Forgotten

https://odb.org/2023/08/14/forgotten

Joseph in the Bible is the epitome of faithfulness. He is someone betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery and, as a slave was wrongly accused by his master’s wife of trying to take advantage of her. He ended up in jail for that and stayed there for quite a number of years (some believed, 13 years). Yet despite all that, he stayed true and faithful to God. As a result, God was with him throughout it all. God also gave him a special talent that originated from God Himself. It is the ability to interpret dreams. It is a prophetic gift, and Joseph is careful to always attribute his gift back to God.

In the story of the Pharaoh’s cupbearer that ended up in jail with Joseph, Joseph interpreted a dream for him that foresaw him being released and back to his job in 3 days. Although Joseph asked him to put in a good word for him to the Pharoah as he was incinerated based on a false accusation, the cupbearer forgot and only remembered two years later. See Genesis 40.

Ultimately, Joseph ended up in Pharaoh’s court and became the prime minister of Egypt, which led to the entire Jacob clan, the Hebrews, being rescued from the great famine and drought that came later. The Jews became slaves to the Egyptians after Joseph passed away, and the Pharoah changed. 436 years later, God raised Moses to bring them back to the land of the Hebrews in Canaan.

In our lives, we probably have helped others before, one way or another. There was a colleague of mine who had taken advice I gave like 23 years back, and he still remembers and appreciates that advice till today. But there could be many that may have simply forgotten us and our help. They are like the Pharaoh’s cupbearer.

I think when it comes to good deeds done in the past, it’s more important that God remembers. The person we helped may have long forgotten us and our help, but not God. The LORD will always remember. Even those anonymous instances of us being kind to the next driver by allowing him to pass or when we gave up our place in the queue for someone older or with much more groceries or when we gave up our seat in the bus or train for a pregnant lady. Jesus remembers everything, especially the good things we have done in our humanity, despite our fleshy nature.

Like the poor woman who gave her only two pennies to God, Jesus remembers all our good deeds, even our struggles to honour Him and our determination to remain faithful to Him by doing right. Don’t despair when our bosses, friends, and colleagues forget us and our contributions and kind gestures. Like in the case of Joseph, if we remain faithful to God and His causes, He is with us. We can, therefore, be like Joshua and Caleb going into the Promised Land – be strong and courageous, for I, the Great I Am, am with you!