Honest and Fair

Daily Reading: Genesis 47

Scripture Focus: Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” (Genesis 47:5-6)

Devotional Thought: Have you ever struggled in choosing one political candidate because of the dishonesty and corruption displayed by all of them? Often times when faced with such a situation, I look at those candidates with a sense of disgust and dismay over what our country has become. It is easy in those situations to feel as though anything you might say about them or actions you take towards them are justified.

We can learn something, however, in the way Joseph dealt with Pharaoh.

Pharaoh of Egypt worshiped pagan gods. Yet, Joseph and his family dealt honestly and fairly with him, displaying the character expected of a believer. Joseph prepared his brothers for what they should say to Pharaoh in order to ensure they were granted the land they desired. However, nothing they said was dishonest or deceitful. Jacob in his meeting with Pharaoh blessed him, not once, but twice! In return, God worked through Pharaoh to uphold his promise to Joseph’s family (going back to Abraham) and they were granted the best of the land, where they could maintain their identities (rather than be absorbed into the Egyptian people), and grow and prosper into a great nation! How do you think God (and Pharaoh) would have responded if Joseph and his family had lied and used deceit in order to obtain those lands?

We must remember that in our dealings with nonbelievers, we are representatives of Christ and as such are expected to deal honestly and fairly with others, even when they themselves do not share our beliefs. While we might not always come out on the winning end of the deal, God can work through the nonbelievers we deal with and bring blessings on us and our families.

-Eric

Prayer: Father, thank you for the blessings and opportunities of life, including the privilege of being your ambassadors in a sin-darkened world. Help us, O Lord, to live upright and charitable lives so that those who do not follow you may desire the one true God. Amen.

Psalm of the Day: 17 All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant. 18 Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; 19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 21 would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. 22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! 24 Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. 26 Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! (Psalms 44:17-26)