June 19 – Acts 7

June 19 – Acts 7

Dear Father, we come before You in praise and with thanksgiving for You give us our ‘But God’ moments. You orchestrate our lives for Your glory. May we in our quiet time recognize You for who You are: our Lord God, the God of Israel.

First, do your own quiet time and 4R journaling.  When you are completed, come back here for the lesson.

Request God’s help

Read  Acts 7

Record a verse that stands out to you

Respond to God

But God is with me

Joseph’s life had sooo many ‘but God’ moments, did he not?  And here is another one, one that was mentioned by Stephen in his speech.  But here we have a different angle, one that showed that God was with Joseph even before he was born!  And even after the next king didn’t know him and thus kicked his people out, and even after Jesus walked the earth and then returned to His home in glory.  Because there is Stephen, witnessing to God’s goodness and provision.  And Joseph’s ‘but God’ moment has become Stephen’s in a way, reminding Stephen that God is with him, too, in his trial!

God appeared to Abraham and made him an unbreakable promise, that through him a great nation would arise, that they would inherit a vast land, and that God would leave a remnant.  This was not quick work, it was slow and deliberate.  God has incredible patience, and fulfilling promises is no exception. As they marched through history and into the future, the Israelites met Joseph, whom God chose to work through.  He was hated and envied, cast into a deep hole and sold into slavery.  He was betrayed and tricked.  Imprisoned and forgotten.

But God

But God was with him. He was with him and thus ensured that the Israelites moved closer to the promised land.  He was with him in their jealousy, with him in the hole, with him in captivity, with him when he was forgotten. But God.  Have you been in a place like that?  The slavery of sin, the hole of despair, the imprisonment of fear, forgotten and unseen?  But God was with you and saved you from that sin, He was with you and He pulled you from that pit of despair, He cast the chains of fear away and He saw you! Just as with Joseph, God is with you.  And He has a promise for you, too.  A promise of eternal life with Him.  A promise of inheritance.  A promise of restoration.  He has a purpose for you.  He will be with you every step of the way.  And you too can say, ‘But God was with me through all of it.’  What a powerful and liberating bit of heart knowledge that He cannot ever leave you, for He is the great promise keeper.

Joseph’s ‘but God’ moments are a testament to God’s sovereignty and His grace. Time and time again, God proved Himself o’er and o’er.  May we in our every moment give Him the glory and all the praise that is due Him.  For without Him…. There is nothing.

“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

(Further Reading: Psalm 105)

Dear Lord, we praise You for You are a good, good God.  We thank You for meeting us where we are at and knowing us so well!

What’s next?

As the Spirit leads, in the comment section below, share what He has laid on your heart.

Then join us again tomorrow for the next commentary.

My Verse: Acts 7:9, “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him.”