Genesis 40
I’m sure at some point everyone has experienced a time in their life when a family member, friend, or even a co-worker has hurt them. Maybe it was a birthday party when you were younger, and your cousin blew out your candles before you could. Or maybe it was a friend who shared private information you had trusted them with on social media. In my case, it was my wedding day. A day that was planned for, rehearsed, and carefully thought through. A family member decided to ignore what we had planned and rehearsed and the impact it left lasted a long time. Whether it was as simple as candles or as important as a wedding day, things didn’t go as planned, and you were hurt.
What ran through your head while reading this? Did you think of your own personal experience of hurt? How did you react in that moment? Or maybe you are still working through it? It is easy to let that moment of hurt turn your heart bitter towards those people. I get it, you did nothing to deserve that. Why should you forgive them? While it can be easy to hold onto those thoughts, God calls us to forgive, pray for them, and surrender our hurts to Him.
The good news is that we have lots of examples of how to handle these situations in the story of Joseph. He showed us that no matter the circumstance, we can surrender those situations and trust God has a plan. While Joseph endured multiple injustices, one story highlights how his faith remained constant. While Joseph was in prison he saw an opportunity. He showed kindness to both the cupbearer and the chief baker by interpreting their dreams for them. In Genesis 40:14, he said, “But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.” In verse 23, it says, “The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” For two years! I try to imagine what Joseph must have felt during those two years, especially after everything else that happened to him. Lonely? Forgotten? Angry? It would have been so easy for Joseph to harden his heart and seek revenge against those who hurt him. However, despite everything, he chose to continue to trust that God had a plan. He chose forgiveness and to mirror God’s grace.
Although we experience very different circumstances, Joseph shows us there are times in our lives when things don’t go as we plan. We have to choose to rely on God and remain faithful to him. Sometimes we might think we’ve already done that, but we haven’t fully surrendered our pain. Honestly, it was hard for me to do that. A while after my wedding, I said I had forgiven my family member and all was well. But my actions did not speak that. I was still holding on to resentment and anger. It took a lot for me to be able to truly give that hurt to God, not just in my words, but in my heart. I had to let go of the need to replay it, to justify my feelings, and the thought of my expectation of that moment being dismissed and forgotten. In that surrender, I found something I didn’t think was possible: peace. Joseph remained faithful, even when he was forgotten. Will you hold on? Or will you strive to be like Joseph?
What ran through your head while reading this? Did you think of your own personal experience of hurt? How did you react in that moment? Or maybe you are still working through it? It is easy to let that moment of hurt turn your heart bitter towards those people. I get it, you did nothing to deserve that. Why should you forgive them? While it can be easy to hold onto those thoughts, God calls us to forgive, pray for them, and surrender our hurts to Him.
The good news is that we have lots of examples of how to handle these situations in the story of Joseph. He showed us that no matter the circumstance, we can surrender those situations and trust God has a plan. While Joseph endured multiple injustices, one story highlights how his faith remained constant. While Joseph was in prison he saw an opportunity. He showed kindness to both the cupbearer and the chief baker by interpreting their dreams for them. In Genesis 40:14, he said, “But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.” In verse 23, it says, “The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” For two years! I try to imagine what Joseph must have felt during those two years, especially after everything else that happened to him. Lonely? Forgotten? Angry? It would have been so easy for Joseph to harden his heart and seek revenge against those who hurt him. However, despite everything, he chose to continue to trust that God had a plan. He chose forgiveness and to mirror God’s grace.
Although we experience very different circumstances, Joseph shows us there are times in our lives when things don’t go as we plan. We have to choose to rely on God and remain faithful to him. Sometimes we might think we’ve already done that, but we haven’t fully surrendered our pain. Honestly, it was hard for me to do that. A while after my wedding, I said I had forgiven my family member and all was well. But my actions did not speak that. I was still holding on to resentment and anger. It took a lot for me to be able to truly give that hurt to God, not just in my words, but in my heart. I had to let go of the need to replay it, to justify my feelings, and the thought of my expectation of that moment being dismissed and forgotten. In that surrender, I found something I didn’t think was possible: peace. Joseph remained faithful, even when he was forgotten. Will you hold on? Or will you strive to be like Joseph?
Posted in Devotional