May 28 2008
Wednesday, May 28
Reading for today: Genesis 41:15-36, Acts 18:24-28
“And Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, it is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Genesis 41:16
Joseph said, “I can’t interpret your dream. Only God can give you an interpretation.” Like Joseph, we need to continually focus people’s attention on Jesus and not take any credit for His work through us.
Before his death, David told his son and successor Solomon, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you” (1 Chr. 28:9).
Our ability to know and seek God and serve Him with our whole hearts begins with one word: Humility. As the apostle James wrote, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Sadly, Solomon did not cling to his father’s words of advice. Instead, he abandoned their instruction and married women who worshiped other gods. But sin has consequences, and while God did not forsake His promise, he did remove His blessing from Solomon’s life.
If you desire God’s wisdom, be sure you are willing to humble yourself and follow wisdom’s pathway. God told Solomon he could ask for anything and it would be his. Instead of asking for great wealth or power, Solomon chose to ask for wisdom, which God provided abundantly. As Solomon grew older, however, he relied on his wisdom alone instead of leaning on God to inform that wisdom. In his early years, he had trusted God and wanted to do the Lord’s will; but eventually Solomon stopped relying on the Lord and began to rely entirely on his own ability. That was his downfall.
When we fail to humbly listen to God—
We begin to listen to the wrong voices: our own, the devil’s, and those who don’t have God’s very best for us in mind.
We get easily deceived—and decisions outside the will of God quickly turn disastrous.
We become prideful and in various haughty ways express our independence from God.
We begin to make decisions that appeal to our own desires and not the Lord’s.
We hurt those around us.
We miss out on God’s very best.
How can you avoid these perils? Ask God to open your heart to His truth. Be willing to obey His Word, even if it means giving up something you hold as precious. Obedience is always better than the richest sacrifice. Our God is a God of restoration, and He will never refuse your sincere desire to obey and please Him.
It says: “God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” We must remember, when we are waiting for God’s answer and He does answer, He will give us peace, if we don’t have peace, it is not of God.
Peace only comes from God.