Isaiah 41:13

For I am the LORD your God  who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

From Background Notes [BN] for Oct 4th & 5th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

God is at work in Joseph’s life, while Joseph also does his work in the land of Egypt. Both are true. Neither is diminished. God is free and so are we. In God’s working, we work. In our working, He works.

God is no tyrant as he recognizes the autonomy of his creatures. As Barth once wrote: “This means He affirms and approves and recognizes and respects the autonomous activity” (Church Dogmatics, III, 3). With the mystery of the best novelist, God’s agency allows Joseph and brothers and Pharaoh to collude without knowing it. And in the end, we are led to confess with St. Paul in Romans 11:36:

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen. [BN,5]

Join us this week in Study, Worship, Praise and Celebration at Chicago First Church of the Nazarene:

* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am