God has not Forgotten You

This week, when considering what to write, the Lord brought me back to the story of Joseph, opening my eyes yet again to the nature of his circumstance.  Consider this, in Genesis chapter 40, while Joseph was still in prison, two of Pharaoh’s officials were also thrown into prison.  They each had a dream.  Joseph was given, by the Lord, the interpretation of those dreams.

According to the dreams, one official (the cupbearer) was to live and be restored to his position and the other was to die.  Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him and show him kindness and mention him to Pharaoh so that he may be removed from the prison, but…the cupbearer forgot…  In fact, Genesis 40:23 very literally says:  “The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.”  Ouch…

Genesis 41 tells us that it was two full YEARS before the cupbearer remembered Joseph.  (And yes…that meant Joseph spent two more years in prison, and yes, that meant he lived those two more years being, most likely, discouraged, troubled and frustrated.)

The situation?  Pharaoh had two dreams no one could interpret.  The cupbearer suddenly remembered Joseph and the interpretations of the dreams while in prison and had one of those, “My bad…” moments.  He told Pharaoh about Joseph, and Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph to interpret them.

When Joseph arrived, he so humbly, said:  “’I cannot do it,’ Joseph replied to Pharaoh, ‘but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’”  Genesis 41:16   And the Lord did…  The Lord used Joseph to interpret the dreams, and that’s when it happened…in an instant, EVERYTHING changed.

After thirteen painful years of betrayal, being sold into slavery, being mistreated, falsely accused, thrown into prison…suddenly—and seemingly without warning—it all disappeared.  Take a look:

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.  You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.’”  Literally, in what seems to have transpired in only a day, Joseph was removed from the dungeon and made second in command of what was probably the greatest nation of that time.  Only God, right?

Today, if the Lord has not removed your difficulties or removed you from your circumstance, then you must understand He has a plan.  Sometimes one step is necessary to lead to another—just as with Joseph.  Do not assume that hardships are proof that God has forgotten you or abandoned you.  It’s just the opposite.  Be faithful, trust Him, and watch what He does.