In Acts 20:1-38, Paul met with the Ephesian church elders one last time. They all believed their next reunion would be in eternity, so the gathering closed with heartfelt prayer, tears, embraces, and Paul’s final encouragement: “You must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).
You may have heard this promise before, but have you ever put it to the test? Offering others our time, money, resources, and energy may feel risky, but Jesus Himself assured us it is not. In fact, He connected the idea of giving with blessing. What’s more, one reason we are blessed with ample supply is so that we can bless others (2 Corinthians 9:8-11).
Giving was always part of God’s divine purpose for us—which means we already have what we need in order to begin sharing with others. By doing so, we’re actually following Jesus’ example: We receive His generosity and His life and then let it flow through us like a river.
The Bible is relevant for every situation. Although the details of our circumstances differ from what we read about in Scripture, the principles still apply. As we saw yesterday, for example, Joseph’s story teaches lessons to practice in our own life.
Something that stands out in Genesis 37-50 is how the Lord orchestrated events to achieve His purpose. Even though Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, God is the one who sent him to Egypt for the benefit of the Israelites (Ps. 105:17). The years of adversity positioned Joseph to become the leader who would rescue God’s people from famine.
Verse 19 goes on to tell us that “the word of the Lord tested him” (ESV). When Joseph was a young man, God gave him two dreams about his future exaltation (Gen. 37:5-11), yet he would experience 13 years of humiliation and hardship before seeing their fulfillment. The Lord was faithful, however, and at just the right time, Joseph was released to assume the role God had planned for him.
Our heavenly Father is arranging the events of your life too, and in the process, you also are being tested by His Word. Your difficulties in no way indicate that the Lord is absent. Instead, He oversees the events of your life and works them to fulfill His long-term purposes for you.
Today’s Scripture is one of the psalms sung by the Jews as they journeyed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Lord’s feasts. Though there were many dangers along the way, they realized help wouldn’t come from anyone but the Lord.
Do you wonder what dangers lurk in the future? God alone knows what we’ll encounter, and He assures us that because He is our Keeper, we have nothing to fear. He never sleeps and is always attentive to our cries for help—even when we can’t sense His presence.
Our loving Father cares for us physically as He guides and guards our path, but His priority is always our spiritual well-being. He watches over our steps and provides everything we need in order to avoid falling into sin. God’s Holy Spirit directs and empowers us, and His Word lights our path so we do not slip. What’s more, He has provided a means of escape for every temptation so we can endure it and stay faithful (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Christians are sojourners traveling this earth to reach their heavenly home. What a comfort it is to know that the Lord will guard our steps “from this time and forever” (Ps. 121:8).
Our Creator has no need for anyone to direct or counsel Him (Isa. 40:13). Yet so often we want to tell Him exactly what to do and how to answer our prayers. Then we’re disappointed when He ignores all our advice. Like Israel, we might say, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God” (Isa. 40:27). But we, not God, are the ones who lack understanding.
Sometimes we grow weary in the trials of life. However, God’s ways are always right, and He promises to give strength to those who wait for Him (Isa. 40:31). Isaiah uses the imagery of an eagle with wind beneath his wings to illustrate how God lifts and carries us through times when we don’t clearly discern the way.
In difficult situations, we often don’t know which way to turn. But God wants us to wait patiently and depend on Him for the strength we need to endure. When the time is right, He’ll answer our prayers, guide our path, and give us relief. Until then, we acknowledge that His understanding is inscrutable and He never chooses a wrong path for us—even when it’s slow going.
In today’s psalm, we see David praying for protection and guidance as he waits for God. We all know how difficult waiting is during times of illness, danger, trouble, or confusion. But God can use these situations to develop the virtues He desires in our lives.
Faith. The Lord’s ways are nothing like ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). His purposes are higher and eternal, whereas our desires are usually immediate and earthly. Even when we don’t understand why God delays, we can trust in His character and faithfulness, knowing He’ll do what’s best.
Humility. Since the Christian life is God-directed rather than self-directed, submission to whatever He ordains for us requires humility. For this reason, we must acknowledge that the Lord is our Master and we’re totally dependent on Him.
Patience. In Scripture, this word means “long-suffering” or “forbearance.” It’s spiritual fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us as we wait and trust God to intervene at the right time (Galatians 5:22-23).
Are you willing to remain in your current position until the Lord acts on your behalf? Waiting on God isn’t passive or idle. It takes a determined focus on His wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness no matter how challenging a situation may seem.
