May 10
	And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
	Genesis 50:17
Joseph cries. The word translated “wept” isn’t the word for sobbing. It’s the word for quiet weeping. Tears just rolled down his cheeks. His brothers didn’t get it. They thought he was holding a grudge against them. They thought he was simply waiting for the right time to pounce on them. They thought he was angry with them, bitter toward them. So too, we often think of our Lord Jesus as keeping a record of our previous failures; that He must be getting tired of us, exhausted by us. But we are told that, like Joseph, Jesus wept . . . “If you had only been here, our brother would not have died,” cried Martha and Mary. “We told You he was sick. We sent You word, but You didn’t come. And now he’s dead.” And Jesus wept. He knew what He would do. He knew He would bring Lazarus back to life. So it wasn’t for Lazarus He wept. It was for the unbelief of Martha and Mary (John 11). Jesus wept a second time when He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, I would gather you under My wing and nestle You close to My heart, but you wouldn’t let Me” (see Matthew 23:37). If you think you’ve botched it so many times that the Lord must be just about ready to throw in the towel with you, you don’t understand the heart of our Lord. It was for the man most in need, upon the man who couldn’t handle things all that well, toward the man with the paralyzed hand that Jesus had compassion (Mark 3:1–5). So too, if you are struggling and are barely able to hold things together, you are the very one for whom Jesus has the most compassion. The person who’s not reaching out, not doing well, unable to handle life is the one for whom Jesus has special affection and on whom He has a laser-like focus. Each of us is struggling with one thing or another. Thus, Jesus would say to all of us, “No matter how withered it might be, stretch out your hand. Grab hold of Me. Receive from Me that which I long to give you.” No matter what pit you’ve dug, or what brother you’ve sold, our greater than Joseph has washed away your sin with His own blood.

	Joseph is a fruitful bough . . .
	Genesis 49:22
The Bible defines fruit in five specific areas . . . In Romans 1:13, Paul tells us that the winning of souls is fruit unto God. Did Joseph win souls? Indeed! He saved his whole family from famine and drought. So too, when you share with your family, neighbors, or friends the good news of the Gospel, saving them from the drought in their own souls and from the fires of hell, you bear fruit that pleases God. Romans 6:22 identifies holiness as fruit. Perhaps best epitomized by his flight from the advances of Potiphar’s wife, Joseph lived a holy life. In fact, he is one of only two major Old Testament characters of whom there is no recorded sin. Philippians 4:17 identifies tithes and offerings as fruit. Joseph gave more than money in Egypt. He gave his life. Colossians 1:10 says good works are a fruit unto God. Did Joseph do good works? Yes. He saved an entire nation from starvation by storing up goods to distribute when there was need. Hebrews 13:15 names praise as fruit. When Joseph came to Pharaoh with the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream, he directed all praise to God (Genesis 41:16). These five areas, so evident in Joseph’s life, are summed up in a sixth New Testament reference to fruit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. - Galatians 5:22–23 The fruit of the Spirit is love as defined by joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is love. That’s why we give of our time and money. That’s why we lift our hands in praise. That’s why we share with others. With all of these qualities flowing through his life, no wonder Jacob said to Joseph, “You are a fruitful bough.” “Good for Joseph,” you might be saying. “But why should I be fruitful?” Because if we don’t satisfy Jesus, not only will we not satisfy anyone else, but we won’t satisfy even ourselves. Listen, gang, if you are not living to please God, then your life will dry up from the roots, from below the surface, from deep within, and you will experience emptiness, frustration, depression, and a lack of satisfaction. Live to please God, on the other hand, and your life will be marked by love.

This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book "A Pillar By Day" by Pastor Jon. "A Pillar By Day" is a collection of 365 short devotions from the Old Testament books of Genesis through Deuteronomy.

The whole family is saved from the famished condition of where they were previously and has been called to live with Joseph in a land of luxury. I personally believe the Lord wants to save entire families. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul said to the Philippian jailor, “and you will be saved - and your house” (see Acts 16:31). This doesn’t mean the whole family is automatically saved if the parent is a believer. But it does mean that a believing father or mother can expect the Lord to work in the rest of the family as he or she is obedient to the Word.

I’m simple enough to expect that my kids and grandchildren, should the Lord tarry, will travel with me, to be with the greater than Joseph - Jesus Christ - in the mansion He is preparing for us.

This note was left on my windshield yesterday . . .

I was so glad to see your car here, Brother Jon. I have the opportunity to share with you some wonderful news. While visiting my mother a few months ago, I accidentally left a set of tapes at her house. The tapes were of services I had missed from our current Genesis study. Now my mother thought I had left them there with hopes of converting her. But it truly was a mistake. I had really wanted to listen to them myself. But God is so faithful. For whatever reason, Mom started listening to the tapes, and she accepted Jesus as her Savior and is going to be baptized this Sunday in a church in Kennewick, Washington. My mother is saved. She’s saved, she’s saved! God used this chain of events just for her, and I couldn’t be happier. 

That’s not coincidence. That’s providence! Grandpa, believe it. Mom, don’t doubt it. Parents, lay hold of it. Believe that the Lord will work in your family.

This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book "A Pillar By Day" by Pastor Jon. "A Pillar By Day" is a collection of 365 short devotions from the Old Testament books of Genesis through Deuteronomy.