GOD HAS SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

JANUARY 26, 2022

TOPIC:  GOD HAS SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU

BY T. O. BANSO

“Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive’” (Genesis 50:19-20 New King James Version).

As human beings, we don’t always know the end of a matter. If only we do, many times, we will not be anxious about or be too bothered by what we go through. We will not take to heart our disappointments. But later, some people understood better and appreciated why God allowed some things to happen or not to happen to them. Meanwhile, they had a negative attitude while experiencing those things.

The apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (New King James Version). This is because the children of God are not alone in running their lives. God is in charge and is interested and involved in their lives and the outcome will be in their favour.

You should not, as a child of God, behave as if the outcome of your life depends on only your efforts. God is in charge, interested, and involved. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). When you face challenges, you are not alone. When you’re going through difficult times, He is with you. Commit the situation into His hand, follow His instructions, and all will be well. “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22 New King James Version).

Whatever you’re going through, understand that God has something better for you. People may treat you badly but God has something better for you. You may have lost a job or you were jilted or failed an examination or interview, God has something better for you. Maybe you prayed for something but you didn’t get it, God has something better for you. All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

While Joseph was going through his ordeal, going from the pit to Potiphar’s house and the prison, physically, his life was going on a downward spiral. His brothers who sold him to slavery thought because they got rid of him they had also gotten rid of his dream.

While in prison, all Joseph wanted was to regain his freedom because he was innocent. After interpreting the chief butler’s dream, he told him to remember him and present his case to Pharaoh for his release (Genesis 40:14-15). But God had something better for him. He must have allowed the chief butler to forget about him until Pharaoh dreamt and nobody could interpret the dreams.

If the chief butler had made a case to Pharaoh on Joseph’s behalf before this time, the best thing Joseph would have got was freedom from prison, and he would have been grateful to God, Pharaoh, and the butler for this. Even when the chief butler eventually remembered him and recommended him to Pharaoh to interpret his dreams, the best compensation to Joseph from the king that the chief butler would have thought of was to release him from prison. But God had something better for Joseph. The chief butler could never imagine that Joseph would become his boss as the second-in-command to Pharaoh!

But God proved that all the while, He had something better for Joseph. He was brought from the prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams and he never returned to the prison. He became the Prime Minister. His brothers later bowed to him in Egypt before and after he had revealed his identity to them.

God had something better for Joseph despite his brother’s success at selling him into slavery. After their father’s death, Joseph’s brothers were afraid he could seek revenge for their wickedness to him and begged him for forgiveness. “Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive’” (Genesis 50:19-20 New King James Version).

Whatever is your present or past experience, God has something better for you. You may be currently down, be encouraged that God has something better for you. People may have conspired against you and it appears that they’re successful but believe that God has something better for you. This is not your end. Your best is not in the past. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 New King James Version).

When Lazarus’ sister sent a message to Jesus that the person He loved (Lazarus) was sick, He replied that the sickness was not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified through it (John 11:3-4). At that time, only Jesus knew the meaning of what He said. But Lazarus died, which appeared to contradict what Jesus had said.

When Jesus later got to Lazarus’ home four days after he had been buried, He was accused of coming late. Martha, Lazarus’ sister, told Jesus that if He had been there, her brother would not have died (John 11:21). Any time Jesus arrives in a place is the right time. So Jesus didn’t come late. God makes all things beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Jesus didn’t come earlier to heal Lazarus because God had something better for him. He wanted to raise him from the dead! When Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, He shouted that Lazarus should come out and he did. His hand and foot were bound with grave clothes and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to those present to loose him and let him go (John 11:43-44). God had something better for Lazarus.

Maybe you’ve been taken for dead while you’re still alive! You may have been considered a failure or you’ve been forgotten. People may no longer expect anything good to come from you. But if you’re a child of God, know that God has not given up on you. He has something better for you. Have faith in Him and continue to obey His Word and the instructions of the Holy Spirit. God has something better for you in your destiny, marriage, family, ministry, business, career, etc.

In Jeremiah 32:42-44, God talked about something better that He had for Judah after their captivity in Babylon: restoration “For thus says the LORD: ‘Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them. And fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is desolate, without man or beast; it has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’  Men will buy fields for money, sign deeds and seal them, and take witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South; for I will cause their captives to return,’ says the LORD” (New King James Version). God has something better for you.

Comparing the dispensation of the Old Testament people of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 with the dispensation of the New Testament believers, the writer of Hebrews says, “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us” (Hebrews 11:39-40 New King James Version).  

Satan thought it was all over for Jesus when His enemies conspired and killed Him. But God had something better for Him: resurrection after the crucifixion. Romans 4:25 says He was delivered up because of our offences and was raised because of our justification.

The lame at the Beautiful Gate wanted money from Peter and John but God had something better for Him: his healing. He got something more than money. “Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them — walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God” (Acts 3:6-9 New King James Version). Everybody recognized him as the beggar at the Beautiful Gate of the temple and they were absolutely amazed.

God has something better for you that will completely amaze people. It will happen in due season in Jesus’ name. The Lord will do a new thing in your life (Isaiah 43:19). Have faith in God and obey Him. Be patient. You will not delay something better that God has for you in Jesus’ name.

 TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, thank You because You have something better for me. Let it manifest in due season. Holy Spirit, help me not to delay or frustrate something better that God has in store for me. Help me to trust and obey and wait patiently for it.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org