Wednesday, June 14, 2023
It happens to everybody at some point in your life. Maybe it happens even more than once, and no one enjoys the experience of being devastated. Maybe you’ve been wrongfully accused or lost a position that you loved. There can be terrible diagnosis given, people you love may turn on you. When these things happen, we have to make a choice. Will we be destroyed by them, or will we get up and keep moving forward, trusting that G-d is still on the throne, and He is still good. How do we 'heal' from these wounds?
Thinking about Joseph in the account of all he went through is a model for us of 'healing' when you’ve been devastated. (Genesis 39-50) Joseph’s hurt started from within his own family when his brothers decided to get rid of him, and he suddenly went from the position of the favorite of his father to being a slave in Egypt. Quite a downgrade! But G-d had plans, and Joseph did not become bitter, nor did he sulk about the healing process he had to go through. No! He showed his true colors by doing what was right in the face of all the odds that were against him. And he rose in power in this strange land – a land he had never expected to be in. And he was lied about in his new leadership role there too and ended up in prison. But he still did what was good in the eyes of the only One who matters. Eventually, years later. He was exonerated and elevated to an even higher position than before his imprisonment which would allow him to save the very ones who had initiated the process to make him appear as dead.
What was Joseph’s secret? He kept doing the right thing. He did not yield to temptation. He stayed focused on today and putting one foot in front of the other – going forward. He trusted G-d. And over and over again, we are told throughout this account that, 'G-d was with Joseph,' (Gen. 39:2a and others).
Those are the critical words. G-d is with you too, when evil seems to be winning, when the props get knocked out from under you and nothing seems to make sense – G-d is with you. And the question is: How do we 'heal?' We get up. We put one foot in front of the other. We stay in the Word allowing Holy Spirit to speak to us. We know yesterday cannot be changed, so we move forward in the truth that G-d is good and He never changes – He will do something good through this if we leave yesterday behind and move forward.
This is how the Lord puts it: Philippians 3:13-15 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Remember the goal – the upward call - the goal never changes though our circumstances do! He is calling you UP! Get up – He is with you – He is good – He wants to take you higher!
This is how we heal!
