“And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Genesis 41:50-52
God made Joseph forget all his toil in his father’s house. Up until this point Joseph lived a life of heartache and pain. To say he had a rough upbringing would be a understatement for sure. Joseph grew up in an environment that our modern day system would consider unfit without a doubt. He witnessed rape (34:2), murder (34:25-26), incest (35:22), deception (34:13), and betrayal (37:28).
As I type out everything this family experienced I had to ask myself does being “the favored one” in this type of family dynamic even matter? Could a coat of many colors erase all that Joseph had seen and experienced? And if it was any consolation, sadly it too is stripped away.
BUT GOD…
God has made Joseph forget the toil of his father’s house, and y’all, not just forget but God caused Joseph to be fruitful in the land of his affliction. All the heartache, and evil Joseph was exposed to didn’t stop God’s plan for his life.
This is the most beautiful picture of redemption, of restoration, of God’s sovereign ways.
Right now, in this moment, think of where you came from. What hurt you? What were you exposed to? What toil have you lived, (Maybe you are living it now)? Now raise up your Ebenezer Stone (1 Samuel 7:12) and praise God for bringing you this far. REMEMBER we serve a God that takes all of our disappointments and everything that was intended to destroy us and uses it for His goodness. When we walk in the path and plan of God Almighty, our past affliction produces beautiful fruit. We serve a God of faithful promises!
Make a mental list of God’s blessings as you go about your day and thank God for being a God of redemption, and restoration. Give Him your hurts and your heart and watch Him turn the toil of your past into a future full of good fruit!