We sing a chorus in Yoruba which I imagine that Joseph would actually have sung.
The song goes thus:
“O ti mu mi gbagbe o, ibanuje igba kan
Ase were nise Oluwa….”
It translates in English:
“You have made me forget a sorrowful or an unfortunate event. So, God works in most unexpected ways…”
Were we around to witness what happened before God lifted Joseph, we would have thought that he would never have prevailed over his ordeal -Mrs Potiphar’s scandal especially! The most unpleasant conditions or event may waylay you. It is part of the workings of the God to strengthen you, to put to work your spiritual arsenal, so as to get you to your place of destiny, the ultimate of which is eternal life (Eph. 6:10-18; Gal. 5:22).
Joseph was hated by his brothers. They sold him to slavery, abandoned him to fate! He was forgotten by his colleagues. Finally he was incriminated by Mrs Potiphar. Hear Joseph: “how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God.” (Genesis 39:6-20).
The word ‘forget’ in the Bible is spiritually different from the word in the secular sense. Satan is a testing agent (Job 1:8-12). He derives pleasure from a Christian’s failures. But when a Christian overcomes Satan in his trials, he is in a state of testimony; he can then claim that he has forgotten his troubles because the troubles are of no consequence.
Hear Joseph again: “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” What a level of forgiveness and faith in God! Genesis 45:5.
With faith, obedience and a heart of generous forgiveness, let us do away with vengefulness, vindictive attitudes and blaming. Let us turn our adversities to opportunities which should serve as stepping stones to our destinies.
What are your own trials? What are those things that waylay you in life? Continue in faith and obediences and God will help you to “forget” your troubles.
