The Lord Will Help Me To Forget

The Lord Will Help Me To Forget

Life is full of opportunities for us to become bitter, offended and hurt. It's how we handle these hurts and offenses that determines our eternal destinies. Joseph, a type of Christ, is a great example who illustrates the providence of the tender mercies of God that will give us grace during our times of attack. When it comes to the wrongs we have endured, the Lord will truly help us, just as He did Joseph, to forget!

By Chris McDonald

TEXT: Genesis 41:51-52 - And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. [52] And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Life is a road. It's a road that does not take fair turns sometime. We are all hurt and offended at one time or another. Sometimes we are genuinely mistreated while at other times we THINK we've been mistreated but really haven't been. This is a story of a man who WAS mistreated and left to die for no other reason than the jealousy and hate of 10 of his 11 other brothers. This story is true and gives us insight on how God deals with us when we allow Him to work out the hurts and wounds of our lives for our good. Our destinies hang in the balance. In some cases, more than destiny hangs in the balance - heaven or hell does!

We know from scripture that Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. The 11th of the 12 sons of Jacob, Joseph was despised by his older brothers because his father favored him and had set him apart with a coat of many colors. Joseph and Benjamin were the two children God gave Jacob through RACHEL, the wife of Jacob's heart. Leah had given birth to the other 10 sons whom we will learn about in this story. Jacob loved Leah but not as much as he loved Rachel and common sense would tell us that Jacob's heart went out to Joseph and Benjamin more than it did the other 10 borne to him by Leah.

In the early part of Joseph's life, around the time he was roughly 18 or 19 years old, God gave Joseph two dreams. In the first dream Joseph saw bound sheaves in a field. His sheaf arose and stoop upright while his brothers' sheaves bowed down to it. In the second dream, he saw the moon, sun and eleven starts (representing his mother, father and 11 brothers) bowing to him. When Joseph told these dreams to his brothers, needless to say, they did not share in his enthusiasm.

Shortly after, his 10 older brothers went to feed their father's flocks in the field. Jacob sent Joseph to see how they were doing. When the older brothers saw Joseph coming, they conspired to kill him saying "'Here comes that dreamer. Let's kill him!' 'Then we shall see what will become of his dreams! He says he is going to be a leader over us. Let him try to lead us when he is dead!'" So they threw him into a pit to die. They took his coat away, tore it, and stained it with animal's blood to convince their father he'd been devoured by a wild beast. The coat of colors had made them jealous of Joseph. The dreams he had had made them HATE Joseph.

Hate Is Born Out Of Jealousy

Genesis 37:3-4 - Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. [4] And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

It's sad today in the church that as Christians we can so easily wind up "hating" one another. Christian ministries sue other ministries for "just causes." Christians go before ungodly judges to settle legal disputes. Divorce rates skyrocket daily with no end in site. We don't speak to another person months upon end because we are offended by something that someone has done or said about us. That's a strong word to use but honestly that is exactly what this emotion is - hate.

The root of this hate is always rooted in jealousy. Just like Joseph's brothers' we envy the "coat of many colors" the Father puts on others when at times it seems He passes over that blessing for us for whatever reason. We see another's anointing and we think things like "why is the Lord using HIM?" or "I can preach and sing better than they can." Those are the words that come from a heart that is selfish, ambitious and worldly - but those are words we hear every day in church circles. We hear it among fellow pastors and worship leaders who seek to gain the public's approval and applause for their own ministry and work. It's like our churches have become used car lots using the latest and most modern gimmicks to get people to attend our services instead of our neighbor's church down the street. Sad, but true. It's the root or spirit that caused these 10 brethren to do what they did to Joseph.

Jacob loved his other 10 sons, just as God did. But Jacob chose to give Joseph a coat of many colors and God chose to bless Joseph with the ability to dream dreams. The other ten brethren did not receive these same gifts or anointing but each one would one day become a tribal head of the greatest nation on the face of the earth - ISRAEL - named after their father. One of the sons, Judah would receive even a greater blessing than a coat of colors - it would be through Judah's lineage that Messiah, the Redeemer, the SAVIOUR of the world, would come. The entire nation would be used by God to bring the world the scriptures, the prophets, the blessings of the coming covenant God would make with Moses, the MESSIAH. From these 11 tribes the world would be blessed with Daniel, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, David, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, Andrew, Titus, Timothy, John the Baptist - and THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! But the Lord had anointed Joseph above the others with gifts and graces they didn't have and it made the other 10 jealous.

Friend, we should not be jealous of another man's ministry or anointing! God has a place for each one of us in His vineyard. I think of the attacks Benny Hinn takes from the secular media and the world and those PALE in comparison to the attacks he takes from within the Body of Christ. So-called men of God who should know better lampoon and lambaste everything that happens in one of Hinn's crusades. My Lord help us, Satan don't need to world attacking the healing power of God - he has the church. We should be shouting happy to see the miracle power of God operate in Benny's crusades. We should be shouting happy to see the millions saved under the ministry of men like Reinhardt Bohnke, T.L. Osborn, R.W. Schambauch, and others. We should rejoice the Lord has given men like Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Hagin the revelations He has on faith and finances. We should be shouting happy when we see men like T.D. Jakes, Rod Parsley and Charles Stanley on TV every week proclaiming the gospel of Christ! But what do we do?

We become jealous of the anointing on these men and we "kill" them. No we don't do it with guns and knives or throw them into a pit - but we slay them with our mouths which is worse. Whatever the graces and anointing He has blessed you with are for YOU - not anyone else! You can't operate under an anointing the Lord has set aside for T.D. Jakes or Ken Copeland. We won't be judged on our anointing - we are going to judged on the integrity of our hearts and how much we kept offense and jealousy from causing us to attack the work of Christ! When we attack another's ministry because we are jealous of something they have that we don't - we are opening ourselves up for offense - and a door for Satan!

The Brothers Throw Joseph In A Pit

After the brothers hatched this plan, they threw Joseph into a pit. At first they planned to just leave him there and make up some story that a wild animal had killed him. However, when they saw a company of Ishmaelite on their way to Egypt, then Judah said, "Hey, wait a minute, guys. If we let him rot in that pit it will not profit us. Let's make some money and sell him as a slave. He will be as good as dead and will never again bother us, and we'll all share the profits!" So they sold him for 20 shekels of silver in type just like Judas, the Lord's "brother" sold him for 30 pieces of silver. Joseph had offended them so they had betrayed him, taking away his inheritance and family. These were Joseph's BROTHERS, not an enemy who did this. They had the same father- Jacob, same flesh, same blood.

At this point, the only fate worse for Joseph would have been for the brothers to physically kill him. In biblical times it was important to have sons. A man's sons carried his name and inherited all he had. Joseph's brothers kept him from receiving his father's name and inheritance. They blotted his name out, completely stripping him of his identity. All that was familiar to Joseph was gone. When a person was sold as a slave to another company, he remained a slave until he died. The woman he married would be a slave, all his children would be slaves and so on. It would have been hard to be born a slave, but it was indescribably worse to be born an heir of wealth with a great fortune only to have it stripped away. It would have been easier if Joseph never knew what could have been. It was as if he were a living dead man. I'm sure he was tempted to wish his brothers HAD KILLED HIM. The point is what the brothers did to Joseph was EVIL and CRUEL!

Some of you reading this right now have had things happen to you that have caused great loss in your life. Whether it's been a bad business deal, a broken promise, a divorce, a failed church relationship, a broken family relationship, a lie someone told on you that got you fired perhaps or even worse, it doesn't matter - the list could go on for ever. Some of these things seem petty compared to other things. Many suffer from years of physical, sexual or mental abuse at the hands of relatives or loved ones. Someone close who you thought you could trust violated that trust and inflicted great harm and caused you to suffer loss just like Joseph. Life at times seem to have a way of putting all of us at one time or another into a pit where there seems no way out. And most of the time when we get out of the pit our situation is not the same as it was when we went into the pit. Joseph went into the pit an heir, he came out a slave. He was at this moment in this story at the crossroads all of us stand when we are done wrong - will we seek revenge on those who hurt us or we will trust God. It sounds trite and easy to say - but it's the choice between eternal life, our destiny with God or hell itself.

Many reading this know what I'm talking about. You're at that crossroads right now. Some have stepped over into the pit and came out with a heart full of bitterness and are wallowing in it right now. Others are contemplating what they plan to do to those who have hurt them. Some are reading this and are not sure what they are going to do. We've all been there. I've been there. Your days go without number or existence. You forget what day is it even sometimes. You feel numb about life in general. You have no feeling. You neither hurt or feel anger. No relief ever comes. You just go day-to-day existing. You may just bust out crying sometime and not be sure why you're crying. You keep thinking things will get better and they just get worse. You get out of the pit thinking all your friends are going to come around and comfort you - and when you get out of the pit - you don't find your friends or brothers - you find the slave traders who have come to take you away. You realize you've been betrayed even further. We've all been there. Joseph was there. Jesus was there. AND YOU AND I have been there! But remember - God is watching.

The Story Continues

Joseph didn't experience this story the way we all know it ends. It looked as if he would never see his father or his God-given dream fulfilled. He was now a slave in a foreign nation. He couldn't leave Egypt. He was the property of another man for LIFE. Joseph was sold to man named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. He served him for about 10 years. He never had word from his family - the only thing he knew was that his father believed he was dead. Their lives in Canaan had gone on without him. Joseph had no hope of a father's rescue - just the life of a slave - but God was watching. As time went on, the Lord granted Joseph favor with the master and was treated well. Potiphar set Joseph over his household and all he had.

But at the same time the conditions were looking up, something went very wrong. Lust was brewing the heart of Potiphar's wife. She had cast longing eyes for Joseph and wanted to commit adultery with him. She tried daily to seduce him, and he refused. One day she was alone with him in the house and cornered him and insisted he lie with her. He refused and ran out, leaving his robe in her clutched hand. When he did this she was shamed and screamed, "RAPE!" As a result, Potiphar had Joseph thrown into Pharaoh's prison.

Now understand that the prisons in Egypt were NOT like the prisons in America! There was no sunlight or workout areas, just a sunken room or pit void of light and warmth. Conditions ranged from crude to dehumanizing. Prisoners were put there to rot as they survived on the bread and water of "affliction." There were given just enough food to survive so they could suffer. David wrote in the Psalms that during this time Joseph's feet were hurt with "fetters, and he was laid in irons." He was put in this dungeon to die. But God was watching.

Psalm 105: 17-18...... He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: [18] Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

If Joseph had been an Egyptian he might have had some chance of release, but as a foreign slave accused of rape, he had little or no hope. Things couldn't have gotten any worse. Joseph had gone as low as a person could go without being dead. If we could hear the thoughts of Joseph heart I'm sure some of his thoughts at this time would have been, "I served my master with honesty and with integrity for over 10 years. I'm more faithful than his wife. I stayed loyal to God and my master, fleeing sexual immorality. What is my reward? A dungeon! It seems the more I try to do right the worse it gets!" 'How could God allow this?" Why hasn't the almighty, covenant God intervened on my behalf? Is this how a loving, faithful God cares for His servants" Why me?' What have I done to deserve this? I only believed I heard from God." I'm sure he wrestled with these thoughts or similar ones. In fact I know he did and will show you how I know that at the end of this journal.

But despite the fact that Joseph had very limited freedom in his physical life, he still had the right to CHOOSE HIS RESPONSE to all that had happened to him. Would he become offended and bitter toward his brothers and eventually GOD? Would he give up all hope of the promise's fulfillment, robbing himself of his last incentive to live? His choice is the same one we have today. And as in the days of Joseph, God was and is watching.

The Source Of Our Hurt We Receive From Others Is Not The Person Inflicting The Hurt

To Joseph the bottom line had to be the brothers. They were the force that had thrown him into the dungeon. Maybe he entertained thoughts of how things would be different once he was in power, when God put him in the position of authority he had seen in the dreams. How different it would all be if his brothers had not "aborted" his future. Because of "my brothers" Joseph said, 'my dad thinks I'm dead and will never come to Egypt to find me.' Perhaps when Joseph had his dreams he saw this as a confirmation of the favor in his life. Maybe in his rush to share this dream with his brothers he had not yet learned that authority is not given to set us apart - it's given to us to SERVE.

It would have been easy for Joseph to become discouraged in all this. Not many of us reading this would have lasted 2 weeks, let alone 12 years in this place Joseph found himself in. Joseph could have wallowed in the despair and looked for someone to blame for his peril. He could have faced the fact that God could have prevented this whole mess and didn't - AND BLAMED God. And God was watching and God was listening.

You see there was something happening behind the scenes of all of this. Satan knew that Joseph was God's instrument and tool to save thousands, perhaps millions of lives in the future. Satan knows the future. He's not like God who is all-knowing, but Satan is a fallen angelic being. He resides in the spirit realm where all things are clear. We see through a glass darkly here on earth. We don't ever get to see the big picture or the war that is being fought over our souls. We only feel the results of that war. There was a war brewing in the heavenlies. Satan had inspired Joseph's brothers to do what they did. Yes, the brothers allowed this and obeyed the voice of disobedience but the source of Joseph's hurt, just like ours, was NOT THE BROTHERS - but Satan. But the object of Joseph's blame was most easily laid upon the 10 people he saw with his natural eyes - the brothers!

We all fall into this trap of assigning blame to others for our problems instead of understanding the source of where these hurts come from. For example we hear these things every day from different people: "If it weren't for my wife, I would be in the ministry." "If it weren't for my parents, I would have had a normal life." If my mom and dad would not have gotten a divorce I would have been so much better off in my own marriage." "If it weren't for my pastor who never recognizes my callings and anointing I would be doing so much for the Kingdom of God. He's the reason I've never fulfilled my ministry destiny. He has turned the people in the church against me." If it weren't for my former wife or husband, I wouldn't be in all this financial trouble." These are minor things but there are bigger ones. "I wouldn't be promiscuous if I had not been abused." "I wouldn't hate men the way I do if I would not have been beaten by my husband." Believe me it's easier - MUCH EASIER - to blame everyone else for our problems and imagine how much better we'd all be if it were not for those around us. We think our disappointment and hurt are their fault.

But the problem and blame doesn't lie with flesh and blood. AND REMEMBER THIS: Absolutely NO MAN, woman, child or the devil can get you out of the will of God! No one but God holds your destiny! WE are the only one who can choose to abort that plan by the choices we make in life concerning the events which shape our lives - good or bad.

The brothers thought they had put an end to Joseph's dreams by sending him to Egypt. They were out to destroy him. But the key in all this was not the brothers and how Satan had used them - it was JOSEPH and how he reacted to what had been done. Had he went into Egypt with a bitter heart and allowed the enemy to inspire revenge against his brothers - Joseph could have very well destroyed the heads of 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel - including JUDAH - whose lineage Christ would descend. But because Joseph stayed free of offense and bitterness the plan of God was established not only for him - but for a nation. That was why Satan did what he did - he wanted to make Joseph so revengeful and angry that in turn he'd turn and kill off the lineage or seed of CHRIST. That's why our responses to wrongs done to us in this life have eternal consequences!

God Was With Him...

Genesis 39:21-23 - But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. [22] And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. [23] The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

Whatever happens to us in the natural realm - remember this - there is a spiritual realm controlling it and God has a plan. If we are God's children NOTHING CAN HAPPEN TO US OUTSIDE HIS PROVIDENCE AND SAY-SO!!!!!!! Satan cannot arbitrarily attack you without God's permission! He can inspire others to attack you but that is done only at the Lord's compliance. Prison was tough on Joseph but it was also the place where the word of the Lord came to him and "tried him." This experience was not for Joseph's determent - it was for his GOOD. When the Lord tries us - WE'RE COMING THROUGH AS GOLD!! Glory to God.

Psalm 105:19-22 - Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him. [20] The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. [21] He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: [22] To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

This prison where Joseph found himself was the place where he could have rotted for the rest of his life. The Bible says "God was with him and showed him mercy, and gave him favor." Friend, God doesn't grant favor to people who are bitter and angry and revengeful. God is not with people who are seeking the hurt of those who hurt them. God's mercy is stopped when we stop showing mercy to others. So in spite of all that had happened to Joseph to this point - Joseph's heart had remained free of offense. If it had not remained free then God would not have been with HIM! But God was watching. And God was with him.

As time passed, Joseph once again found favor even in prison. The day came when two prisoners who were with Joseph, had vivid and disturbing dreams. Joseph interpreted both of their dreams with amazing accuracy. One man was to be restored while the other would be executed. Joseph asked the one about to be restored to remember him when he regained Pharaoh's favor. And just when Joseph thought he had found his way out of prison through the baker - guess what? THE MAN FORGOT HIM. The man returned to Pharaoh's service but TWO YEARS passed and no word ever came from the palace. It was another letdown for Joseph, and another opportunity to get mad and offended - and God was watching. People forget us but God never forgets. The church forgets the many who come and go through our doors and leave hurt and wounded but GOD NEVER FORGETS! And we will be held accountable one day for those we have forgotten about!

But just when Joseph again I'm sure had lost hope of ever being freed from prison, all of a sudden Pharaoh had an alarming dream. None of his magicians or wise men could give him the explanation. It was then that the restored servant remembered Joseph. He shared how Joseph had interpreted his and his companion's dreams in prison. Joseph was then brought before Pharaoh, and he told him what the dream meant - a famine was coming - and wisely instructed him on how to prepare for the crisis. Pharaoh immediately promoted Joseph to second in command over all of Egypt. Joseph, through the wisdom of God had given him, had prepared for the severe famine that was coming.

Exaltation And Exoneration After Humbling And Testing

Genesis 41:40-46 - Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. [41] And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. [42] And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; [43] And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. [44] And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. [45] And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. - [46] And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

In a moment's time all the harshness of what had happened Joseph the past 12 years of his life was erased by one word from Pharaoh- 'I have set thee over ALL the land of Egypt.' He exalted Joseph to the place of governor and king - second only in command to Pharaoh. Child of God - God has got your back! God will in due time exalt you when its time for you to be exalted. God will bring you forth out of the prison you may feel you're in right now. Exaltation is coming! We as believers are already exalted in Christ but we are going to fully reign with HIM one day when He rules this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

The way Pharaoh exalted Joseph is a beautiful type of the exaltation we as believers have through Christ:

The Ring Pharaoh puts on Joseph hands speaks to us of our authority as believers God has given us through His Son JESUS CHRIST.
Joseph was arrayed in vestures of "fine linen" - this speaks of the righteousness God clothed Jesus with that He has given to us through the blood of His cross. We are the "righteousness of God through Christ Jesus!"
Pharaoh placed a gold chain was placed around Joseph's neck - Gold speaks of heaven and deity. We are united with the Father through the Son through the Power of the HOLY GHOST! We are "sealed" with the Holy Spirit! God has marked us for His own - We don't belong to the enemy any longer!
Pharaoh made Joseph to ride in the second chariot the highest in the land under Pharaoh himself - We are made a little lower than the angels in nature - but higher than the angels in God's eternal plan - We are in a way second only to God Himself - through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD - He has placed us in "Heavenly Places," seated with HIM!
Pharaoh made all of Egypt bow the knee to Joseph - One day we all we bow before our Heavenly Joseph and declare that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. Those who are His will also one day judge the world and angels!
Pharaoh gave Joseph a Gentile, Egyptian bride - Asenath - This is a beautiful type of the union of the church - Jew and Gentile - ONE NEW MAN IN CHRIST under GOD (Ephesians 2) It's also a picture of the BRIDE OF CHRIST being given to our Heavenly Joseph.

Famine Is Coming

Genesis 41:46-49 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. [47] And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. [48] And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. [49] And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.

The Lord directs Joseph to carry out a divine plan to preserve grain during the seven years of plenty God foretold in Pharaoh's dream. Joseph obeys and for seven years gathers up "all of the food of the seven years," and lays it up in the cities. He also gathered corn "as the sand of the sea" to the point it was without "number." A famine is coming to this world very soon. In some cases it's already here. We have a famine of the true preaching of the gospel and the WORD OF GOD. People are starving to death for a real word from heaven. The church is feeding the world sweets but its not satisfying the deep hunger in mankind for something more than just a gimmick or a game.

A more serious famine is on the horizon. Things are about to get worse in this world and the Lord is looking and watching for some Joseph's who are in the dungeon now but will one day be exalted to a place where the Lord can use them to save others. This is the church's greatest hour and her greatest challenge. We are facing the greatest time when men need JESUS more so than any other time in human history. I believe without blinking that THIS GENERATION will see the coming of the Lord - the rapture of the church. Then the world we know will be plunged into a dark time of Tribulation and FAMINE. One of the six seals John saw in Revelation was the outbreak of worldwide famine. It's coming friend. The only salvation from this time is believing on our Heavenly "JOSEPH" the Lord Jesus Christ! He is the bread of heaven that will keep us fed during the time of famine and want. Glory to God.

The key to all of this? Not allowing the wrongs of life to offend us and harden our hearts through sin and unbelief. People today are so cynical it's terribly sad. We must always recognize God is in total control of what is happening to us.

The Lord Will Help Me To Forget...

There have been times I have read this story and thought "boy, Joseph was a tremendously godly man who had no problem forgiving his brothers." I would pause and say 'How can any of us who read this story think it should be that hard to forgive others who have hurt us?' Then I read this story one day and the Holy Spirit caused something to jump off the pages and pierce my heart like an arrow. It was the way Joseph named his two boys who were born during his time in Egypt. In Bible days a name meant a LOT. It would alter the destiny of many people whom would come after Joseph such as Samson, Gideon, John the Baptist, Samuel, Moses and JESUS. He named one son EPHRAIM, which means, "the Lord will make me fruitful in my time of affliction." And the other one he named "MANASSEH" which means THE LORD WILL HELP ME TO FORGET.

You see what I'm proposing in this journal is not easy. It's not easy sometimes to forget the hurts and pains of life and the wrongs we have been caused by others. Joseph didn't wake up one morning and say "whoopee!, I'm a king of Egypt now and everything is fine." Believe me, not a day went by in Joseph's life in Egypt that he didn't remember what had been done to him. And that's the hardest part of forgiveness - forgetting. Joseph battled the same emotions we battle today. He was nothing more than a man in whom the Spirit of God rested on and was IN. But when it came time to name his children he laid before him an eternal monument that would forever help him in his quest to keep his heart pure and holy before God and void of offense toward his brothers.

Every time he called Ephraim to his lap, Joseph would be reminded of how the Lord made him fruitful in the land of affliction. But when he called Manasseh to his lap, it was not that the Lord would help him remember something about Egypt - it was the fact the Lord was going to help him to FORGET something - the hurt and wounds of his past experiences. And that's what some of you reading this journal need to do right NOW - you need to FORGET ABOUT IT! You need to let it go and FORGET about what's been done to hurt and wound you. You need to forget the losses you have suffered at the hands of others. You say "I can't forget it - it's too painful. I want revenge. I want justice!" Friend, NONE OF US WANTS JUSTICE! We all want MERCY and God's mercy does not condone SIN - but it releases us in seeing the fact that vengeance rests with an eternally FAIR and JUST GOD who loves ALL HUMANITY - even our enemies.

In human terms - you're probably right - it's hard to forget about it on our own. BUT THE LORD WILL HELP YOU TO FORGET! He helped Joseph to forget and He will help you to forget as well. Joseph forever altered the destiny of a nation because He refused to allow the pit and prison experiences of Egypt to get into his spirit and cause him to rot inside. But it was not as easy as just 1-2-3. He had to have help. And you and I have to have help too. BUT THE LORD WILL HELP US TO FORGET!

In the New Covenant, Paul told us that forgetting those things in our past was one step in pressing ahead to the future:

Philip. 3:12-14 - Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. [13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, [14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

There's a beautiful song I used to sing a long time ago called "He Chose Me." One of the lines in that song says, "I will not look back on the things left behind....He chose me to follow Him." Friend, for us to follow Jesus, we must forget the things left behind and move forward. Eternity is very long. Whatever the wrong is it's not worth you missing out on God and heaven and burning in hell forever consumed with wrath and vengeance. Vengeance is not ours- it's Gods. But if what's happened has consumed you to the point you can't let it go - pray and ask God to send you a Manasseh. He will! And He will help you to forget. God will deal with our enemies! But the way God deals with our enemies is not man's way. God wants our enemies reconciled to us and to HIM! He's not after their destruction - He's wanting us to be used as a tool for their salvation and deliverance just like Joseph was going to be used as a tool for the deliverance and edification of his brothers!

This story continues on in another journal. God brings reconciliation between Joseph, the brothers who wronged him, and Jacob, the father who thought he was dead, but yet was alive. And oh, what an ending! Praise God.

Heavenly Father, I come to you today in Jesus name asking You to touch every reader who is reading this journal today and they are hurting and angry over something that has happened to them that has been unfair or in their minds at least seemed unfair. Lord, some of us have been torn to pieces inside by life's harshness at times. Some things that have been done to us Lord. Some of these things Lord may even have been our own fault and some things may not have been our fault. Whatever the case Lord Jesus help us to FORGET those things which are behind us and press on our God-called destinies where we can be a source of salvation to a world that is dying of famine, hunger and thirst. Help us be a light to the lost by not showing revenge or hate when we are wronged, but by showing forth Your love and mercy and forgiveness to those who have "trespassed" against us. We do this Lord because You forgave us when we too trespassed against YOU and others as well. And like the parable - we "had nothing that we could pay" to erase that debt we owed to You. YOU PAID THAT DEBT Lord Jesus in full FOR US and we thank you for that today. Heal our hearts of festering wounds and touch us in the areas of our life prone to bitterness and unresolved guilt. Close the doors we have opened to the enemy. HEAL US by YOUR SPIRIT and YOUR BLOOD You shed on Calvary's cross! And help us to forget those things which have hurt us, Lord. Help us to forget the pain of our past so we can push ahead to the glory of our future IN YOU. In Jesus name, Amen.

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