January 23

Today's Reading

Genesis. It always intrigues me that God appears to Jacob and confirms that Joseph is alive AFTER Jacob has been told the news by his other sons. We think of those years between Joseph's enslavement and his rise to power as his time of testing. It was a testing for Jacob, too, and -- in a different way -- for the other sons.

What do you observe about the series of events after the family arrives in Egypt? What about the way old Jacob blessed the world's most powerful ruler? Your thoughts on how Joseph used Egypt's food to enslave the people to Pharaoh?

Matthew. It helped me to learn that many of the religious leaders had their own corrupt gambit going on. Their moral law clearly required that they take care of their elderly parents -- no Social Security there! However, many would take the money that could have met their parents' needs and designated it as a gift to God. Then, as religious leaders, they took those "gifts to God" and spent them on their own luxuries. They did all this in the name of their law! No wonder Jesus was so angry at them.

I love Psalm 19. Especially the end,

"May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."

Proverbs today contrasts between the wicked and the righteous. In 1 John in the New Testament, we are told, "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." That theme of light contrasted with darkness runs throughout Scripture.

I can't wait for your comments! How is it going? What is speaking to you?