Daily Guide 20th August 2022 | Scripture Union

194

SCRIPTURE UNION DAILY GUIDE DEVOTIONAL 20TH AUGUST 2022

Today’s Topic: A Ruler’s Responsibility Towards The People

Opening Prayer: May the meditation of my heart be acceptable unto you, O Lord as I read from your word.

Question(s) for Reflection
• What truth is God revealing to me in this passage?

The famine in Egypt has reached its peak. The people had given out almost everything they had in exchange for supplies of food from the king’s warehouse managed by Joseph. Desperation had now reached its peak with no means for most people to buy food for their families. It required extreme ingenuity on the part of Joseph to be able to cater for the people. Notice how he handled the problem confronting the people in vs.16‐19, 23‐25?

Would you say Joseph had been fair in his treatment of the people? Note that Joseph did not seize the opportunity to enrich himself, a challenge to us all employees and civil servants. Notice also the exception (v.22). If the pagan overlord of Egypt honoured his priests in this way, how much more should we honour and provide for the servants of the true God!

It is the responsibility of the ruler of any nation to ensure the survival of his people. The COVID 19 pandemic in 2020/21 is a good example of the responsibility rulers have to ensure the survival of their people. What measures did your government take to ensure that people survived lockdowns in your country? During critical periods rulers need wisdom such as was displayed by Joseph to safeguard the lives of their people.

• Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?

Closing Prayer
• Lord, grant wisdom to our leaders to ensure that they enact policies which will benefit the citizens.

Prayer for the week
• Pray for brethren in the North who are being forcefully converted to Islam. Pray against their children being forcefully married off to Moslems. Pray for God to intervene as they stand together in unity to believe God for a breakthrough.

Offer a prayer of faith in line with
Jeremiah 31:4; Jeremiah 31‐33