journey onWord with us

You may call me silly for the amount of faith I exhibited last week.  It was an incredible move on my part!  I walked on to a large airplane, sat down and went from Ohio to Florida. You may be thinking, “that’s not faith, that’s what anyone would do.”  However, I had never met the pilot, had no clue about the mechanical efficiency of the airplane, and didn’t know when it had last been serviced.  But I settled in and with great trust, drank my diet soda.  Isn’t it amazing how much faith we have in others (even pilots we have never met), yet how little we trust in God and His infallible Word?  We live in a culture that gives lip service to prayer, and spouts biblical clichés without really spending time in prayer or trusting the biblical principles we know.  So who should we trust – pilots and planes or God and His Word?

My thoughts landed on faith last week when a line from the book Leading on Empty, by Wayne Cordeiro jumped off the pages at me.  It was further cemented in my memory bank in reading and thinking about Mordecai and his cousin Esther.

“Faith is living in advance what we will only understand in reverse.”

Sometimes you and I are in the position of needing to trust a clear principle from the Word.  At other times, it may be that we are challenged to simply trust the character, power and love of our Lord.  He knows our situation, and has the ability to see us through.  However, the issue of living our faith in advance is counter-intuitive.  We all struggle with living by sight and not by faith.  Living by our own strength will cause us to miss the joy of understanding what our faith accomplished in reverse.  

Reading the book of Esther over this past week has fascinated me.  It reads like a best-selling drama and shares with us the story of God sparing the Jewish nation from extinction.   I have been profoundly struck by the providence of God in ordering the events of this marvelous book of Scripture.  When it comes to living faith in advance, Mordecai passed the test.  When everything looked bleak, he absolutely trusted in God’s covenant with Abraham that He would not allow the Jewish nation to perish.  It may be easy to speak words of faith, but Mordecai was in a critical situation and proclaimed that God would bring relief and deliverance to the Jews.  I am confident that as he looked back at God’s deliverance, he was able to understand more fully the ramifications of his faith in reverse.

Esther was placed in a royal position at a critical time for the Jews.  She enlisted prayer and fasting on her behalf and then stepped out in faith.  Esther realized that the consequences of her decision to intercede with the king on behalf of the Jewish people could be death.   Again, I am impressed with how someone could live out their faith in advance at such a crucial time.  Without a doubt, she could have self-talked her way out of going before the king.   But on the other side of the Father’s deliverance, I can imagine the joy, and thankfulness she felt at she looked at her faith decision in reverse.

Our dilemmas will probably never reach the depth of difficulty that Mordecai and Esther experienced. But today, tomorrow and next week, you and I will be faced with choices that cause us to either live out our faith or seek to control each and every circumstance.  And if we decline to live out our faith in advance, we’ll miss the joy of understanding its ramifications in reverse.  Oh, what a loss that would be!

If you and I can trust unknown pilots in planes we know nothing about, we can certainly trust the God who hung the sky in space and gave us His Son for redemption?  If you have accepted Christ as Savior, live out your faith in advance.

Last week, after almost thirty-six years of marriage, my wife Genel and I had our first November vacation. There was nothing especially pressing in choosing that certain month, except we needed a break and early November gave us the opportunity to get away.  It was quiet, sunny and, for the most part, relaxing.  There were, however, a few exciting moments, and I am not talking about the non-stop election result coverage and analysis. One particular event brought us back to a real sense that our God is in control and is the Great Orchestrator of our lives.  In the everyday moments of life, I don’t think most people look at or really think about God’s care and control.  But this particular moment has really made me think and feel good about our God’s design over life.  By now you may be wondering … what happened?

On Thursday morning, we decided to go our separate ways.  A local golf course needed a few extra golf balls, so I obliged.  Genel however, wanted to sit at the beach on a cool, but sunny day (how boring).  She put her supplies together and for some reason took along a can of root beer (which she doesn’t usually drink).  There was just a smattering of people at the beach when a heavy-set man came up in a panic. “Does anyone have change for a twenty?”  Genel explained how she had used her money for parking.  He then said something like, “This is the only drink machine for ten miles and no one has any change.  I’ve got to have a drink.  I’m diabetic and need sugar.”  Genel pulled out the root beer that she doesn’t even drink and said, “I have a root beer; will this work?”  “Oh no, I can’t take your drink,” was this frantic man’s reply.  She then said, “Take it, I don’t drink root beer.”   At that point he took the can, guzzled the sugary mix and stated in a serious tone, “Thanks, you saved my life.” and walked away.

We just happened to be on our first November vacation.  Someone just happened to leave root beer in our refrigerator where we were staying.  Genel just happened to pull a can of root beer out of the refrigerator.  It just happened to be Thursday that golf was calling me and the beach was beckoning Genel.  She just happened to go in the afternoon when the man just happened to need help.  Oh, but wait, I don’t think any of this just happened.  And I would bet that the diabetic man thought that this nice lady with root beer didn’t just happen to show up.  I believe God is in control, and at a crucial moment for a frantic man, God placed Genel in his path.  You may think this is a cute story, and not really that big of a deal, but don’t tell that to any diabetic!  At a frightening moment, God placed someone in the man’s path.

So I ask you, “Does God care about the everyday moments of your life?”  I know the answer… YES!  In my study of the book of Esther, I came upon a line about God’s providential workings.  It was in Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament.  Warren Weirsbe reminded me of a diabetic in need of root beer with the following words;

God’s name is nowhere seen in this book (Esther), but God‘s hand is nowhere missing!  He is “standing somewhere in the shadows” ruling and overruling.

Don’t think for one minute that our lives are out of His view.  He knows when we have pain, when we are at our wits end, when no one else understands, and for sure, when we need a good sip of root beer.

I have no idea why God placed my wife at such a place.  But I am so thankful that we serve a God who is always “standing somewhere in the shadows” with the power to rule and overrule.  This week you may find yourself feeling alone or even overwhelmed with life.  If you do, remember the sugary root beer and a thirsty diabetic.  And I know that my God cares that much for you!

As we end our week, the narrative of our journey through biblical characters will seem ripped from the headlines of a modern entertainment periodical.  Tell me (after you have read the opening scenes of Esther’s story) that it doesn’t remind you of a recent season of “The Bachelor” or another similar “reality” show.  A fancy “house”, the best food and drink, glamorous people, no limits … a big party, indeed.  Insert high drama with a King under the influence calling for his supermodel Queen.  His rose is rejecte… wait … I mean, his summons is rejected.  There is an emergency meeting with his “trusted” advisors and a suggestion to vote the Queen off the isla… wait … permanently ban the Queen and replace her.  A search, a contest …  Yes, and bingo, Persia’s Next Top Mode… wait … OK, you get the picture.  Don’t let anyone convince you the Bible isn’t relevent in our modern world, or that there is something new under the sun.

Into the contest for the next Queen steps a simple but stunning Jewish girl.  God had plans for Esther, and He had gifted her with true beauty both inside and out.  I think it is quite interesting how God did not use her to challenge the superficiality of the search or to question the decision to depose the rightful Queen.  God inserted Esther right in the middle of a beauty contest to accomplish His great purpose of freeing His people.  Think God skirts around darkness or won’t use you in the midst of it to be an instrument for His good?  God is in no way limited, and He absolutely can.  He blessed Esther with an outward beauty to meet a moment and strong character and courage to accomplish His will in it.

Now, it might seem superficial to draw attention to Esther’s outward beauty as a quality of note.  Maybe like it might seem superficial for Esther to participate in what amounted to a beauty contest to be the next Queen?  Drawing attention to Esther’s physical beauty is to draw attention to God’s intention and purpose in choosing Esther to accomplish his will in this very specific moment in the history of God’s people.  God has gifted us all in an equal way.  Not in the exact way, as I am far from qualifying for any beauty contest; but in a very specific way that is unique to us and His plan for us.  God is intensely intentional that way.

So what’s with the “1:1” title of this post?  Well, there’s more to reveal of this intensely intentional God in the story of Esther.  There is a “hinge” moment in the overall Esther narrative and in her role as God’s instrument of deliverance for His people.  Reading ahead several chapters, Esther reveals and foils an evil plot by Haman.  The King’s sentence is hanging, and it is carried out on the seventeenth of Nisan.  Why do I make mention of a specific calendar date?  It’s an invitation to a remarkable discovery of an intensely intentional God.

A close study of scripture and the history of the Jewish nation shows 5 other major events directly connected with God’s deliverance that happened on the very same calendar date … Nisan 17.  The events begin with the story of Noah.  And while the naming of the month in the scriptural account is different, the ark coming to rest on Mt. Ararat happened on the very same date in the calendar year as Haman was hanged.  (God reoriented the Jewish calendar after Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt, so it’s celebration would always occur in the first month of their year.)

Next is Israel crossing the Red Sea … on Nisan 17.  Then there is the first day of the seven that the nation walked around the city of Jericho, the day that the Lord promised to deliver Jericho into Joshua’s hands … Nisan 17.  Sticking with Joshua, Nisan 17 is the first day that the nation eats of the fruits of the Promised Land.  On Nisan 16, God’s provision of manna ended and they ate anew on the 17th.  Hezekiah begins consecrating the temple on Nisan 1.  The work lasts 16 days.  On the 17th, sacrifices begin again in the temple.

And the only way this could get any bigger is the final event to happen on this blessed and intentional day on the Jewish calendar … Our Savior rose on Nisan 17.  Deliverance for all, for all time happened on Nisan 17.

A mathematician calculated the odds of these 6 events happening on the exact same calendar date.  The odds were…

783,864,876,960,000,000:1

That’s one in 783 quadrillion, 864 trillion, 876 Billion, 960 Million!

What are the odds of a simple but stunning Jewish girl winning the prize of Queen in a Persian beauty contest?  What are the odds of God doing very bold and specific things on the very same calendar date over the full breadth of the deliverance story of His people?  What are the odds when God wills that something will happen?  The answer to all those questions is … 1:1

We say that expectant mothers have “a glow” about their faces.  Some may glow when they are in love.  Others buy the manufactured glow of a tanning bed!  But one of the most intriguing glowing faces in all of Scripture, is that of Moses.

From the time his life was spared as a baby, through the wilderness wandering, to receiving the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, the life of Moses reads like one of the greatest adventures ever written.  But it’s the account of Moses and the Glory of God, that gave me the most pause for thought.  In Exodus chapter 33, we learn that the relationship Moses has with the Lord is so close, so extraordinary, that God calls him a friend.  He knows him by name.

Exodus 33:11 & 17 (NIV)
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.
And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name”

Then, in response to this blessed declaration by God, Moses asks the unthinkable, the incredible … ”Now show me your glory.”

And even more incredibly, God honors his request and protects Moses from the death that would result from looking directly into His face.  The Lord passed by, as Moses stood shielded by God’s hand in the cleft of the rock; and he was only allowed to see the back of the Lord.   After 40 days and nights on the mountain with God Himself, Moses returned to the Israelites.  He returned completely unaware that his face was actually glowing.

Exodus 34:29
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.

The Glory of God was reflected on the face of Moses!  God’s glory!  What will it be like for us to see His glory … when we arrive in Glory?!  It’s not the sun, moon, or stars that make Heaven so bright … it’s God Glory.  It’s not the essence of an angel that makes them brilliant and shining. It’s the fact that they live where God lives, and His Glory is reflected upon them!  The name seraph means “burning one” or “shining one.”  It is believed that these angels dwell in such close proximity to God that they burn with holy brilliance!  Isaiah Chapter 6 describes these angels as using two wings to cover their faces – even the angels must protect themselves from the brilliance of God’s Glory when they are in His presence.

My words are purposed to offer encouragement in the daily journey that we all travel in this world. Encouragement in the face of storms, elections, pressures, worries, and upsets. If you are having a day today that is anything like one day I had last week, think on this … one day, all who know Christ as Savior will look on the face of God in all His Glory.  There will be no need to hide in the cleft of the rock, no need to cover our faces, and no need to fear.  In that day, I believe our faces will reflect His Glory.  I wonder if our faces will glow?  I think they will.

If  you live anywhere in the eastern U.S. you have been dealing with Super Storm Sandy – Frankenstorm as the media dubbed her – a record-setting series of weather events that have left many in devastation.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have suffered loss and are doing their best to put their homes and lives back together.  In our neck of the woods, we dealt with wind and rain … lots and lots of rain.  It was somewhat ironic that the Tuesday Bible Study I teach was studying Noah on Tuesday!  And Journey onWord  is reading about the parting of the Red Sea this week!  But there is little humor when one finds themselves in a jam…

In a pinch
In a pickle
Between a rock & a hard place
Up a tree
In a corner
Up a creek without a paddle…

You get the idea.  In Exodus 13 we find the Israelites as free people for the first time in their lives.  And God puts them on a path towards a very bad predicament.

Exodus 13:18
So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.

This was no accident.  God was leading the people on the path he wanted them to take – the cloud guided them by day and the fire by night.  God wanted them to end up at … a dead-end.  To the North were the Egyptians; to the south was the desert; to the west was Goshen and to the east, the Red Sea.  There was no escape.  And then…

Exodus 14  — The Egyptians – all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops – pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea…

The Israelites had to be terrified.  They could see the men coming from afar; they could probably hear them coming as well.  How would you react?  Well, the Israelites begged God for help … and basically blamed Moses. What Moses said to them in response should be the words we hold onto when we are up against it:

Verse 21  Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today … the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

If those words from Scripture don’t make you want to stand up and cheer, your entire perspective could be a little off.  God Almighty is going to do the fighting for us – we just need to be still and wait and watch!  This should be a revolutionary new way for us to look at our predicaments. God is always in control of the situation; and no matter whether it’s a troubling work event, a family in distress, or a new diagnosis … The Lord will fight for us!

Puts that ol’ Super Storm in perspective, wouldn’t you say?

Picture yourself crammed into a tight space with over 107,000 people, most of whom were not happy with your choice of teams. They were living in a world of white and for some reason you preferred scarlet and gray. They were over the top about their cause, and you simply had different feelings. When they were ready to rumble, you had to let silence be your friend. The seats in this sea of white were built for miniature versions of most adults, and a bathroom break was, well …. out of the question.  Paying to park in this hostile sea of white was $40, but for some reason you wanted to experience the thrill of victory. That was yesterday for my wife and me … and our team won!  We have all felt like an outsider at someone else’s party, and to say the least, it’s a bit awkward.  Can you imagine the internal turmoil Moses must have faced when God chose him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt? Talk about a hostile environment!

It is my firm conviction that if you and I had been confronted with the challenge God laid out for Moses, our responses would have been similar, if not worse.  I can only imagine the mental excuses setting up residence in his mind. Having been confronted with a burning bush and a great command, it probably shook him to the core. If you are a Christ-follower, there have most assuredly been times when you felt the will of God being in conflict with your will. Confronted with that conflict, you (and I) like Moses, would probably begin to create reasons (excuses) challenging God’s plan.

The story is familiar, and even those who are not really focused on the will of God know the scene.  God telling Moses that He was sending him to Pharaoh to demand freedom for his people. Moses questions his ability to lead the people with these words … Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? (Exodus 3:11)  As their dialogue continued, God made a great declaration in response to Moses’ trepidation.  Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:13-14) 

It was not about who Moses was, but Who was with Moses. As you and I face the challenges of life, it is critical to know the I AM.  In Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the Old Testament, Warren Wiersbe captures the depth of God’s response to Moses with these words – God revealed His name, Jehovah—“I AM WHO I AM” or “I was, I am, I always will be!” Can you accept that what really is important in your life is not who you are, but Who is with you?  Whatever you are facing right now needs to be filtered through your confidence in the I AM. The very same God who led Moses, is up to the challenges of your life!

Years ago my wife gave me a poem by Helen Mallicoat that helps me (and I hope you) reflect on the I AM. I trust it will help you also.

I was regretting the past and fearing the future.
Suddenly my Lord was speaking:
“My name is I AM”. He paused. I waited. He continued,
When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard.
I am not there. My name is not “I Was”.
When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard.
I am not there. My name is not “I Will Be”.
When you live in the moment, it is not hard.
I am here. “My name is I AM”.

If you are in Christ, accept that your challenges are not about you, but about Who is with you. His name is I AM. And if you aren’t sure that Christ is your Savior, or you would simply like to know Who this I AM is, contact us!  Don’t let your “will be” become your “was” without knowing Who he is.

You’ve probably had one of those please write it in the sky, God moments, or maybe you’ve even prayed and asked God to give you a burning bush experience.  You needed direction, and there was only one way to get it … from God directly intervening in your circumstance.  You would do anything for clarity and help, even if it meant making promises to God that you meant in the moment, but would never keep.  Defining moments come to all of us, and they usually affect our future.  The truth is that if you or I ever saw directions written in the sky, or a burning bush that was not consumed, we’d probably head straight for the psychiatrist.  It was a burning bush, however, that Moses needed, and was exactly the way God chose to communicate with him.

When Moses arrived at the burning bush, he brought with him a rich and storied past.  Forty years as the prince of Egypt, and another forty years as a shepherd.  You may have heard the shepherd years called his backside of the desert experience.  One day while tending his sheep, Moses was confronted with his future and God’s plan for him. God had chosen Moses to be the deliverer of Israel.  As you can imagine, he was less than confident about God’s plan.  However, in the face of low self-confidence, he chose to follow God.  We are also faced with critical choices; follow God or do it my way.

You may remember standing at a crossroad, looking back at the past and wondering about God’s literal plan for your future.  Have you ever reviewed the past, present and future of your spiritual journey and concluded that yesterday was better?

As I rub shoulders with Christ-followers, I am struck by the fact that so many have lost their zest for the journey.  They can remember spiritual milestones and answers to prayer, but there are also fresh memories of church hurts, and being bruised along the way. Churches are filled with individuals who once served and used their gifts, but are now fading into the background.  For all of us there will need to be seasons of rest or healing.  But those seasons should just be that, and should never be prolonged at the expense of missing the Father’s future design for us.  Moses had eighty years of life experiences when God confronted him with a new phase of his journey.  I am so glad and encouraged that even through his excuses, he obeyed.

You may not be standing in front of a burning bush, but you are standing at the threshold of tomorrow with new opportunities.  Don’t let anything in your past become a weight that holds you back from the future God has designed for you.  Your emotions may say yesterday was better and cause you to look at tomorrow with a clouded view.  God didn’t waste adversity in the life of Moses, nor will He for you.

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

There is far more to Moses’ experience at the burning bush than I could ever convey in a short article.  It was, without a doubt, a moment that God chose to confront Moses and display His power.  For you and me, it won’t be with burning bushes, or scripted skies that God speaks.  But He still speaks, and we, like Moses, will have a choice … follow God or do it my way.  Moses was starting a new phase of his journey and God grabbed his attention in a dramatic way.  With God as the designer of our lives, we should never think that yesterday was  better.  As we stand at the threshold of tomorrow, when God speaks will we listen … and will we obey?

Do you ever feel like a fish out of water, a stranger in a really strange land, a square peg in a room, workplace or neighborhood full of round holes?  These questions might seem a bit resonant in the story of the man we just finished reading about (Joseph).  He was certainly “not from around here” to those he served and ultimately ruled in Egypt.  We may have moved on from the focus on Joseph, but I believe the questions remain resonant in the woman we continue to read about this week … Ruth.

The whirlwind that is Ruth’s story is a fascinating one … equal parts romance novel and loyalty/obedience lesson.  And while it is a short read, there is no shortage of options for application in our everyday.  If you dive deeper into the story, things can get rather uncomfortable.  The Bible is not a tame book, and this story is another affirmation that God works through imperfect people to bring glory to himself and good (His good) to them.

In all that this story stirred within me, I was most struck by how much of an outsider Ruth was.  And in her obedience and God-ordained initiative, how central she became to the story of our redemption.  Ruth was a Moabite woman.  This is a seemingly simple and direct statement of fact, but in the context of her time and place, this was scandalous and dangerous.  The Moabites descended from Lot (remember him), and in the context of Ruth’s time, Moabite woman had a reputation.  Specifically, they were known to be responsible for enticing the Israelites into a form of idolatry that involved sexual immorality.  But while Moab was the place of Ruth’s birth, it was not the state of her heart.  In chapter 3 and verse 11, Naomi describes Ruth’s reputation about town as “a woman of noble character” (NLT).  Make no mistake, however, that being a Moabite put Ruth firmly on the outside in her chosen home with Naomi in the land of Israel.

Ruth chose Naomi, and she chose God.  And throughout the events of her whirlwind story, she remained true to both.  God richly rewarded Ruth for her choices and consistent obedience.  As you continue to read the story this week, read with a sensitivity to the square peg that Ruth was.  Read with sensitivity to how much easier it would have been for her to remain in the place she knew when her husband died and was faced with the choice.  Read with sensitivity to the repeated choices she made in obedience to God.  And then, when you have closed the cover on your Bible each day, take a few moments to consider the square peg you might feel like and the round hole circumstances you might be in the midst of.  Consider Ruth’s example, and the choices you have to be obedient to God.

Oh, and that “how central she became to the story of our redemption” comment I made earlier?  Let’s take a second to consider the generations that would come because of Ruth’s obedience, and God’s blessing with her marriage to Boaz.  How about great-grandmother to King David … and does anyone remember what other King his line leads directly to?!  God redeemed Ruth through her husband Boaz, and through her line God redeemed us.

Every family has an issue or two. I can remember during my late teenage years how my uncle would drink himself into fits of rage and take his misplaced anger out on his sister.  He was a great uncle until the alcohol took over. His life spiraled out of control, and eventually he deeded away family property to his girlfriend. You can imagine how our family felt. I am sure that somewhere in your family tree there is an uncle story, a brother story, or maybe even a parent story. We have all heard stories of abuse in a family and wondered how a place designed for love could become a place of horror. Often families rally and pick up the pieces, but often there is a lingering stain of anger, bitterness and rejection. And then some spiritual person who doesn’t understand our family pain comes along and tells us that we can forgive … and our first thought is; “yea right.” But yes, that is right, and I’ve been reading about a man I’ll call “Joe” who modeled incredible forgiveness.

Can you imagine your own brothers plotting your demise?  It actually happened to my friend Joe. His brothers plotted to kill him, then threw him into a cistern and finally sold him into slavery. From there his life was anything but normal. He was taken to Egypt where he found great success, but eventually was falsely accused and thrown into prison. How could his brothers be so cruel? Years after being sold into slavery he rose to great power in the land of Egypt. And who eventually shows up in desperate need, but his caring brothers?! I would like to think that I would have responded like my friend Joe, but I wonder what my response would have been when I came face to face with them. How about you? Obviously, the man I call my friend “Joe” was Joseph, who rose to power in Egypt, and represents the forgiveness available in all of our families.

Forgiveness is an important issue for all of us, and never one to be taken lightly. Age has taught me that words of forgiveness may be easy to mouth, but a heart of forgiveness is far more than words. Though difficult, we can release others of the pain they’ve caused.  You may be thinking, “yea right.” Joseph’s family was divided because of ruthless sinfulness. But God’s work in his life created a heart that accepted pain, and the separation from his family with the perspective that God had used it. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.(Genesis 50:20)  There is never an excuse for abuse, destroying a family or hurting those we love. However, we like Joseph, have the capacity to forgive with hearts dedicated to doing the will of God.  Thinking of how my friend Joe forgave his despicable brothers reminds me of the words of leadership expert John Maxwell; forgive everybody, every time, for everything.

Some family issues may be so severe that they would lead all of us to say, “How could that issue ever be forgiven?” But I keep going back to the heart of Joseph. And then I think of the heart of Jesus….which one of us deserved to have our sins forgiven? It was over twenty years ago now that I heard an abused man say words like this; when we won’t forgive, it’s as if we climb up the cross and get above Christ, making our standard higher than His. I know that forgiving family members who have hurt us, and maybe even destroyed the fabric of our family, seems beyond our ability. However if you know Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit can guide you to the place of forgiveness.

I am glad that at the moment of truth Joseph didn’t say, “yea right.” He did what was right and was used of God to bring restoration to his family. Over the course of a family’s life, there are many opportunities where healing is needed. You and I can be a catalyst for restoration if we live with hearts of forgiveness. Living in the Spirit, you can reject “yea right”, and confidently say “yes, I’ll forgive!”

Would it be safe for me to assume that life experiences have brought you to the following conclusion? People in your world like you and some may even love you, but very few, if any, ever really focus on what is important to you.  If someone in your world needs assistance, you should move heaven and earth to help.  But if you have a pressing burden, others don’t seem to be that concerned.  Sometimes they even forget what your needs are.  Feelings of aloneness, discouragement and disillusionment naturally creep into our hearts when others (who we have helped) are seemingly blind to our needs.  We may even cry out words like this to God, “Lord, it’s Mike, can I have some help?”  My reading this week caused me to reflect on the forgetfulness of others, as I saw how Joseph (a great servant of God) was neglected.

You may know the story, but let me remind you of some particulars.  Joseph is thrown into prison after being falsely accused.  He is in a dungeon with two men placed there by the Pharaoh of Egypt.  An ultimate plan was being crafted in Joseph’s life, and the dungeon was part of it.  As the story goes, the two prisoners (chief cupbearer and chief baker) had dreams on the same night, and God used Joseph to interpret them.  One of the prisoners (cupbearer) would be restored, while the other (baker) was to be hanged.  Joseph’s one request to the cupbearer was this – But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon — Genesis 40:14-15. Can you believe what the cupbearer did?  He forgot Joseph’s request!  And it must be said, God allowed Joseph to be forgotten, but God never forgot him.

Two long years later Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret.  Can you imagine the cupbearer’s memory- jolt?  He finally remembers the Hebrew who interpreted his dream, and tells Pharaoh about Joseph.  Joseph is brought to Pharaoh, interprets his dream, is placed charge of Egypt under Pharaoh, eventually sees his family restored and is used of God to preserve the remnant in fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham.  You see, God had a plan through all of the pain and suffering that Joseph endured.  He was forgotten, but never Forgotten!

Undoubtedly, there were some long nights in that dungeon.  Joseph probably even had to fight some emotional how he could forget me moments.  But I truly believe that Joseph understood that God was in control of his circumstances.  And at just the right moment God intervened in ways that Joseph could not have manipulated.  You may be in a circumstance even today that causes your emotions to cry out words like, “I don’t deserve this,” or, “does anyone care about my needs?”  You aren’t in a physical dungeon, but you certainly feel imprisoned with thoughts of discouragement and aloneness.  Others may have forgotten about your needs, but the Father has definitely not Forgotten you.  I don’t completely understand why God chooses to give us long periods of waiting, but I am confident that He always intervenes at just the right moment.

We can either view times of difficultly from a human perspective (frustrated with injustice, and others forgetting to care for us) or from a divine perspective (God cares about us, and uses difficulty to train and prepare us – or even reach us for Christ).  I really struggled in writing this article, but I sensed that there was someone who needed to hear the words,  you may feel forgotten, but you are never Forgotten.   C.S. Lewis stated in The Problem of Pain, God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.