God sent me – Part 1
Your pain has a purpose!
Genesis 40:14"Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.”
I guess the worse attacks come while you are on the verge of reaching your miracle, deliverance, healing and blessing. I shiver as I write this portion, because 11 years of solitary confinement inside a prison would make anyone go bonkers, but if Joseph was able to explain the dreams to the baker and cupbearer with poise and precision, then surely God had not left the prison where Joseph was lodged even for a sec; nevertheless, after 11 years Joseph gets nervous and unstable. Do you feel that way today?
On that particular day(like many of us) Joseph felt he was forgotten and there were none to bail him out, Joseph failed to understand that the very gift of interpreting dreams had come from God. When our spiritual sight gets blurred then we fail to see God in the room with us! Anybody listening? Actually God was preparing Joseph for an incredible and jaw-dropping position inside the palace (not outside in the Egyptian field) that needed molding in isolation.
In the year 2009 after we relocated to Hyderabad, I had no clue what I was supposed to do, I was faithfully doing the little things that God brought my way. In the year 2011, we forayed into the education arena and started the 100 percent free for the poor school, Abide School in Hyderabad with 7 kids who belong to the rag pickers family ( you can click HERE for that pic) I used to cook food for them and leave home by 6.30 am in the morning because the parents would leave them at School that early since they go for their duty. Well, there were days I felt forgotten, forlorn and forsaken because this kind of job was no fun but tedious. I remember when the progress of the school was slow, I felt unsteady and I remember a day when I called a secular institution and requested them if they could send some children. Nothing happened. In the year 2012, children trickled in and then it bloomed into a full blown Middle school with Telangana Government recognition.
God has got you in His mind.
God sent me – part 2
Genesis 45:5"Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”
Our past sufferings should not be looked upon with ‘miserable or poor-me’ attitude, then we would never get wholesome in our walk with God, we should be able to look at the ‘accused ‘(his own brothers) and tell them, you thought you sold me here but the good news is that ‘God sent me’ here. Joseph had arrived at an awesome stage with God! He understood the big picture of his life! Look, Joseph even named his children that depicted his peace and joy, the firstborn was named as Manasseh, “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” The second one was called Ephraim, which meant, ”For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”(Genesis 41:51,52) Hurray!
During my initial days of salvation, I got to read some wonderful books that further drew me closer to God, one of them was ‘Dare to call me Father’ by Bilquis Sheik a Pakistan woman. After her encounter with God, she was able to look at the photograph of her ex-husband without bitterness or anger anymore and understand, ‘ the divorce and the pain also played a role in enlightening her eyes to experience the true living God.’ Let me pause here and speak to someone who is carrying a heavy luggage of past hurts and say, ‘this was also meant to bring you closer to God, so today lay it aside and get free, do not do a replay of it anymore.’ Any amount of therapy cannot bring you out from depression only the Word of God and His healing power can do wonders. Cheer up my friend!
The ‘God-sent-journey’ in the life of Joseph was not a pleasurable one though, he was put in the pit by his own brothers, picked up from the pit and sold to the Midianites who carried him away to Eqypt and sold him to Potiphar, from there he was falsely accused and put in the prison cell for 13 years. Imagine! Despite all this, Joseph eventually understood all this was for a higher purpose! When the whole Egypt saluted Joseph, he stood awed at the goodness of God and never remembered anymore of the way he was despised back at home by his own brothers. Please wait patiently until God fulfills His plan in your life.
God sent me- part 3
Genesis 42:7”As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food."
What you sow is what you reap
God sometimes takes us through a painful journey so that as we navigate down the labyrinth of life, we get a flashback of all the atrocities that we had done, we got to be humble enough to identify the flaws, and make changes. This path is intended for your correction, consecration and redemption. When a rude, harsh boss screams at you day in and day out, think of the times you screamed at people at your home, think of the times you broke the hearts of your loved ones with your insolent and brash attitudes. It would come back to you one day! No escape. Anybody listening?
How does it feel when someone refuses to speak to you or lift the phone when you call? As you sit there with a broken heart , think of the times you hurt other people and brought confusion among people and broke relationships. Are you hearing me? God watches all the wrong and wickedness and impetuousness committed, He would at the right time take you through some ‘difficult situations’, so that you understand and repent (sadly, not many change though). This is crucial, through the fog of hurt you should be able to see what God is doing and how He is trying to use this. God is keen on building you and not destroying, so take everything in the right spirit. I went through terrible complications during the pregnancy period of my second son which actually brought me to Christ(Click testimony to read more) then I underwent further two major operations which further crucified all that is flesh in my life and actually chiseled me to be His matured servant.
The anger and rudeness on the part of Joseph and all the drama in hiding the silver cup in the sack of Benjamin was all intended to bring the brothers to deep repentance. Purification of heart comes through affliction. Take the mockery, gossip spirit away from you if not God would deal with it harshly. Repent.
