January 19

Genesis 42-45 Can People Change?

Tomorrow is the historic inauguration of Barak Obama as our next President and I image in his speech he will focus on the theme of his campaign, “A Time for Change in America.” The pressing question for everyone to ask tomorrow is the great question of the ages, "Can a person change?"

This question can be asked in a variety of situations:
Can a D student become a B student?
Can the distant, uninvolved person become a loving and caring spouse?
Can the newest diet really take off those holiday pounds?
Can the alcoholic become sober?
Can the spendthrift become prudent?
Can the clumsy play a good round of golf?
Can the sad person become happy?

Now you can add your own question here, but the question is the same: Can people change?

There is hope in this passage.

Genesis 44:33 "Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.” This is Judah speaking!! The brother who suggested the selling of Joseph into slavery. Wow, what a change!!

But how did this change occur? Did he read a book, go to a seminar, go for counseling? Real change occurs when our hearts go through deep repentance and we come to the end of our resources and begin to trust in God’s plan for our lives. There is no change without the heart being at the center of that change.

Do you want to change? Don’t look for an outward, superficial pathway for change. Look inside your own heart and ask Jesus to change you from the inside out.

Prayer for Today: Forgive us Lord for trying the change our lives without you. Forgive us for working on all the externals and not taking care of the matters of the heart. Today we turn to you with longing, thirsty souls for real change. We ask that you would cleanse us and renew us from the inside out. Take away our sin, our guilt, our rebellion and help us to experience the change that Judah went through. Send your Holy Spirit to live in us and guide and direct our steps. Change us into the image of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

written by Scott Taylor, posted by Juan.