The
Vineyard- September 13, 2015
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me
and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do
nothing. – John 15:5
Genesis 41:1-36
Pray
for God to speak to you through the reading of His word.
Read
the passage.
-
The Powerlessness of Pharaoh
o
It was fairly common in the ancient
world for leaders like kings and emperors to be viewed as gods. Pharaoh is seen as a god by the Egyptian,
just as Caesar was seen as a god in Jesus’ day.
And yet, Pharaoh can’t even interpret his own dream, and when he learns
the interpretation, he is powerless to stop the famine from happening.
o
Hopefully we don’t see our elected
leaders as gods, but we are guilty of placing too much trust in them. What problems in our communities, in our
nation, and in our world, are we trusting “princes” or presidents to
solve?
-
The Power of God
o
God determines the future, and often
reveals it to us. We know that one day
we will face judgment, that all the forces of sin and death will be completely
and finally destroyed.
o
Have you entrusted your future to
the only one with the power to secure it?
o
How has God brought you through the
“famines” in life?
-
When Grace and Works Meet
o
God showed grace to Pharaoh and
Egypt by revealing what would happen in a dream. And yet, knowing what would happen was not
enough. If Pharaoh hadn’t acted on this
knowledge, then his entire nation would never have benefited from God’s grace.
o
How has God’s grace toward you
required you to act, respond, or change?
o
How does this story demonstrate that
grace and works are not mutually exclusive?
Pray that our leaders will
recognize their powerlessness, and turn to God for wisdom and strength in
dealing with the challenges our world faces.
Pray for the coming of God’s
future, when the forces of sin and death will be defeated for eternity.
Pray that we might discern how to
respond to God’s grace, and align our plans with his so that he might be
glorified.
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