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, (Philippians 3:13)
Joseph is no longer a teenage boy when we come to Genesis chapter forty-one. Pharaoh recognized him as a man who knew God. He interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was exalted to a position next to Pharaoh in Egypt. (You can read this account in Genesis 41:41-57.)
God revealed to Joseph that there would be seven years of plenty, then seven years of famine. Joseph stored up during the years of plenty, and when the famine came, Egypt became a breadbasket for the world.
The Bible says in Genesis 41:50-52 that Joseph and his wife Asenath had two sons. The names of these sons reflected what had taken place in Joseph’s life. He named his first son Manasseh, declaring, “For God…hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.” He named his second son Ephraim, saying, “For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Our Forgetting
Notice in Genesis 41:51 that Joseph named his firstborn son Manasseh, “For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.” This does not mean that Joseph forgot his father and his brothers. It means that he was able to get over the heartache and go on living. He was able to go beyond his afflictions and live a victorious life.
Many people live in the past. They will not forgive; they are unwilling to get over what has happened to them. The Bible says that God can give us grace to forget the things which are behind (Philippians 3:13-14). There is a time to stop crying and start living again—this is accomplished by God’s grace.
We live in a world that is not perfect, filled with people who are not perfect. However, in the midst of this, we must not fail to see the goodness of God.
Our Fruitfulness
God gave Joseph two sons. One represented what was gone, and one represented what was given. The Bible says in Genesis 41:52 that he named his second son Ephraim, “For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” In spite of all that had gone wrong, Joseph could see God’s blessings. You see, it was in Egypt, not Canaan, that Joseph made up his mind to find contentment in God’s will.
Joseph recognized that God had him in Egypt for a purpose. When Joseph was taken from his homeland, he had no family. Yet, look what God did. God gave him a wife and two sons. When Joseph was sold into Egypt, he had no position. Yet, look what God did. He made Joseph as Pharaoh in the land. Joseph thought, “God has given me so much.” He named his son Ephraim because he saw the blessings of God during the days of affliction.
We do not know how long we will live on this earth, but we can make the most of the lives we have left by yielding to the Lord Jesus Christ. We find the peace of God only as we surrender to the will of God. This is an imperfect world, but we can see God’s blessings even in affliction.
Our Faithful Lord
If you want to see the blessings of God during affliction, you can. How? Because the Bible says, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful…” (2 Timothy 2:13a). Our Lord is faithful. He was with Joseph both in Hebron and in prison. Throughout all our earthly journey, He will be faithful to us. He has never failed.
If we are going to live victoriously, we must, by faith, see the Lord in the midst of our situation. God is faithful, and we can trust Him. Even in affliction, His blessings are all around us.