Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 8 June 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 8 June 2008

The importance of perseverance: Don’t ever give up! It is easy to give up. It is easy to quit now while you are ahead. In my opinion the main reason why people give up is because of fear of failing, the fear of the unknown, and people telling us we aren’t good enough. Today, I end my series on the importance of perseverance with this final encouragement, don’t give up. Joseph could have given up twice, yet he did not. The big dreams. For some of us, we have big dreams about our future and what God is going to do through us. Despite those dreams, nothing right now shows that. Lack of a purpose. On the other hand there are some of us who don’t really know what God wants us to do in life. We live day by day without a goal, without any direction, and life just seems so ugly. Listen to God. We may be in the boat of people with big dreams or on the boat with people that don’t know what they are living for. No matter what though, we need to listen to God. Why is it important to listen to God? Because God is specific and clear. But most of all, when we desire what God has for us, there is peace inside our hearts. I pray that we would find peace today. Right now God is going to give us a breakthrough. I pray and hope that our faith would be big enough to believe that God is going to use us for a purpose. May today leave us all with a lasting remind to never give up, and to keep persevering no matter what we may face in life. Genesis 48:4 I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you. © June 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 7 June 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 7 June 2008

The importance of perseverance: For a purpose, for a cause greater than yourself (Please read Genesis 45:4) Genesis 45:4-7 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Today's word of encouragement is realizing the importance of perseverance because we are fighting for a purpose, for a cause that is greater than ourselves. Right now, are we living for a reason that is greater than our own lives? If the answer to that question is no, then in my opinion, you are living life for your own personal gain and God's reasons for creating you is secondary. The key is to be able to say to God that right now what I'm living for is for your glory and not for my own glory and fame. Joseph had every right to throw his brothers into jail, kill them, and allow them to starve to death for all they did to him. But in an instant, God reveals to Joseph that he was called in life for a greater purpose than just his own selfish needs. He was called for a purpose greater than himself, SAVING THE WORLD FROM FAMINE. Today, I hope that we would never give up, and we would keep persevering till we find out what our purpose in life is. A purpose in life that is greater than OUR OWN needs and desires. © June 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 5 June 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 5 June 2008

The importance of perseverance: What are you imprisoned to (Please read Genesis 40,41) Today’s word of encouragement is asking yourself this question, what are you imprisoned to in your life? Forget all your worries, remove all of life’s circumstances and examine deep in your heart, what are you imprisoned to? For some of us we are imprisoned to: “the lack of”. The lack of money, the lack of a boyfriend/girlfriend, the lack of a spouse, the lack of children, the lack of a good job, but honestly WHAT IS THE POINT OF FINDING OUT WHAT WE ARE IMPRISONED TO? In my opinion, if we fail to recognize what we are imprisoned to, we will fail to trust in God. To me, Joseph was imprisoned to pride, arrogance, and insecurity. However, he was able to recognize what he was imprisoned to by being sold as a slave and being put into prison. Sometimes it is at our lowest points in life that we remove all of our selfish desires and rely fully on God. But if we fail to recognize what we are imprisoned to, we will not understand what God has planned for us in life. God is willing to wait as long as it takes for us to die to ourselves and rely on him. Why? Because He loves us all unconditionally. Today, I hope that we would be willing to persevere through all that imprisons us, because in the end the only person that can unlock us from our chains is Jesus Christ our Lord and savior. © June 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 5 June 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 5 June 2008

The importance of perseverance: Perseverance through the false accusations (Genesis 39:7-23) Genesis 39:6:10 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" 8 But he refused…10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." 16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he burned with anger. 20 Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Today’s word of encouragement is about perseverance through the false accusations. It is amazing that Joseph did not put up a fight to try and defend his cause. I know that many of us would have put up a fight to justify our actions, proving our innocence. But I pray that today’s word of encouragement would bring about a change in us. When we persevere through the false accusations without cursing the person, without holding a grudge, without harboring bitterness, God will bless us. Joseph was thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit. People around us, our close friends, and even our relatives could wrongfully accuse us, judge us, and put us down. Despite what we may face, I pray and hope that we would learn something from Joseph today. Accusations can hurt, destroy our reputation, but we do not waver. We do not turn away from God, but we rest upon His mighty arms to guide us through. Today, God is waiting for us to run to his arms. © June 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 4 June 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 4 June 2008

The importance of perseverance: Perseverance through the unknown gives us lasic vision (Genesis 39:2-7) Genesis 39:2-7 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" In my opinion sometimes we need to face the unknown, because it brings about the breaking point from seeing things our way, to seeing things God’s way. This is what I mean by lasic vision. Breakthrough is the outcome from seeing things God’s way. Joseph walked through the unknown with absolutely nothing. If Joseph did not rely on God’s strength and if he did not see things God’s way, he could have wallowed in his own sorrow, he could have doubted God, gotten angry at God, and he could have given up completely on his destiny that was given by God. It is easy to give up, to lose sight of God, and to stop trusting fully in God. But Joseph knew that God was more important in his life than anything or anyone. I believe that God is going to bring about BREAKTHROUGH right now in our lives through this series. Today, God is going to give us lasic vision to see things God’s way if we would only ask God. We may have a friend, a family member, or we ourselves may be in the midst of a dark situation. I pray that we would be willing to be used by God to be a voice of encouragement to those going through a tough situation. And I pray that if you are going through a dark situation right now that you would find the strength to turn your sorrows to God. Let us begin to pray for a breakthrough, and ask that God would reveal His way to us. Let us pray and declare breakthroughs in the name of Jesus. © June 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 3 June 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 3 June 2008

The importance of perseverance: Sold by his brothers (Genesis 37:12-36) As I wrote yesterday, in my opinion perseverance cannot be imparted, it cannot even be taught, or given as a gift. Perseverance is developed through the testing we face from God and how we come out from it. How we respond to God’s testing is the key. As we read through Genesis 37:12-36 we learn that Joseph’s brothers have sold him to become a slave. The promises that God gave to him through dreams (Gen 37:5-11), did not entail being sold or being ill-treated by his brothers. However, God allowed Joseph to be sold as a slave for a reason. I personally believe that God allowed that to happen to humble Joseph teaching him humility, and the importance in trusting God and not himself or on people. Genesis 37:5-11 5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." 8 His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." 10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. Today’s word of encouragement is persevering through faith. As I prayed for today’s word, God was giving me visions of many people at the brink of “the last straw” before they give up everything. God wants to encourage us through the life of Joseph. Joseph was given promises by God that people are going to bow down to him. Promises that he is going to be a man of influence and of power. To be sold as a slave is totally opposite of the spectrum, to be put in prison is totally opposite of the spectrum. What carried Joseph through those situations? Was it relying on his own strength or was it trusting in himself? Persevering through faith, is such a powerful statement. Why would we ever consider giving up, consider giving up on our marriage, give up believing God is real, give up believe that God will fulfill all HIS PROMISES FOR OUR LIVES? Why? Today, I offer the life of Joseph as a testimony to NEVER GIVE UP! AND PERSEVER THROUGH FAITH. © June 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 2 June 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 2 June 2008

Today I begin on another new series: The importance of perseverance. In my opinion perseverance cannot be imparted, it cannot even be taught, or given as a gift. Perseverance is developed through the testing we face from God and how we come out from it. How we respond to God’s testing is the key. The survivors from the recent earthquake in China, the survivors of the recent cyclone in Myanmar, all these events will reveal to us those with strong perseverance and those that don’t. Imagine the thousands of little children that have been left as orphans just from these events. At such a young age they have been thrown into the deep end of the ocean, not many children at that age will face this. God has a great destiny for each and every one of these children, and how they respond to these tests will determine so much of their destiny that lies ahead. This series is based on the life of Joseph (Genesis 37, 39-50). The persecution, the trials, and the testing that God allowed Joseph to go through explains why Joseph stood out amongst the others. To introduce this new series, today’s word of encouragement is: Stop blaming God for your circumstances. In my opinion it is the saddest thing to see people fall short of fulfilling their dreams, their destiny, because God allowed us to go through the trails and testing. I pray and hope that we would desire the strength to persevere and to look beyond the circumstances we are in currently. I hope that through this series it will teach us how to persevere through the tough times without giving up. © June 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com