Last year I
turned the big 3-0, and so for my birthday my parents had planned a trip for me
without knowing it to the Cape, where I used to stay and where many of my
friends lived. At first my parents kept the secret well, although I had my
suspicions since I knew we were going somewhere. Then I visited my aunt, and
she let it slip that we were heading to the Cape. I remember the disappointment
of having found out the surprise before it happened. I was so sad and disappointed
that while cooking that night I burned my hand, I called it my disappointment
scar.
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| Disappointment scar |
At a young
age Joseph had gotten a promise from God that he would be a leader, and that
his brothers and even father would bow down to him. Although he was perhaps a
bit arrogant in sharing his dreams, God used even his mistakes for God’s
greater purpose. Can you imagine the disappointment when his brothers first
tried to throw him into a pit then tried to sell him. Imagine the hurt as he
traveled to a foreign land, wandering where the promises of God where. Then he
gets sold as a slave, and he begins to prosper, and he may be feeling grateful
that things are starting to go his way. And temptation pops up in the form of his
master’s wife. Joseph does the right thing and runs away from temptation; but
instead of being rewarded he gets thrown into prison! Doing the right thing
isn’t always easy and it doesn’t result in instant great results, but it still
is right! Can you imagine what Joseph
was thinking in a wet, dark smelly dungeon? But even in Joseph’s lowest point,
God lets him gain favour. Lots of people speak of the favour of God, but I
wander how many would be willing to have the favour of God in the dark prisons
of their lives. I wander if Joseph struggled to fight bitterness as he thought
of the promises of leadership, while being a slave/prisoner. Then there came an
opportunity to interpret the dream of the cup-bearer who was soon to return to Pharaoh,
but alas this too ended up in disappointment. Only later when Pharaoh had a
dream did the cup bearer remember Joseph, and through God’s gift of dream
interpretation did he get see free and become a leader. It is said that Joseph
stayed in prison for a long time- enough time to get disappointed and
bitter. Did Joseph grow bitter? No, as we can see in Gen 50:20 “ for you, you
meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many
people should be kept alive” he understood that although his brothers were
wrong and did evil, God redeemed the situation, i.e. he turned evil to good. (For the whole story of Joseph see Gen 37-50).
How then can
we avoid disappointment from causing bitterness to grow in our hearts? Heb 12:15
says “See to it that no one fails to
obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and
causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” So we see that it is the grace of God that we need to attain, to diligently
seek God’s grace that prevents bitterness to sprout. From Joseph’s life we can
learn to trust God’s hand over our mistakes, and the mistakes of others; to be
faithful where we are and remind ourselves that no matter the disappointment/sin
God can still turn around. (And for those interested the trip ended up being
amazing and included a surprise party, which was a surprise).
May the LORD bless you to trust Him
May He keep you in his grace
May His face shine upon you in your
hard times.
And give you peace, even in your
disappointment
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| My surprise party :) |
