Part 5 of a 5-Part family devotional by Brent Lanigan
As of this writing, it has been 13 weeks since our world went into the daily reality of quarantining and social distancing. Before March 12, very few of us had ever heard of COVID-19 or the terms related to it – such as flattening the curve and personal protective equipment. And now, almost 3 months later, living in a COVID-19 world has become our regular routine.
But getting used to living in a world with rules and protocols related to COVID-19 does not make things easier, does it? Our lives have been drastically interrupted by this virus and it has caused us a lot of heartache, frustration, fear and anxiety.
At times like this it is important to turn to the Bible and draw strength and hope from the stories of biblical characters who went through similar duress in their lives but saw God carry them through it. Specifically, I think of the story of Joseph in Genesis 37, 39-45. Over the next 5 devotionals, we will discover what we can learn about God from Joseph’s life. Are you ready? Let’s begin…
Part 5: God Never Forgets Us
Genesis 41: 1, 8-12, 14 (ICB) Two years later the king had a dream. The next morning the king was troubled about these dreams. So he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. The king told them his dreams. But no one could explain their meaning to him. Then the chief officer who served wine to the king said to him, “I remember something I promised to do. But I had forgotten about it. There was a time when you were angry with me and the baker. You put us in prison in the house of the captain of the guard. In prison we each had a dream on the same night. Each dream had a different meaning. A young Hebrew man was in the prison with us. He was a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he explained their meanings to us.” So the king called for Joseph. The guards quickly brought him out of the prison. He shaved, put on clean clothes and went before the king.
Story Snippet: Though God was with Joseph in prison, Joseph was not set free right away. He was in jail for quite a long time. Yet the awesome part of this story is that Joseph did not stay in prison for the rest of his life. God had a plan to release Joseph from jail by using Joseph’s gift to interpret dreams. A former prisoner that Joseph had cared for while both were in jail now worked for the king. And this ex-prisoner told Pharaoh about Joseph and how he could interpret the dream that Pharaoh had had the night before. When Pharaoh heard this, he instantly released Joseph from prison! Was that God’s plan for Joseph? You bet it was!
Lesson For Us
Joseph had been in jail at least 2 years. No matter how hard it was for Joseph to be in jail, he had to keep trusting that God had not forgotten about him and that God still loved him very much. Sometimes, things do not always go the way we want. Like right now, during the COVID crisis. We cannot go to church or Circle of Friends or day program. We can’t go swimming or even to the library. But that does not mean that God does not love us. It does not even mean that God has forgotten us. Sometimes, God just wants us to trust him more, to remind us that he has not forgotten us, even in the times when life seems bad or blah. It is so assuring to know that God our Father never forgets about us, even when things seem bad, frustrating or confusing in life!
Verse To Remember
God will not leave you or forget you. Deuteronomy 31:6b (ICB)
Questions To Discuss
1) Do you think Joseph still felt loved by God even when he was in jail?
2) Do you think that Joseph ever felt like God had forgotten about him in jail?
3) Do you find it hard to trust God in bad, frustrating or confusing times?
4) What does God want you to remember about him during bad, frustrating or confusing times?
Prayer
Dear God, help me to remember that you never ever forget about me. Help me to understand how much you love me, even when things do not happen the way I want them to. Help me to trust you in those times when things don’t happen the way I want them to. Amen.