Title: Take A Stand / Topic: Courage

Today’s Reading: Genesis 37; Genesis 38; Psalm 7; Luke 15

Scripture: Genesis 37:18, 21-22, 28, 28-30
18 ...they saw [Joseph] in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him...
21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. 22 "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father...
24 ...they took him and threw him into the cistern...
28 ...Midianite merchants came by, [and] his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. 30 He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I turn now?"

Observation: Rueben wanted to save Joseph, but he lacked the courage to take a stand against the rest of his brothers. It seems he had a plan in mind to do it in such a way that they wouldn't know about it. But his inability to resist them directly had a terrible result. While he was away, they sold Joseph as a slave. And when he returned and discovered that Joseph was gone, he was horrified. But it was too late. The time to speak up had passed and the damage was done. What resulted was a conspiracy of lies that tainted the entire family forever.

Application: It takes courage to rise up and face opposition and take a stand. But it is so important to speak truth and especially to stand with the weak and oppressed. We live in a culture that can be quite hostile toward Christian ideas and people. It isn't easy to speak up when the crowd is piling on against the good. But it is something that we are called to do. I believe that if one good person will take a stand, there well may be others who will join in to see that the right is done.

Bottom line: Take a stand. Speak up.

Prayer: Lord, give me courage to speak truth, even when it is unpopular. Give me wisdom and persuasive power to generate support for truth and justice. May Your will be done, in all I do and say.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.