The Devoted

By Susan Marlene Kinney

Pens of Praise Devotion      September 9, 2014

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1: 14 NKJV

Names like Joseph, Abraham, Esther, and Job; Jesus, Matthew, and Peter, bring to mind biblical happenings, words which paint the picture of courage, faith, and overcoming. The rich reality of their circumstances, though they happened decades ago, redirected my steps and bent my decisions to follow paths less traveled by.

These stories’ importance, warm my blood with hope and longing. When I turn the crinkling pages of my New King James Bible, I watch Jesus inspire and lead the masses. His down to earth tales finger the hearts of His listeners as He weaves their experience and understanding of day to day existence into eternal patterns and focus. Jesus used the power of story to lead our understanding over the bridge spanning the gap between heaven and earth.

And onto the ultimate survival.

An Old Testament hero, whom I treasure, is Joseph. Near the end of his story he speaks with all the love and courage of a man who knows his God. Joseph spoke to his brothers and said, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore do not be afraid, I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Genesis 50:19 – 21

In the beginning of Joseph’s story, his prophetic dream afforded a glimpse of what was to come. Life for Joseph unfolded in a way that he never would have expected. In spite of not understanding why the many trials and separation from his family happened, Joseph remained faithful to the knowledge that God was God. He was devoted to the Lord. Joseph persevered through each challenge and disappointment until he was fit to be trusted by God, so that he was in a position to be used to save many from starvation and extinction. Funny how after a trial, when we have held faithfully to the grace of the Lord, we sometimes see the why or the meaningfulness of our troubled circumstances.

 And we are glad!

We’ve become someone we never knew we could.

Stories internalize themselves into our thoughts and pattern how we view the world and our circumstances. The Bible is like a road map, which can lead our way through the brambles and weeds of difficulty, so that we can follow the footsteps of Jesus the Creator. He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. I invite you to peruse the true, short stories in the Bible, to gain strength for your journey and peace and joy for your divine appointments.

What is that you say? Oh you do have a story!