by Don Ruhl

Read Genesis 39 and 40

To some people that might sound oxymoronic, for how can we call a man successful while he is also a slave? That fits the picture of Joseph.

2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian (Gen. 39:2).

The Lord is with Joseph, making him successful. Yet, he is a slave! If God is with Joseph, why is he still a slave? Things have not been going well for Joseph, but the Lord fully backs the man. That is interesting. What do we define success? Think about that today.

by Don Ruhl

Read Genesis 36--38

Conspiracy to Kill

The brothers of Joseph hate him, leading them to seek his death.

18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him (Gen. 37:18).

Family we should love the most, but often we hate them the most. I am one of those naive people who believe that we are all family and so we should not seek to harm one another. When I see people on television, I think to myself, that they are all my family. When I hear of Osama bin Laden's hatred for American's, I think, hey, we are your family. Do not harm us. Yet, the truth is, as in the case of Joseph and his brothers, hatred can be as strong as love. More murders are committed between family members than between strangers.

In the case of Joseph, he did not do wicked things to his brothers, but they hated him for his righteousness. Likewise, there are going to be people who hate us, even people within our families, but let it be because we are righteous and not because we have been wicked toward them.

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

by Don Ruhl

Read Matthew 10:21--42

Family against Family

In Matthew 10:21, Jesus warns His apostles,

21 Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death (Mat. 10:21).

In the Old Testament e-mail devotional for this morning, we looked at the hatred of the brothers of Joseph against him. Here, Jesus shows that the same thing will happen to Christians. Some people will be so against Christ, that if a family member becomes a disciple of Jesus, the family will persecute that disciple, even to the point of death.

It is hard to imagine that happening, but when it happens, we cannot be surprised, but remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ that He warned us of these things. At the same time, if our family hates us because we are disagreeable people, we cannot fall back on this warning of Jesus. He knows why people are against us. Let us follow Him, and let happen what is to happen, and let us praise God in the process.

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

by Don Ruhl

Read Matthew 10:1--20

The Sad Story of Judas

In every list of the apostles, Judas is last. That is not necessarily bad. Hey, if I could have been among that blessed company and my name appeared last, you would not hear one word of complaint from me! What is bad is the way that Judas is mentioned in the list. Hear is what Matthew says,

4 ...Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him (Mat. 10:4).

It is those last words, sort of like an asterisk, that forever tarnishes the name of Judas. Before the betrayal, this man engaged in all the same good works as the eleven other apostles. Yet, Judas had a covetousness problem. He was the treasurer and took money out of it regularly for himself. In the end, he saw an opportunity to make some money off Jesus and betrayed Him to His enemies. You know the story.

Here is the thing. Judas had a problem of sin in his heart, which he did not conquer. Therefore, the problem conquered him. Although he participated in the many works of the apostles that Jesus told them to do, Judas still had this problem in his heart and it destroyed him.

If there is a problem in your heart, do not ignore it. It will conquer you and destroy you.

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

Read Genesis 33--35

Brethren Reunited

The problem between Esau and Jacob was bad. Esau wanted to kill Jacob. Therefore, Jacob fled from his family and stayed away for 20 years. When he returns, Esau sees him, but something is different.

4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept (Gen. 33:4).

Rare it is that people in deep conflict reunite as these two brothers did. Jacob wronged Esau two decades earlier, but when Jacob returns home, he humbles himself before his brother and his brother has also changed his heart. This is what God wants to see. What are we willing to do to make our heavenly Father happy?

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100