Month: January 2020

January 27, 2020 Jfuglerwriter Comments Off on Courage and Compromise

Courage and Compromise

“Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:46 NIV)

This one line in Scripture describes a pinnacle for an extraordinarily courageous man of God. Let’s venture back more than a decade when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. He was betrayed and deserted by his own family. What a lonely, frightening and hopeless situation.

Yet, God had big plans for this young man, even when bound by the constraints of captivity. “The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.” (Genesis 39:2 NIV)

He was so favored that his master, Potiphar, “put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.” (Genesis 39:4 NIV)

You see, God extended incredible grace to this young man and developed him into a person of godly character. That’s why he rose in the servant ranks.

Enter Potiphar’s wife. This wily woman tried to seduce Joseph day after day while Potiphar wasn’t looking or was off on some escapade. Can you imagine the temptation Joseph faced? The Bible says that he was propositioned day after day. The woman was relentless.

But Joseph had the courage not to compromise. Finally, he spoke plainly to his temptress. “My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9 NIV)

Potiphar’s wife was so angry with Joseph that she twisted the truth, telling her husband that Joseph was trying to seduce her. As a result, Joseph landed in prison, where I’m sure his courage was tested day after day.

Years later, Joseph found himself standing in the presence of the top dog, Pharaoh king of Egypt. If that’s not amazing enough, Pharaoh was asking Joseph, a servant, for help in distress! The ruler was troubled by a dream and asked Joseph to interpret it for him. So he did.

As a reward, Joseph was given a dream job.

“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’” (Genesis 41:41 NIV)

Joseph’s courage was tested again more than a decade later. Famine had come to the land of Egypt, extending to Canaan, where Joseph’s father and brothers lived. His brothers came to Egypt to buy grain and found themselves face to face with their brother, the one who would make the decision about selling grain to them. Their lives were in his hands.

Joseph could have enacted revenge with one word. Instead, out of a deep love for the very men who had betrayed him, he called his brothers into a private meeting and “wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.” (Genesis 45:2 NIV) Then he revealed his identity to his siblings.

Joseph’s next act revealed a man of impeccable character who didn’t compromise God’s standards. Instead of taking the easy road by imprisoning or killing his brothers, he acted courageously by extending grace. He arranged for land to be granted to his entire family. What a way to cap off this reunion.

For Joseph, hardship produced courage. Responsibility produced courage. Life itself produced courage.

Hold on to God every single day, just as Joseph did. The Lord will build courage in you to act rightly when the temptation to compromise tests your godly character.

(From my new Devotional, Your Life With God: 30 Days of Courage. Available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback).


January 7, 2020 Jfuglerwriter Comments Off on Courage and Change

Courage and Change

Your father shows signs of memory loss and you know what’s on the horizon. You hear murmurings about organizational shake-ups at work and you wonder if you’ll be part of the new plan. Your son is about to go off to college and the family unit will be split apart. You’re moving, leaving the world you’ve known for uncertainties ahead.

Change is hard. We get comfortable with the way things are and become fearful when change shows up.

Right now, I’m trying to adapt to a challenging four-in-one change. New job, entirely new location in another part of the country, finding a new church and making new friends I can trust.

These lifestyle changes are hard to grapple with. We can learn from Peter, who went through a change that rocked him to the core of his being. And he didn’t do well for a while.

The Apostle Paul points out, “I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.” (Galatians 2:11 NIV) Sounds serious. Reflecting on all the changes in my life, I’ve never stood condemned in them. Have you?

Peter was struggling with moving from a life based on the Law to a new life based on faith alone. He has mastered Law-based living by practicing it for over 20 years.

Paul explains in that same passage that in Peter’s new life of faith, he ate and fellowshiped with Gentile Christians — but separated himself when the “circumcision group” came for a visit. Almost sounds like the mob showed up from the Bronx. Paul says that Peter was afraid of them.

Ha! This stalwart, bold, fearless Peter was scared to death. He cowered instead of standing up for his new faith centered on the finished work of the cross. He withdrew into the life he knew so well, the life of the Law. That was more comfortable for him.

This escalated to the point that other Jewish Christians “joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.” (Galatians 2:12 NIV)

Paul read Peter the riot act and scolded others who were guilty, too. You should take a look at Galatians 2. Paul spent this chapter and the next three explaining the beautiful truth of living by faith in Christ alone. He spoke these words at the pinnacle of his exhortation, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1 NIV)

You may have replaced faith with works in your life with God. If so, come back to Jesus. You’re free in him. Peter chose to leave the falsehood of his Law-based life and return to one centered on faith alone in the Savior he loved. He became the rock, the leader, of the early church.

The bigger lesson here is that when you’re facing any change, cling to the unchanging God who is your anchor. He says in Psalms:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” (Psalms 46:1-2 NIV)

It may feel like the earth is giving way as you face a serious change in your life. You’re disoriented, confused, fearful.

It takes courage to embrace the uncomfortable, just as Peter found when he turned back to the roots of his faith.

Look straight into the eyes of Jesus, step into his strong arms, find your confidence in him and invite your loving Savior to walk with you through this change.

(From my new 30-day devotional Your Life With God: 30 Days of Courage. Available on Amazon in Kindle and print).

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