Daily Bible Reading - Saturday - January 23rd

The story of Joseph continues, again I just love reading about Joseph.  He is such an encouragement to me.  Look at all he went through after his own brothers sold him into slavery.  He ended going through years and years of turmoil, being bought and sold, being put into prison and so forth but yet he never gave up hope that one day he’d be free and that the Lord would bless him.  That’s the kind of faith and tenacity I pray for.  I pray we all are able to push on through the hard times of losing weight and not give up for in the end, whether it be 1 year or 5 years, our goals will have been reached and we will reap the blessings God has in store for us.  The paths we have to go down in order to lose weight are not easy, having to exercise, eat right, endure temptations, make wise decisions are all hard at times but very very rewarding.  Just remember the Lord is always there with you no matter what as He was with Joseph and He will always be with us throughout this never ending journey of weight loss.  Hang in there, you can do it.  I just love how again this year the devotionals are going right along with the readings.  Remember like the devotional says, we are right on the edge of the biggest victory in our lives, hang in there and keep pushing forward.

Today’s Reading

Genesis 46:1-47:31
Matthew 15:1-28
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 4:14-19

Daily Devotional

Going Through the Fire

Do you feel like you're "going through the fire" today? When everything comes against you, oftentimes it's because God has something great in store.

The Bible talks about the three Hebrew teenagers Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They refused to bow down to the king's golden idol and so they were sentenced to be burned to death. In fact, the king was so furious that he had the heat turned up seven times hotter than normal.

That's what happens when you're close to a great victory—the fire gets turned up, people start talking about you, and unfair situations come. You get past one obstacle and something else pops up. Why is that? The enemy knows you're close to your victory. That is right about the time when many people give up. They get sour, quit coming to church, or go around complaining. But the Scripture says, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God will be there to raise up a barrier." Part of our privileges as children of the Most High God is that when problems arise, when life feels overwhelming, God has promised He will always be right there to bring us safely through.

I love the fact that these three teenaged boys didn't panic. They weren't full of anxiety. They were at peace. They understood that God was still on the throne. They knew He was still in control, and nothing was going to happen to them that was not a part of His plan.

The king's officials tied the three boys up and threw them into that hot furnace. In a few minutes, the king came to check on them, but he got confused. He said, "Didn't we throw three men in here bound? I see four men loosed and one looks like the Son of the Living God." The Scripture says, "God brought them through the fire without even having the smell of smoke."

You may feel like you're in the fire today. The heat is being turned up. Everything is coming against you. Let me encourage you, it's because there's something great in store. When the heat gets turned up, it means you're close to your breakthrough. Remember, God is with you when you're going through the fire. If you will stay in faith, He will do for you what He did for them. He'll bring you through the fire—without even smelling like smoke—into the place of victory He has prepared for you!