Nowhere in Scripture does it say, “If you will obey God, your life will be free of trouble or suffering.” In fact, James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” We all deal with hardships that challenge us, but some of you live with a deeper level of pain and suffering. Let’s be honest. Some of us, by the grace of God, were born into homes where our parents loved us unconditionally. I am one of those blessed children. But some of you experienced abuse by family members you thought you could trust. You suffer from the emotional wounds of your family of origin and wonder if the pain will ever subside. God is keenly aware of your pain and suffering and participates in your pain management:
Genesis 41:51-52
“Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, ‘It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.’ The second son he named Ephraim and said, ‘It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.'”
To help you appreciate these verses, let me introduce you to Joseph. He was his father’s favorite son, but despised by his eleven brothers. When Joseph was a teenager, he shared a dream that revealed his brothers bowing down to him some day. The brothers became jealous and angry and plotted to kill him. His life was turned upside down. If it weren’t for his brothers Reuben and Judah, who were not willing to let the other brothers kill Joseph, he would have been left to die in a deep, dry well.
Then he was separated from his family indefinitely when he was pulled out of the well and bought by Potiphar, an official in the court of Pharoah. Now he was a slave in a foreign land and severed from his family. Imagine being eighteen years old thinking you have a great future ahead of you, and instead you’re dealing with emotional pain inflicted by your family.
However, Joseph had a heart for God. No matter what his situation was, Joseph obeyed God and lived to please Him. God’s favor rested on Joseph. The Lord prospered him, gave him success in everything he did, and blessed him (Gen 39:2-5). But while serving Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife became a problem. She found Joseph attractive and made advances toward him. Joseph, being a godly man, refused to be with her. But she didn’t take “no” for an answer. While Joseph was attending to his duties, she tried to catch him by his cloak and asked him to come to bed with her. Not only did he say “no,” but he ran out of the house! She didn’t take the rejection well, so she falsely accused Joseph of trying to rape her. Potiphar in his anger threw him in jail.
While doing time in prison, Joseph continued to serve God in the midst of his own suffering and unfair circumstances. The Lord was with him and allowed him to have favor in the eyes of the prison warden. Joseph was put in charge of the inmates, two of which were a cupbearer and a baker for Pharoah. When they had unsettling dreams that Joseph was able to interpret, he asked a simple favor of the cupbearer. “When you are restored to your job with Pharoah, would you please mention me?” The cupbearer promptly forgot Joseph for two years – until Pharoah needed a dream interpreter.
Pharoah asked to meet with Joseph, so Joseph was released from prison to interpret Pharoah’s dreams. Joseph not only interpreted them, but he offered a game plan to deal with seven years of abundant harvests followed by seven years of famine revealed in the dream. Pharoah was quite impressed with Joseph, so he put him in charge of everyone in the palace.
But the best blessing of all came when Pharoah gave him a wife. God used Pharoah to put Joseph in a new family where he could enjoy his wife and eventually two sons. As he named his children, he was able to acknowledge that God brought him to a place where he could “forget both his troubles and his father’s household.” God’s treatment plan was to give Joseph a new beginning by placing him in a new family.
Some of you are living the Joseph experience. Life has kicked you in the teeth or has been unfair. You are still plagued by the emotional pain from your family of origin. You know what it’s like to feel alienated from your family. You know what it’s like to feel unloved, rejected, not good enough, or even despised by your family. I want to reach out to you with these verses because I have seen people experience healing after reading them. Part of God’s treatment plan is to reduce your pain by giving you a new beginning, whether it’s a new earthly family or a new faith community. He desires to help you “forget your troubles” (the pain of them) in order to accomplish His plan for you. I think God is quietly at work to help you let go of a painful past you can’t change, but to embrace the new beginnings He gives you.
If you don’t feel like you’re at a better place yet, stay encouraged. God hasn’t forgotten you. Your brighter days are coming! God gave Joseph a vision of his future, but it took thirteen years of suffering before God’s plan for him came to fruition. Stay the course, and may God help you “forget your troubles.”
If this is your story, can you attest to the goodness of God’s pain management plan? If you have a friend who needs this word of encouragement, please share it with them.
Blessings, Lee Ann
