Today Daily Devotional

ReFrame Ministries

Today is a daily devotional that helps God's people refresh, refocus and renew their faith through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.

  1. 9 HRS AGO

    A New Kind of Vision

    “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” — Genesis 50:20 Joseph brought his father and all his brothers and their families to live in Egypt so that they would have plenty during the years of famine. Their father, Jacob, died in Egypt, and after they buried him back at home in the land of Canaan, they all returned to Egypt (Genesis 46:1-50:14).Now Joseph’s brothers began to worry that he still had a grudge against them. While Jacob was alive, they thought they had a line of defense to keep Joseph from seeking revenge for selling him as a slave, but now they wondered what would happen next.The brothers sent a message to Joseph, in which they admitted their sins against him and pleaded for forgiveness. Although they had been living near Joseph for several years now in Egypt, they were still not sure of his feelings toward them. Had he really forgiven them? Joseph wept when he received their message. He had already forgiven his brothers, but it can take years for reconciliation to take shape.When Joseph’s brothers came to him, he reassured them and helped them to see again that God had intended all of this for good. Indeed, God was working out his plan to make their family into a nation that would bring blessing to all others (Genesis 12:1-3).This was a new kind of vision to help people see the amazing ways God works in our lives and in his world. Dear God, help us to see not just the hurts and troubles in this world but also how you work to bring us life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

  2. 1D AGO

    God’s Preservation Plan Unfolds

    “God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” — Genesis 45:7 Joseph had tested his brothers and had learned that they wanted to protect Benjamin, his younger brother, and to spare their father from any more grief. He could see they were sorry for what they had done to him so many years ago. So he told them, at last, who he really was, and they were stunned and terrified.The brothers knew that they had deeply hurt Joseph when they had sold him into slavery. They knew that their deception had also hurt their father. Their deception had served them in the moment, but now the truth was coming out. They were the reason why Joseph had come to Egypt as a slave. They were the reason why he had suffered for years. Now that Joseph was in a position of power, the brothers wondered how he would deal with them. No wonder they were terrified as Joseph made himself known to them.But Joseph saw the hand of God at work in all that had happened. And he explained to his brothers what God had done. Joseph testified that God had sent him ahead of them into Egypt so that his plan for their lives would continue—and much more: that the lives of many people would be saved.Again God was doing more than we would think or imagine— working out his promise to Abraham and making his family a blessing to the nations. Dear God, thank you for your work in our lives—preparing the way for us, walking with us, and watching our backs so that we can have life with you. Amen.

  3. 2D AGO

    Finding More than Food in Egypt

    “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us. . . .” — Genesis 42:2 Like many others during the seven years of famine, Jacob’s family and flocks were running out of food. So Jacob sent his sons to go and buy food in Egypt, where they had heard there was plenty.All of the brothers except Benjamin, the youngest, went on this journey of desperation. They must have wondered, “Will there be food for all of us coming from another country? And what will happen to our family while we are away?”Joseph came face-to-face with the brothers who had hated him enough to sell him into slavery. What emotions filled his heart when he saw them again? Was he tempted to get revenge and harm them?Now wiser, Joseph came up with a way to test his brothers, to see if they had changed in the many years since they had gotten rid of him. Joseph’s life had seen alarming twists and turns, and a similar journey now began for his brothers. Through a series of tests and questioning, Joseph learned that his father was still alive and that his brothers were sorry for the wrong they had done (Genesis 42-44). And the Lord worked through all of this to bring about reconciliation and forgiveness, drawing this family back together again.In what ways have you seen God working at reconciliation in your life or in the lives of people around you? Dear God, you know we need more than food. We need restored relationships with you and with one another. Thank you for shaping our stories in the way of forgiveness and reconciliation. In Jesus, Amen.

  4. 3D AGO

    From Prisoner to Ruler

    Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” — Genesis 41:41 Joseph remained in prison for two years before the king’s cupbearer remembered him.One night Pharaoh had two dreams that troubled him deeply, and when he searched for someone to interpret the dreams, the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph. So Pharaoh called for Joseph to interpret the dreams, and Joseph responded by saying, first of all, “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (Genesis 41:1-16).Pharaoh learned that his dreams warned about a seven-year famine that would follow seven years of great abundance. When he received the interpretation, as well as the sound advice Joseph gave about preparing for the famine, Pharaoh knew that Joseph would be the right person to manage the harvesting so that Egypt would have enough food (41:17-40). So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole land to prepare for the years of abundance and famine that would come.God can work in our lives in amazing ways. Though none of this was easy for Joseph, we can see in this story that he learned to trust and serve God in faith while he was in prison—and also when he was freed and appointed to lead.The faithfulness of God becomes clearer to us over time and through many different experiences, some of which are life-changing. We learn steadiness and certainty as God walks with us faithfully. Dear God, thank you for weaving together the circumstances of our lives and showing us how you work in them. May we see you at work in our lives each day. Amen.

  5. 4D AGO

    What About Me?

    The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. — Genesis 40:23 Joseph’s experience in Egypt took many twists and turns. One moment he was trusted by Potiphar, one of the king’s officials, and the next moment he was imprisoned because of false accusations from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39).In prison Joseph found favor with the warden. But would there ever be a way out?One day Joseph met the king’s cupbearer and baker, who were sent to prison for making the king angry, and one night both of those men had strange dreams. The next day, the cupbearer and the baker were confused and burdened by their dreams, and Joseph asked why they looked so sad. When they shared their dreams with him, Joseph was able to help, explaining that “interpretations belong to God.” Joseph the dreamer was now wiser, recognizing that God was always helping him (Genesis 39:23).Both good news and bad news were in those dreams. Soon the cupbearer was restored to Pharaoh’s court, just as Joseph had said in his interpretation, and Joseph likely wondered what would happen next. But the cupbearer forgot about Joseph— for quite a while.In that prison, however, God was still watching over Joseph and providing for him. As we often find in our own and others’ lives, there is always more to the story that God is working out. Dear God, thank you for working in our lives even when we face struggles and it’s hard for us to see or understand what you are doing. Help us to know that even in our times of waiting you are still at work. Amen.

  6. 5D AGO

    From Dreams to Disaster

    “Let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” — Genesis 37:20 Jacob sent Joseph to check up on his brothers. They saw him coming from a distance, and their jealous, hateful feelings toward him took a mean turn. Several of them wanted to kill Joseph.Not all of the brothers had the same level of anger, though. Reuben tried to save Joseph. And Judah did not want them all to have their brother’s blood on their hands, so he suggested they sell Joseph to some traveling merchants who were passing by. And the brothers agreed.At the end of this scene, their father, Jacob, is distraught and cannot be consoled. The blood of a goat covers Joseph’s robe. And the brothers probably wonder if they will ever be found out, but for now their father accepts the scam that Joseph the dreamer has been killed by a wild animal. They think their brother, now sold to be a slave in Egypt, will not be heard from again. And they assume their life can go back to something like normal.But God is faithful even in the midst of violence, treachery, and tears. As the story continues, we will see how God works behind the scenes. Despite the brothers’ hateful jealousy and anger, God works out a way to raise up Joseph and, through him, to save the lives of many people—including his family—from starvation.In what ways do you see God working in your life? Dear God, thank you for working through pain and loss. Guide our hearts and help us to see what you see in this world and in the people around us. Amen.

  7. 6D AGO

    A Favorite Son–A Despised Brother

    When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him. . . . — Genesis 37:4 Jacob should have known better. He knew what it was like to have a brother whom his father loved more than him (Genesis 25:27-28), but he favored his son Joseph over his other sons anyway. Sadly, that led to jealousy and resentment among Joseph’s brothers.When Joseph’s older brothers looked at him, their blood pressure went up and hatred filled their hearts. Still, they might have kept their emotions in check if Joseph hadn’t stirred the pot with notions about the dreams he had had.God had provided the dreams, but Joseph took pride in them. He interpreted those dreams as showing that he was better than his brothers, and even his father rebuked him for the self-centered nature of those interpretations. The meaning of those dreams became clear later (Genesis 41-47), but all that the brothers knew now was that they didn’t want anything to do with Joseph!In this story we eventually see that God can take the human failings of all of these broken family members to bring about something good, despite the sinful attitudes in each individual’s heart. We also learn in life that God works through the troubles in our world and in our hearts to make something new and better. He is faithful to the purpose and plan that he holds and creates for us. Lord, thank you for being willing to meet us in the messes and troubles of life. Open our eyes to see the sin in our own hearts before we see the failings of others. Help us to live in unity as your family and to spread your love and blessings to others. Amen.

  8. MAR 10

    Wrestling with God

    “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” — Genesis 32:28 Jacob was a schemer. It came naturally. His mother was a schemer, and so was his father (see Genesis 26-27). Scheming was part of the family DNA.Jacob was returning home and wondering what kind of reception he would have from his brother, Esau, whom he had schemed against many years earlier (Genesis 27).But then one night when Jacob was all alone, he faced the one who could not be outwitted. Jacob wrestled that night with God.We might think of this wrestling with God as being for one night, but wasn’t it more like for a lifetime? Jacob had wrestled through lots of situations in his life, all of which were in the hands of God. For example, Esau, his elder brother, was the favored son of his father, and Jacob dealt with that by scheming. Jacob also wrestled with finding love and wondering if he could ever return home.We might think of wrestling with God as the opposite of seeking to know and learn from God, but in this case the wrestling became a pathway to a new life signified by a new name. Jacob, now known as Israel, would go through life limping because of that night, but he would have in that limp a sign that God had come to him and blessed him as he faced an uncertain future.God showed up even for a schemer like Jacob. Lord, thank you for being willing to wrestle with Jacob. We can see you are willing to wrestle with us too. Give us what we need in order to follow you. Amen.

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Today is a daily devotional that helps God's people refresh, refocus and renew their faith through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.

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