to happen before it happened, and He has made a way for you to continue to be blessed. So no matter what you are facing this morning, remember that nothing important has changed. God has not changed, His Word has not changed, and His promises have not changed; as long as those are intact, then everything else is just temporary. Never make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances.
b) God had foreknowledge of everything that was going to happen. God knows the end from the beginning. There is nothing that God doesn’t know. When God spoke to you about your future, He did so with complete foreknowledge of everything that would happen in the world and everything you would have to deal with. Understanding His foreknowledge should give you peace. This is how Jesus was able to sleep through a storm!
c) God did not put COVID-19 on us, He did not stir up the racial unrest, and He is not manipulating the markets, but guess what? God already knew where we would be before we got here. He has not been caught off-guard. While God did not make it happen, He knew it would happen. He is not surprised. Therefore, every promise God ever made to you about your future was made with God’s foreknowledge of all the mess we are facing today. This means that every promise is still valid. Everything God said to you about your business, your finances, your health, and your family is still a valid promise. Those things are still going to come to pass.
Nothing has changed. God is still God. His promises are still true. His power is still immeasurable. His grace is still sufficient. What God is looking for from you is FAITH and PATIENCE. God has provided grace. You must now provide the faith and patience. If you do, you will hold on long enough to see everything God said come to pass in your life!
The Bible says, “God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does He speak and not do what He says? Does He promise and not come through?” (Numbers 23:19 MSG).
God will come through for you! Greater is coming because God said it and He is not moved or fazed by what is going on. He is sovereign, even in the midst of chaos!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You know my thoughts before I think them. You know my concerns before I express them. You know my cares before I feel them. You know my actions before I take them. You are and always will be a Sovereign God! My acknowledgment of Your foreknowledge helps me to rely on You completely. I trust You. I release Your hand to move in my life. I look at every situation through the lens of faith, and I expect nothing but the best! Every promise You have ever made me is still valid. I live every day with an expectation of manifestation. GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
