The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 24 January 2023 – TOPIC: YOU ARE A STRANGER IN THIS COUNTRY!
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THE DAILY FOUNTAIN
DAILY DEVOTIONAL OF THE
CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2023
TOPIC: YOU ARE A STRANGER IN THIS COUNTRY!
1. SO JACOB dwelt in the land in which his father had been a stranger and sojourner, in the land of Canaan.
2. This is the history of the descendants of Jacob and this is Jacob’s line. Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s [secondary] wives; and Joseph brought to his father a bad report of them.
3. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a [distinctive] long tunic with sleeves.
4. But when his brothers saw that their father loved [Joseph] more than all of his brothers, they hated him and could not say, Peace [in friendly greeting] to him or speak peaceably to him.
5. Now Joseph had a dream and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him still more.
6. And he said to them, Listen now and hear, I pray you, this dream that I have dreamed:
7. We [brothers] were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright, and behold, your sheaves stood round about my sheaf and bowed down!
8. His brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or are you going to have us as your subjects and dominate us? And they hated him all the more for his dreams and for what he said.
9. But Joseph dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers [also]. He said, See here, I have dreamed again, and behold, [this time not only] eleven stars [but also] the sun and the moon bowed down and did reverence to me!
10. And he told it to his father [as well as] his brethren. But his father rebuked him and said to him, What is the meaning of this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow down ourselves to the earth and do homage to you?
11. Joseph’s brothers envied him and were jealous of him, but his father observed the saying and pondered over it.
THE MESSAGE:
Today’s text indicates that Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger. Since Jacob loved Joseph more than all his children plus the fact that Joseph brought bad reports about his brothers to his father made them to hate him. The two dreams of Joseph’s superiority attracted more hatred from his brothers.
In your family and place of work, even if you are favoured above other children or staff, please conduct your life and activities with circumspection and humility. If you must bring any report about your siblings, fellow staff or students, ensure the report is true, objective, correct, and without malice; and do not bring false reports. Christians must understand that they are stranger on earth. This world is not your home; you are only on a pilgrimage and will depart one day. Heaven is your home, but heaven will not accommodate sinners, cheats (whether in marriage or business), the wicked, occultic, greedy, liars, corrupt, and as many as thrive in enmity. You must be careful how you live on earth. How are you preparing for the day you will leave planet earth? Commit your life to Jesus today and begin a relationship with God.
PRAYER: Guide me, o Thou great Redeemer, Pilgrim through this barren land, Amen
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