19 January: Genesis 41, John 11, Psalm 19
Genesis 41
- I am tempted to make Joseph the hero of this narrative. That is, he overcomes setbacks only to rise and rise again. However, the real hero remains God. "The Lord was with Joseph" is the frequent refrain that shows the real hero behind these events.
- Joseph makes it clear that God is the hero to Pharaoh, "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer." And so God lays out the plan for overcoming a devastating famine through interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams.
John 11
- Jesus stays put for two days after hearing of Lazarus' critical condition. It would be easy to misinterpret this, but everyone close to Jesus has firmly placed their trust in him. Jesus was not tarrying due to danger of potential stoning (v.8), rather he intended to show greater glory to the Father.
- Thomas displays great faith and courage as he offers the "go also, that we may die with him." I've always thought that a better "press secretary" could have given a Thomas a better tagline than "Doubting Thomas" — perhaps "Intrepid Thomas."
Psalm 19
- We studied and sang a hymn based on this Psalm two days ago. Spiritual songs and hymns which require us to sing "with our minds" usually give me goosebumps.
- The heavens declare the the glory of God! How true. Sunrises, eclipses, aurora borealis, water cycle, planetary movement, our "goldie locks zone" in the solar system and galaxy, our privileged perch from we view creation — all deepen my faith our Creator.
- "Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me." Here's a prayer discipline for today.