October 31, 2026
Genesis 40–41 | Joshua 17–19 | Psalms 25–27 | Isaiah 17–19 | Mark 13–14 | 2 Corinthians 9–10
Key Thought
God’s promises are often bigger than we think, and His plans go further than we can see.
We often see God’s work through what’s happening in our own lives. We ask what He is doing, why things take so long, and how His promises will come true.
But the Bible invites us to see a bigger picture.
Today’s readings move from Joseph in prison to the Promised Land, from David’s prayers to Isaiah’s vision of the nations, and finally to Jesus getting ready to give His life for many.
Through all of this, we see that God isn’t just working to make our lives better. He is carrying out His bigger plan to save.
At the center of that plan is Jesus.
Seeing the Story
One great thing about reading the Bible repeatedly is finding connections we might miss otherwise. Today’s readings show us that Gods plan has always been bigger than just one person, one nation, or one generation.
In Genesis 40–41, Joseph is still in prison and seems forgotten by the person who promised to remember him. Two more years go by before Pharaoh’s troubling dreams bring Joseph to him.
What seemed hopeless becomes the way God saves many lives.
Joseph goes from prisoner to ruler, not because he figured out how to change things, but because God was working the whole time.
Notice this: God’s help through Joseph goes beyond his family. Even Egypt benefits from God’s wisdom and kindness.
In Joshua 17–19, the tribes of Israel keep receiving their share in the Promised Land. God is keeping the promise He made to Abraham long ago.
But taking the land takes faith and obedience. Some tribes struggle to drive out the people still there, and others hesitate to take what God has given them.
God is always faithful, but His people need to trust Him.
Then Psalms 25–27 show us someone learning to depend on that same faithful God.
David asks God to teach him, lead him in truth, and protect him from enemies. His confidence doesn’t come from understanding everything that’s happening.
Instead, he declares: “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” — Psalm 27:14 (ESV)
David doesn’t know everything God is doing, but he knows who he trusts.
Next, in Isaiah 17–19, the story takes a surprising turn.
Isaiah announces judgment against strong nations like Damascus and Egypt. Their armies, power, and false gods can’t save them from God’s judgment.
But Isaiah 19 ends with one of the most surprising promises in the Old Testament.
Egypt and Assyria, who once threatened and hurt God’s people, will one day worship the Lord with Israel.
God declares: “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” — Isaiah 19:25 (ESV)
Take a moment to think about that.
Israel was God’s chosen people, but His plan was never just for them. God promised Abraham that all families on earth would be blessed through him.
Even the nations that once fought against God’s people are shown receiving His blessing.
And that brings us to Mark 13–14.
Jesus says the temple will be destroyed and tells His disciples to stay watchful and faithful. The religious buildings and systems that seemed permanent would not last forever.
But God’s plan to save would keep going.
Then, during the Last Supper, Jesus takes the cup and declares: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” — Mark 14:24 (ESV)
This is the heart of the story.
The promises God made to Abraham, the inheritance given to Israel, and Isaiah’s vision of the nation’s worshiping together all point us toward the saving work of Jesus Christ.
Because of His death, the blessings of God’s promise reach people from every nation.
Finally, in 2 Corinthians 9–10, Paul shows us what life looks like when God’s grace changes our hearts.
We become generous because God is generous to us. We learn to rely on His power, not our own strength. We stop judging spiritual success by what we see and start noticing what God does through His grace.
The God who saved Joseph, gave Israel their land, promised salvation to the nations, and made a new covenant through Jesus is still working in His people.
God’s promises are bigger than our situations because His plan has always been bigger than just us.
For Today
I wonder how often we think too small about what God is doing.
We pray about our circumstances, our families, our problems, and our plans. And there’s nothing wrong with that. God invites us to bring our concerns to Him.
But sometimes we get so focused on what we want God to do for us that we forget what He is doing through us and beyond us.
Joseph probably wanted to get out of prison. That would have been an understandable prayer.
But God was getting Joseph ready for something much bigger than just his own freedom. He was preparing him to save lives during a terrible famine.
Israel wanted the land God promised. But God’s promise to Abraham always included a blessing that would reach all families on earth.
David wanted to be saved from his enemies. But what he wanted most was to be with the Lord.
And Jesus, facing the agony of the cross, prayed that the cup might pass from Him. Nevertheless, He surrendered Himself to the Father’s will.
“Yet not what I will, but what you will.” — Mark 14:36 (ESV)
That prayer makes me think.
How often do I want God to accomplish my will while asking Him to bless it?
How often do I evaluate His faithfulness by whether things turn out the way I expected?
Today’s readings teach me that trusting God is more than believing He can change my situation. It means believing His wisdom is greater than mine and His plans are better than anything I could come up with.
When we start to see how great God’s grace is, it changes how we treat others.
We become more willing to give, like Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 9. We care less about defending ourselves or making ourselves look important, as he explains in chapter 10.
We start to see people not just as friends, enemies, or strangers, but as people who need the same grace we have.
After all, if God’s promise could include Egypt and Assyria, maybe we need to grow in how we see who God can reach too.
We don’t obey God to earn a place in His story. We obey because, through Jesus, He has kindly brought us into it.
Something to Think About
Am I more concerned about getting God to accomplish my plans, or am I willing to trust Him as He accomplishes His?
Joseph couldn’t see past the prison walls. Israel sometimes struggled to take what God had promised. David had to learn to wait. And the disciples would soon see Jesus suffer in ways they couldn’t understand.
But God was working through every part of the story.
Maybe you’re in a situation that doesn’t make sense. Maybe you’re waiting for an answer that hasn’t come. Maybe something you hoped for hasn’t turned out the way you wanted.
What if God is doing something bigger than what you can see right now?
That doesn’t mean every disappointment will turn out the way we want. The Bible doesn’t promise that.
But it does tell us that God is faithful and His plan to save will not fail. Perhaps there’s another question worth considering.
If God’s grace was great enough to bring former enemies into His family, am I allowing that same grace to shape how I see and treat the people around me?
Am I living like God’s story is all about me, or am I finding my place in the bigger story He is telling through Jesus Christ?
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You that Your plans are greater than anything I could imagine and that Your faithfulness never depends on my ability to understand what You are doing.
You were working in Joseph’s life even when he was forgotten in prison. You kept Your promises to Israel through generations of waiting. You gave David courage when he faced uncertainty, and You promised to bring Your salvation even to nations that had opposed You.
Help me remember that You are still the same faithful God.
Forgive me for the times I make my own plans and desires the center of everything. Teach me to trust Your wisdom, even when Your ways are different from what I expected.
Thank You for Jesus, who willingly surrendered to Your will and gave His life to establish the new covenant. Thank You that through Him, people from every nation can receive the blessings of Your grace. Let that grace change how I live. Make me generous with what You've given me, humble in the way I treat others, and willing to serve people I might otherwise overlook. When I cannot see what comes next, give me the courage to wait. When obedience is difficult, strengthen my faith. And when I’m tempted to make life all about myself, remind me that I belong to a much greater story.
May my life point others to Jesus, the Savior in whom all Your promises find their fulfillment.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Closing Thought
What stands out to me most from today’s readings is the amazing picture in Isaiah 19.
Egypt, Assyria, and Israel, three nations with a history of conflict, are shown together under God’s blessing.
It’s a picture of grace that goes beyond the boundaries we often make.
Then I hear Jesus, at the Last Supper, speak of His blood being poured out for many.
That’s where all the promises come together.
The God who gave Israel their inheritance was preparing something even greater. Through Jesus Christ, people from every nation would be welcomed into His family—not because of who they were or what they had done, but because of what Jesus would do for them.
Joseph’s time in prison wasn’t the end of God’s plan. Israel’s inheritance wasn’t the end of His promise. And the cross, even though it looked like the end of Jesus’ ministry, became the way God saved us.
That helps me see my own life differently.
I don’t need to understand every part. I don’t need to know how everything will turn out. And I don’t need to be the center of the story.
I simply need to trust the One who is.
God’s story is bigger than my plans, His grace is greater than what I expect, and His promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
That’s the story I want to keep discovering, and the Savior I want to keep following.
One Story. One Savior. One faithful God.
Written by Ebenezer Wayfarer
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