Lev 13:57 and Mark 7:21 "The Warp & The Woof of Life" (February 29)

The warp and the woof of my life is stretching and sagging. 
Yet, I am so unbelievably hopeful in what God is doing.
Be Opened my eyes, my ears, my voice, my tears.
What stirs in deep places of my heart this day?
The pull on the fabric of my life is so taut!
Fall on my knees and ask for help.
He never leaves us there!
He touches tongues
and spits out
healing.

Jesus never walked away from those falling at His Feet~Mk 7:34

Lev 11:47 and Mark 7:6 "Commandments of Men" (February 28)

What are the commandments of men in our society?
Who do I live to please?

I am the God Who brought you to the place where you are.  Be holy.  Lev 11:47 God is more concerned about my holiness than my hapiness.  He is more committed to getting me where I need to be than anyone else.  Oh soul of mine, let our Good God have His Way in what circumstances He has placed me in. 

Honor Him with my heart or
my worship is in vain Mark 7:6.

Am I willing to stand up and say, "No!"
No More. 
I will not follow what you think is truth if
I know in my heart it's a commandment made up by men.
Just read Twitter, Facebook, it's in black-and-white...
commandments that men have decided we have to believe
in order to be spiritual, to find God.
No, no more. 
What does God say about me?

Lev 9:24 and Mark 7:8 "Tradition of Men" (February 27)

What traditions do I hold so deeply that I cannot let go?  Do I hold to the tradition of men more than the 10 Commandments?  Mark 7:8

Do I honor my God with my lips but my heart is not in it this time.  I was so distant from someone I love this day and I couldn't, no I didn't want to move in to love for I have been so hurt.  What to do? 

Radical Repentance.  Moment by Moment.  Little by Little.

Lev 9:24 - They saw the Glory of God and they repented and fell on their faces.  Why am I not falling?  I feel vindicated in my judgment of the situation.  God have mercy on me! 

Lev 7:38 and Mark 6:27 "Not Offended with God" (February 26)

What would go through my mind if someone came after my throat?  What would come out of me?  Would I bring my offering in my wilderness? Lev 7:38

Mark 6:27 is a story that lingers with me.  It's the beloved John, deeply cared for by Christ.  Left in a cold, stank, dark prison.  Unaware of his fate.  Until the moment they come after him with a sword, sawing off his head.  A slow death to break through the bone.  And the words of Christ ring:  "Blessed is he who is not offended in Me," the One who heals the lame, makes the blind to see, the dead to rise---He is not coming with healing on His Wings.  Not not for John.  Was it something Greater?  Certainly didn't have anything to do with God's Love for John. 

Oh God, change me this day that what comes out of me brings you Glory!

Lev 3 and Mark 5:36 "Keep On Believing" (February 25)

Ad Dei Marjorem de Gloria - For The Greater Glory of God -
Math and Science and Calculator and Current Events contests may seem inconsequential in the scheme of things but anything done to the Glory of God pleases Him so! 

Lev. 3 brings my thoughts to Noah who would sacrifice offerings in case his sons had committed sins---same with Job.  Oh, to have that kind of attitude rather than an accusatory one toward my family.

If I can just touch His Garment.  Mark 5:28 - What does that mean to me this day? 

And God speaks: "Do not fear.  Only believe."  He is not talking to my mind because this is not about changing our thoughts.  Not about garbage in/ garbage out.  It's about transformation.  My heart!

Mark 5:36 - "Only believe" is the progressive tense in the Greek---keep on, keep on, keep on believing!

Psalm 91:9 and Mark 5:3 "Be Present" (February 24)

Psalm 91:9, 14 HE is my dwelling place...I don't have to live among the tombs like the outcast in Mark 5:3.  HE holds fast to me...no one need subdue me.  Where do I dwell in my thoughts? my intentions? my hopes? my cares? Do my concerns come from a good place in my heart?  Oh God, I don't have to live as a slave to sin but free---so how do I get there in what I face this day?  The Shelter of the Most High.  Make your Presence known in the midst.  Help me to be present this day in what stirs deeply in my heart.

Exo 40:34 and Mark 4:40 "Be Shade & Glory" (February 23)

Mark 4:40 - Why are you so afraid?  It's an intriguing question to me cause I deal with fear, day in and day out.  If it was just changing my thinking to how a Good God is always taking care of me, working for my good---but this is MORE THAN changing our thinking.  God is changing my heart so that the smallest seeds of my faith will grow up, even though I'm old, to become larger...and put out branches, large ones, so that others may have shade in the midst of their scorching heat.  Praise God!  It is His Glory that fills out lives just like in Exodus 40:334 where His Glory filled their journey.  Wherever this weekend may lead you, may you experience the Glory of God and be more concerned about shading other than finding your own.

Exo 36:3 and Mark 4:20 "No Small Work Here" (February 22)

Do you ever feel that your contribution
is small in the scheme of things. 
No one knows my name. 
No one plays my game.
No small work here.



It's the LORD
who puts skill and intelligence in minds ~ Exo 36:3
It's the LORD
who stirs up our hearts to come
To show up
To be present.

No small work here.
Hear the Word,
accept it,
bear fruit ~ Mark 4:20

I evaluate how well I am doing
based on what?
How big, how wide, how deep
the plans, the project, the pockets ... or
the Love of God?

Exo 34:6 and Mark 3:35 "Self Swindlers" (February 21)

Exodus 34:6 God says that He is merciful when people here don't cut us any slack; He is slow to anger even when people tell us what's wrong with us; He is Gracious when others are curt, short, and unkind; He is steadfast in His Love when our friends swindle us; He is faithful when we become self swindlers.  The Lord made sure that Moses knew that.  Passed before Moses and Proclaimed!  And Jesus made sure that His followers knew in Mark 3:35 that whoever does the will of God, you have a relationship with the Holy One.  Holiness---is that what grasps me this day?  Or is it about proving that I am right; vindicating myself; standing up for myself.  Oh God, have mercy on us all.  Holiness is the cry of our heart.  May I be more concerned about how I treat others than how they treat me.

Exo 33:14 and Mark 3:5 "Be Present" (February 20)

Moses did not want to be anywhere that his God was not!  Is that the passion that drives me?  If God is not in this, if He is not here, count me out! 

God tells Moses to leave Sinai and go to the Promised Land.  He says in Exo 33:14, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  I love this about Moses: “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. Nothing else worth living for.

Fast forward to the days when Jesus walks the Earth...God heals on the Sabbath, heals a withered hand.  No rule, no law, no jot and tittle binds God.  We are free to follow the One Whose Presence we adore.  Count us in this day, forevermore!  May we know Your Presence in what we attempt this hour, this day, for it's all the Grace we have.  Nothing is more important in history than this present moment and what we do with it.  Be present to the One you so love!

"The Glory of God is man fully alive."  Iraeneus

Exo 29 and Mark 2:4 "Holiness Trumps Comfort" (February 19)

What trumps my personal comfort?  My personal holiness before a holy God.

Mark 2: 4-5 They lowered their friend through a thatched roof to Jesus cause they couldn't get near the front door of the home where Jesus was speaking.  We are going in with our friend!  Don't we need friends who are willing to pound on the door of heaven for us?  And the response of our LORD was full of grace words:  You are forgiven of your sins, now get up and walk.  He healed his soul before He healed his body. 
Exo 29-30 It's all about what holiness should look like to them.  What about our holiness this day, two thousand years later.  Are we more concerned about our personal comfort or our holiness before a Holy God?  Your sins are forgiven, therefore walk in holiness.

Exo 28:40 and Mark 1:40 "Glory & Beauty" (February 18)

Oh God, put your Glory inside of me
Not things I can see, but what no one sees
Pour out your Beauty from above
Make me live this life in love.

We pray Your Will be done this day
If You will, you can make me clean
May I know down deep all the way
Inner Beauty & Glory---not how we're seen.

Exodus 28:40 - Make these things for Glory and Beauty.
Mark 1:40 - If you will, you can make me clean.

Exodus 25:30 and Mark 1:17 "Follow Me" (February 17)

Do I really follow the Still Small Voice that I hear?
Do I really trust what is right and pure in what I think
Do I really think it's the best way for me to draw near?
Do I really follow a Person, not a nod, nor a wink!

Follow Me echos within and you will find
A relationship sweet, holy, stable, divine
Give up what you think might be the best
It's His Presence calling, giving you rest

Whom do I follow?
Mark 1:17 ~ Follow Me...
Exodus 25:30 ~ Set the Bread of the Presence
on the table before you regularly.

Exo 23:20 and Matt 28:5 "Little By Little" (February 16)

Exodus 23:20 ~  1446 B.C. “Behold, I send an Angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared." God calls the Person, My Angel.  God provides for them in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land of Canaan.  God asks for their entire obedience.  Get rid of what or who corrupts your heart.  And God promises them in Exodus 23:30 ~ "Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land." He doesn't plan on delivering us from all that is wrong within in overnight plan.  No, it's:  Little by little.

Matthew 28:5 ~ One Thousand Years later, another Angel sits at a tomb: "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus...He is not here."  God provides in their wilderness of doubt even looking into His Very Eyes.  Little by Little.

Two Thousand Years later ~ The Grand Command rings out.  Falls on listening ears, "I am with you always, to the end of the age."  Wonder how God is providing for you this day?  No overnight plans.  Little by Little.

Exo 22:29 and Matt 27:51 "My Daily Rate" (February 15)

Are we really dealing with what is stirring in our hearts?
Tired of someone else getting the credit
Irritation with those who deal silently with us
Offended by those who live to control us
Unwillingness to let God provide what He is
Distance from God, from what matters this day?
Wonder why we just overlook what lingers within?
Rend your hearts, not your garments. Joel 2:13
Return to your God with all of your heart.

Matthew 27:51 "The curtain of the Temple was torn in two.  Behold, the earth shook, the rocks split.  Tombs were opened...and they were filled with awe.  Truly this was the Son of God."

So what does that mean to me this very day? 
The rending of the curtain
opened the way for me and you to the King of all Kings.
Open forever is Direct Access to our Father.
The Grace of His Presence
more than just to meet all my needs.
Yes,
The Offer of a Relationship.

Exodus 22:29 - Do we delay to offer from the fulness of our harvest?  From the outflow of our presses?  All I need is what I have this hour, really. To this very day!
Or do I store for another day?  Today, I read a verse in 2 Kings 25:30 about My Daily Rate...continual allowance by our God for our daily need just for this day.  We can't use today what we need for tomorrow or next month.  We can only use what we have this day.  Why do I horde and hide and hunger for tomorrow's need. 

"We need never go hungry
while the Daily Bread of Grace is on today's Table of Mercy."
Charles Spurgeon

Exo 19:4-5 and Matt 27:42 "Grand Demands" (February 14)

What must I do to be saved? They say to Jesus in Matt 27:42:  If you come down now from the Cross, we will believe in you.  No, redemption does not work that way.  Through Him we are justified not by the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses reveals what's in their hearts. 

The Israelites saw what God did to the Egyptians and how He bore them on eagles' wings and brought them to Himself.  What about you?  Do you see God's Hand to bring you to the place where you are today?  You are His Treasured Possession and He is committed to your holiness at any cost to you. Exodus 19:4-5.

And He speaks on Sinai and it is the very Presence of God. 
And it is Ten Commandments for all generations. 
Pompous Pharisees attempt to obey every one.
Grand Demands they are called.
Can we keep them?  Paul tried better than most...

Romans 7:7 "Had it not been for the law, I would not have known sin for I would not have known what it is to covet...".  The Mosaic Law reveals our hearts.  Martin Luther wrote that when he read the commandment about coveting, it slew him because he knew that he could never live up to it, no matter how hard he tried.

What must we do?  Wretched man that I am.  Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus, our Suffering Savior.

Exo 16:8 and Matt 27:24 "Hemmed In" (February 13)

"Hemmed in by mountains of sin,
I behold Thy Glory." Valley of Vision

Pilate is hemmed in by a riot waiting to explode ~ Matt 27:24
so he washes his hands.
The Israelites are hemmed in by a desert~ Exo 14:3
so they grumble against the LORD, their author ~ Exo 16:8

What hems in my heart this day?
Are my complaints about the better life?
Are my complaints about better people, better ideas,
better friends, better workdays, better support...
Isn't my complaint really
against my LORD.

The God, Who is revealing Himself to me
The Greatest Treasured Possession
I could ever have
No matter where I'm hemmed in.
More than I could ever Imagine.
The God of the Universe
Behind and Before.

Exo 14:14 and Matt 26:74 "My Friend is Fighting For Me" (February 12)

The real battle I'm fighting is going on inside of me. As You bring Your kingdom into me, the devil and the world system oppose every move You make, but my worst enemy is my own self-centeredness, the spirit within me that thinks it's my right for life to go the way I want it to.  Larry Crabb

The rooster crows in my own garden and I hear the words of Peter in Matthew 26:72-74:  "I do not know the Man."  There is a statue of the scenario in today's NT reading---it sits near the gates of Jerusalem and the inscription reads: "He is not my Friend."  When trouble hits on every side, do I follow Who this man truly is, the Christ.  My Friend in the good times and the bad times.  The One Who is fulfilling the Scriptures in my own life---I mean, He could send more than 12 legions of angels---but He doesn't always work that way.

Pharaoh lets the Israelites go.  Scripture fulfilled.
Pharaoh changes his mind and pursues with six hundred chariots.

Fear ensues enslaves engulfs the Israelites.
And the WORD from Moses:
Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
It's a verse I ponder in cancerous circumstances, my own and others.

Israelites say:  Leave Us Alone.
God says:  Go Forward. 
And a cloud divides the Israelites in the Light and the Egyptians in the Dark.
Where is that Cloud giving us Light this day?
Pushing the Darkness away?
Dividing the sea in half...dry ground.

Troubles on each side of us yet we're untouched.
God brings us to our knees in dire straits as these.
Those whom He is not honored by
He will be honored upon.
Know this, my friend, God will reign down His Honor on your enemy.

Even the Egyptians said:  The LORD fights for them.
I know in my troubled heart this morning
that it is the LORD fighting for my life.

Exodus 14:29 Walking on dry ground with you
Surrounded by troubles on every side.
This is my God and I will praise Him.

Exo 12:42 and Matt 26:31 "A Night of Watching" (February 11)

Exodus 12:27 God passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

The 10th Plague---what every mother dreads to hear---your son has no life in him.  Final breath. 

And Pharaoh finally breathes: "Go." 

Mass Exodus. 


Exodus 12:42 "It was a night of watching by the LORD..."
This same night is kept throughout generations.  A Night of Watching.

And I just caught my breath as I read the NT reading for today. 
Passover with Jesus. 
Breaking of bread with His betrayers: 
Judas who did not repent
Peter who repented with bitter tears.
Matt 26:31 "You will ALL fall away."
We all struggle with sin.
What will we do with what we see this day?

Passover. Please do not pass over my house this day.

Exo 9:16 and Matt 25:40 "His Power Pours Out" (February 10)

What pours out of me? 
Life isn't about how hard I try to live the Christian life.
Life is about letting God's Power pour out of me.
Psalm 50:2 - Perfect in Beauty is the God Who pours out.
How can we step aside in our souls?

Plagues continue:  death, darkness, locusts, lifeless.
Exodus 9:16 "For this purpose, I have raised you up, to show you my Power..."
God longs and lingers in all of us to reveal His Power.
I'm still stuck on the verse from the other day that we may not have the graceful words of Aaron to say to our family, our friends, but we have God's Power!

What will it take in my life to convince me deep down dark within that life is not by might but by His Power.  Not about how strong I am---but how Strong He is in me. 

So, go do something to the least of your brothers---you are doing it to Him. Matthew 25:40.  And it will be His Power that flows out of you. 

Exo 7 and Matt 25:13 "Pure Panic" (February 9)

What freezes your heart this wintry day?  I simply cannot make my heart unthaw.  But God can.  He is the One Who shows His Power through the plagues.  Man is helpless without Him. 

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, good and faithful servants for you know neither the day nor the hour when the One comes to say "Well Done."

When my son was three, I watched him pretend to be boiling blood in the Party Kitchen with his two-year-old sister. I was horrified. We had just read about this plague in his Children's Bible.  Boiling water---but it had turned to blood.  Water---an unbelievable commodity.  Free.  Fresh.  Pristine.  Pure.  Unless...it becomes blood.  Now it's Pure Panic.

What panic do I face in my own life this winter season, on my own journey to hear Him say, "Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant." 

Leaning Hard on Him.
Falling Forward toward Him.
Standing Tall in His Power Alone.

Exo 4:15 and Matt 24:29 "I'll Be With Your Mouth" (February 8)

Do I know God's Word?
Do I know God's Power?
Am I stuck in my own insufficiency?
Am I afraid to speak? Pick her, I cower.

Who has Made Man's Mouth? [Ex 4:11]
An All Sufficient God of Love
Who Says: I'll be with your mouth [Ex 4:15]
So, I'm silenced in a Mystery sent from above.

Until the Stars fall down from heaven [Matt 24:29]
There will be no prejudice to your message
You may not have the grace of others
You have His Power from this passage

Moses trembled when He looked inside
Moses humbled--- and He trusted God
The One Who pours Grace from lips [Ps 45:2]
The One Who opens eyes from slits [Lk 24:45]

Open your mouth wide & I will fill it [Ps 51:10]
I will be with your mouth, God wills it. [Ex 4:15]

Exo 2:25 and Matt 24:8 "God Knows" (February 7)

What happens when we live for ourselves?  A new King in Egypt arises and thinks the people of Israel are too many and too mighty.  His mandate:  deal shrewdly with them; afflict them with heavy burdens; oppress them to death.  make their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick; kill the boy babies.  Ruthless.  Arrogant.  Heartless. Villains. 

Yet, a beautiful Story of God's Love is being crafted among the reeds by the river bank.  The daughter of Pharaoh's heart is being tugged in Exodus 1:10 and she "draws out of the water" an Advocate, a Crying Voice, who will stand on Holy Ground because our God "knows" and "hears" and nothing passes Him by.  Exodus 2:25.  Moses---who wonders how God could use him. 

And in a Burning Bush, God says in Exodus 3:12:  "But I will be with you."  Isn't that what we need to hear this day?  The pains of childbirth are all around---even the earth in Matthew 24:8---that Christ be formed in each one of us. Galatians 4:19. 

When we are tempted to live for our own comfort, our own survival. 
When we care more about what others think than loving & listening & living.
I AM sent Moses. 
I AM sends you to those who will rebuff you this day;
to those who will be distant to you this day;
to those who will pass you over. 
God is passing by.  God hears.  God knows.

Gen 49:2 and Matt 23:23 "Unstable Like Water" (February 6)

Do we neglect the weightier matters in life by being so driven to do what is the right thing, so driven to say the right words and always be right, so driven to appear righteous when we harbor things in our soul that just are not right.  C.S. Lewis said it right:  "We are far too easily pleased with ourselves".  And I add:  We are far too easily swayed by what this world thinks of us.  So, we get stuck on the little things---you fill in the blanks for your own crises.  Wonder why we are not awestruck at the Justice of God in our mess; the Mercy of God so undeserved by all; the Faithfulness of God when we are not. 

Jacob and Joseph end their struggles well.  They stand tall among men.  Psalm 3:3 ~ He was the Lifter of their heads when family betrayed them both for years on end.

Jacob speaks strong words to his sons in Gen 49:2:  Reuben, you are unstable like water...you've lost the blessing.  Jacob held that story in his heart for a long time. We forgive but we don't forget, do we?

Joseph speaks strong words to his brothers:  You meant what you did to me for evil, but God meant it for good. Genesis 50:20.  Joseph didn't forget, either, but he took care of his brothers for seven more decades.  His actions spoke louder than words. 

As we close the book of Genesis, there's a funeral procession going on.  Joseph takes his daddy back to Canaan---a 275-mile funeral procession.  They had already waited one month for the embalming process.  As the brothers grieved their loss, they had plenty of time to reflect on their lives and think about life without Jacob. Joseph's face was set like a flint to move into their lives to love.  Let bygones be bygone.  I am not in the place of God.  Joseph didn't neglect the Weightier Matters of the Law:  Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness.  Matthew 23:23. 

Gen 46:2 and Matt 23:6 "Survey Your Future" (February 5)

Genesis 46:2 God Himself spoke to Jacob:  "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.” The son you've only been able to dream about for two decades is waiting for you, Jacob.  And he will call you Israel.

They wept for a good while when they met. Gen 46:29.  No pretense here.  Lives living faith well.  No pharasaical phylacteries, no demands of places of honor at the best seat in the house. Matt 23:5-6.

Joseph looked in the rearview mirror at the Love of his God, so evident in his wilderness. He was fed well in prison; he was clothed with regal garments from ditches to majesty.  Joseph looks in the mirror of the Word of God this day and knows that God meant all his suffering for His Good and the good of his family.  Let the Faith of your Survey see Hope for your future.  Joseph and Israel never lost hold of hope.  Let the Faith of your Survey see Hope for your future.  

Gen 45:8 and Matt 22:42 "Arranged Circumstances" (February 4)

It's a simple profound question in our reading today.
What do you think?
We can know the answer to the question
by the way that we live out our lives.

Genesis 45:7-8 God sent me before you
to preserve for you a remnant on earth,
and to keep alive for you many survivors.
So it was not you who sent me here, but God.
Joseph's eyes weep bitterly. 
Beautiful tears that embrace his loss.
The brothers' writhe in anguish. 
Radical repentance that moves toward their dad.
Jacob's heart becomes numb.  Long-held hope for a missing son.

You may feel as though you are a victim of your circumstances. 
No, they have been arranged by God.
So, what do you think about the Christ? Matt 22:42
The One Who silenced the Saducees saying:
You don't know the Word and
You don't know God's Power.

Gen 41:51 and Matt 22:14 "Few Are Chosen" (February 2)

Suddenly, the chief cupbearer remembers Joseph's ability to interpret dreams.  He didn't remember that he left Joseph in prison.  It's called using people. 

Yet, Joseph makes two statements as he names his children---two tenets of faith about the rebuf of family and friends and co-workers:  "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction"  and  “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house.” ~ Gen 41:51

Joseph spent about a decade of his life out of the limelight, in the darkness of some of his own making.  It was a dark, dungeony, dilemma for quite a few years with no hope of release.  But something released in Joseph's heart.  "For many are called, but few are chosen."  Matt 22:14

Joseph heard God calling him in the dark shadows. Do I hear the Whispers?  Joseph knew he was a chosen child of God. What makes me free in the forgotten?  Free in the Forgotten?  What releases my soul to pour out His Love when I've been so "missed" by my own family and friends?  Who am I here for---them or me? 

The wedding feast is being prepared.  I'm invited to dance.  Am I worthy to accept the invitation?  Beloved, you have been chosen by the One Who is Worthy.  The One Who weaves your story today and has not forgotten where you live. 

Gen 39:3 and Matt 21:32 "Is My Hope in a Solution or on a Sovereign Plan?" (February 2)

Genesis 39:3 Joseph's master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.  And even though the LORD was with Joseph, God allowed him to be set up by a deceitful immoral woman.  Where was God?  He was right there beside Joseph whispering in that prison cell, in Joseph's darkness of soul and spirit and space. 
Even the Prison Guard in 39:23 says that he didn't worry about anything in Joseph's charge because the LORD was with Joseph.  He may have been behind bars, but His LORD infused a freedom in Joseph.  He didn't lose heart and turn away from his Good God, his Silent God. Matt 21:32 Joseph didn't do what a good Pharisee might do:  "Even when he sees [sin], he does not change his mind and believe God." Joseph doesn't live in sin, not even after interpreting two dreams with hopes of being released.  Joseph's hope did not rest on the solution but on the Sovereign Plan of God. 

Gen 36:3 and Matt 21:5 "Behold...Divine Providence" (February 1)

The LORD was with them.
"Behold your King is coming to you,
Humble and Mounted on a donkey" ~ Matt 21:5

Your King is coming, Joseph.
Your King is coming, Bev.
Your King is coming, my friend.

An arrogant Joseph gives a bad report about his brothers---wonder why.
An arrogant Jacob loves his youngest son more than the others---wonder why.
When we bump against each other's sins,
we set up our family & friends for heartache and horror if we don't repent.

Joseph's dream draws out hatred from his brothers and
They conspire to kill him. 
So, what kind of love did they have for their own father
much less their own brother.

Meanwhile, Divine Providence is writing the Story
and Joseph is sold to Potiphar in Egypt.
Divine Providence turns the pages of our own Script
and brings us to the place where we are this very day.