The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 12 November 2020 – TOPIC: THE FRUIT OF YIELDEDNESS
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TOPIC: THE FRUIT OF YIELDEDNESS
READ: GENESIS 44:1-17 (NKJV)1. And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.2. “Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.3. As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.4. When they had gone out of the city, [and] were not [yet] far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?5. ‘[Is] not this [the one] from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ “6. So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.7. And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing.8. “Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?9. “With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”10. And he said, “Now also [let] it [be] according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.”11. Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.12. So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.13. Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.14. So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he [was] still there; and they fell before him on the ground.15. And Joseph said to them, “What deed [is] this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”16. Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and [he] also with whom the cup was found.”17. But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”*THE MESSAGE:*The timespan between Joseph’s dreams and their fulfilment should be over twenty years. Within that period, he endured his brothers’ antagonism that culminated in terrible betrayal. When favour began to smile on him in Potiphar’s house – to assuage the painful separation from his family – the devil struck again and landed him in a maximum security prison. It was a life sentence that could have easily led to beheading, judging by the baker’s fate. In all this, however, Joseph did not break his intimacy with God. He could have developed a sullen, bitter attitude. On the contrary, his cross drove him closer to God, which was why his spiritual gift flourished in the midst of inexplicable suffering.Joseph’s submission to God’s dealings made him a blessing not only to Egypt but the entire known world. In today’s passage, Joseph was testing his brothers’ hearts to know whether they were still as hardened as when they had sold him in order to undo both him and their father. Note the difference now in verse 16. As a child of God, note that there is a fiery trial period for you. Let Joseph and the Lord Jesus be examples to help you hold on, undeterred. You never know the magnitude of fruit that your ordeal can yield (Psalm 126:5-6).*PRAYER:* Grant me, Lord, to always submit to Your will by faith.
