GOSPEL CORNER: THINK OF JOSEPH. HE WAS THROWN IN A PIT AND SOLD INTO SLAVERY BY HIS OWN BROTHERS. BUT EVEN AS A SLAVE, HE DEVELOPED HIS SKILLS AND WAS SO VALUABLE THAT HE WAS PUT IN CHARGE OF HIS MASTER’S WHOLE HOUSEHOLD.

24/10/23

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.
Genesis 39:2, NLT

KEEP RISING
In the Scripture, many heroes of the faith started out at the very bottom. Think of Joseph. He was thrown in a pit and sold into slavery by his own brothers. But even as a slave, he developed his skills and was so valuable that he was put in charge of his master’s whole household. When he was falsely accused and put into prison, he was so valuable there that they put him in charge of the whole prison. When Pharaoh needed someone to run the country during the famine, he didn’t choose his department head. He chose Joseph, a prisoner, a slave. Why? Joseph developed his skills where he was. He asked God for wisdom and offered solutions for problems. His gifts made room for him, and he was always rising to the top.

There’s never an excuse to not keep rising. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like your current job or if other people don’t treat you right. God is saying, “It’s time to get out of the pit. It’s time to rise to the top.”

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You for the gifts and talents that You have given me. Thank You for calling me to keep developing my skills and being my best in whatever I do. I choose to be a blessing no matter what my situation is, knowing You are causing me to rise to the top. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

SECTION TWO

What mental movies are you playing in your head today? Are they thoughts of defeat and despair or thoughts of victory and favor? Faith is simply saying what God says about you and seeing what God sees in you and your situation.

It takes a thought to heal a thought. Unlike the world, which teaches you to empty your mind to achieve peace, God’s way is to fill your mind with fresh, powerful, and redeeming thoughts.

The apostle Paul tells us, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Phil. 4:8 NLT).

So it’s not just trying to blot out bad thoughts with your willpower. It takes a thought to replace a thought. It takes a right belief to replace a wrong belief. You need God’s truth to replace the enemy’s lies that have kept you in bondage.

My friend, if a wrong, bad, or negative thought is lodged in your mind today and you can’t seem to shake it, stop trying! Perhaps you’re lying in a hospital bed and can’t help but think of the worst-case scenario. You’re attempting to suppress it, but it’s not working.

Well, stop! Stop trying to erase it from your mind. That just won’t work. What you need to do is replace that destructive thought with a thought that’s from God. That’s the only way to deal with a wrong thought and begin the healing process.

Start to meditate on truths such as, “Surely Jesus has borne my sicknesses and carried my pains. The chastisement for my wholeness fell upon Him, and by His stripes I am healed. With long life He will satisfy me” (Isa. 53:4–5, Ps. 91:16). Begin to play mental movies of yourself getting well, being discharged from the hospital, having fun with your kids, or going on a nice holiday!