TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE

DEVOTIONAL

by Sandra Chua

We were brought up with Chinese values. We were taught to save not only money but also things we buy, like clothes, paper, food, etc. We are even taught to save the things we do not buy. These include the boxes where the things we bought were placed and the containers, tissues, and utensils that come with the food we buy. We even save disposable items such as foil, bubble wrap, and plastic containers by washing them after use. 

Sometimes it comes in handy. I use paper and plastic bags for trash and disposable spoons for scooping powder detergent. Other items pile up, though, and we end up selling them to recycling shops, which make regular rounds in our village. Sometimes, we give them to garbage collectors, who are very happy to get them because they are able to sell them, too. 

Joseph knew the concept of saving for a rainy day or, should I say, saving for a period of drought.

God revealed to Pharaoh two dreams. The dreams meant one and the same thing. There were going to be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. Joseph’s solution was to store twenty percent of the produce during the bounty years so that they would have food for the pending seven years of famine. Pharaoh was so pleased not only because Joseph was able to interpret his dreams but also because he was able to offer a solution.  

In our lives, it is wise to save. Proverbs 21:20 says, “There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man swallows it up.” It is beneficial to store up for the future and not waste God’s bounty.

REFLECTION

How do you manage God’s blessings? Do you save food, things, or money thoughtfully, or do you spend them without much thought?

PRAYER