I highly recommend aiming to read a passage from the Bible every day; however short. It gives God an opportunity to speak into our lives; to bless us, encourage us, affirm us and when necessary to correct us. God spoke to my own heart this morning from Genesis 41:41-43. "Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.' Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain round his neck. He made him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command."

I felt a rise in my spirit as I read these words. I knew God had something to say to me through them, but I wasn't sure what it was. I had an inclination, but was it too good to be true of me? I continued to the end of the chapter and then went back to it. With the help of Derek Kidner's commentary defining precisely what it all signified to Joseph, I heard Jesus say to me:

"I am the King of kings and I have placed my signet ring of authority on your finger. I have dressed you in fine linen – robes of righteousness – providing you with constant access into my courts. I have placed a lavish gold chain around your neck to display my delight in you and my appreciation of all you have done in serving the cause of my kingdom. I have appointed you as my representative, as one who speaks on my behalf, and I have adopted you as my own son."

All this applies to every child of God, but what joy to hear it from his own lips! If we read his Word with faith and open hearts and minds – expecting him to speak to us directly – he will! The gem of what the gold chain stood for took my breath away! Pure grace, and at that point Joseph hadn't actually done anything.