What I Learned From Joseph

IMG_9211For the whole week, I read the story of Joseph as part of my HelloMornings devotional, Abounding Hope. This week I learned a lot from Joseph. How he became the favorite son of Jacob until he found favor before Pharaoh. It is all God and His plan alone since the beginning of his life that gave a huge impact to the life of Israelites and Egyptians at the end.

God gave him dreams that he couldn’t understand the meaning, the dreams that caused his brothers hated him so much. Even they planned to kill him because of their hatred. But God who had planned everything, worked in and through his brothers to bless his chosen people.

There are several things I learned from the story of Joseph:

  • God is the one who gives dreams.
  • God is the one who will give the wisdom to understand the dream he gave.
  • God is the one who will be with us faithfully, to walk it through.
  • God’s dream = God’s way to solve it.
  • God who makes the plan, he will reveals it to us and give us the strategies to do it.
  • God gives favor in our lives and bless whatever we do for He is with us.
  • God is the one who gets the credit at the end. He is the one who gets the glory and praise.

Jesus said that we do nothing without Him. It is only in Him and his Word lives in us that we can do His will in our lives (John 15:1-8). It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit works in us, we can live glorifying and serving God.

The story of Joseph: end of everything is God’s rescue plan for his people is never ever fail.

God can used Joseph’s difficult times to bring freedom for the whole nation. He used Joseph to bless his people. God also can use your hardship to bless you, your family, your friends, and even your country. His plan will never fail in your life. Though now it seems that it is impossible, but our God is the God of possible.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ~ Romans 8:28

I pray today for you that God will give you wisdom to understand His dreams given to you, to understand what He wants you to do and to live your calling. I pray for you that God’s favor and blessings in your life.

10 Ways To Love

​​I found this notes posted on our church bulletin few months ago and I thought I’d love to share these practical ways that we all  can do to show love to others so that they may know God’s love.

10 Ways To Love

  1. Listen without interrupting (Proverbs 18)
  2. Speak without accusing (James 1:18)
  3. Give without sparing (Proverbs 21:26)
  4. Pray without ceasing (Colossians 1:9)
  5. Answer without arguing (Proverbs 17:1)
  6. Share without pretending (Ephesians 4:!5)
  7. Enjoy without complaint (Philippians 2:14)
  8. Trust without wavering (1 Corinthians 13:7)
  9. Forgive without punishing (Colossians 3:13)
  10. Promise without forgetting (Proverbs 13:12)

In the New Testament I found 14 verses that quote Jesus’ command for all of us to love one another for He has loved us first. ​They are:

  • John 15:12 (ESV)“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
  • 1 John 3:11 (ESV)For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
  • John 13:34 (ESV)A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
  • John 15:17 (ESV)These things I command you, so that you will love one another. The Hatred of the World
  • Romans 12:10 (ESV)Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
  • 1 John 4:11 (ESV)Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:9 (ESV)Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,
  • 1 Peter 1:22 (ESV)Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
  • 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
  • 1 John 3:10 (ESV)By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. Love One Another
  • 1 John 3:23 (ESV)And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
  • 1 John 4:7 (ESV)Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
  • 1 John 4:12 (ESV)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
  • 2 John 1:5 (ESV)And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.

What do you do to show love to others?

Romans 12:12

Yesterday might be hard, today might difficult, but we still have hope in God who has given us everything so that we may have abundance life in Christ Jesus, his Son, our Lord and Savior.
My prayer that may you all have a good weekend, be refreshed and be encouraged by His presence and love in your lives. 

Blessings!