It’s Pays to Forgive (Part 2)
It Pays to Forgive (Part 2)
After everything was said and done Joseph was made the second man in charge under Pharoah. Joseph brothers came to Egypt because of the famine in the land and they needed food. They didn’t know who Joseph was, but he knew who they were. You’re probably thinking to yourself why God didn’t step in to help Joseph out of what he was going through. Why does God do a lot of things that he does? Neither you nor I know the answer to that. I only know that his timing is always right. I can only say he will do what is best. Though you may hear nothing, he is speaking. Though you see nothing, he is acting. With God there are no accidents. Every accident is intended to bring us closer to him. “God will always give what is right to his people… (Luke 18:7).” Joseph had a lot of faith that the Lord would see him through any and everything that he went through.
Faith is not in our ability to barter gifts in exchange for God’s goodness. Faith is not given to the riches or the poorest person. It’s not something given to the person that can sing the best hymn, pray the best prayer, or even preach the best sermon. Faith is a dive from a sinking boat of human effort and a prayer that God will be there to pull us out of the water. “Let us come near God with a sincere heart and a sure faith… (Heb. 10:22).”
On Joseph’s journey through his life he didn’t know how long it was going to be before God brought him out of what he was going through. He waited until his change came while forgiving those who hurt him. There is no emotion that imprisons the soul more than the unwillingness to forgive. You should be one the one that says even though he did me wrong, I’m going to be like Christ. I’ll be the one saying “Forgive them, Father, they don’t know what they’re doing.’’’ “If you suffer for doing well, and you are patient, then God is pleased (1 Pet. 2:20).’’
When you forgive, healing begins to take place. It’s a step that otherwise we wouldn’t be able to take without the power of forgiveness. God’s help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek it. “The Lord is close to everyone who prays to him, to all who truly pray to him (Ps 145:18). When the one who knew no sin became sin for us, when the sinless one was covered with all the sins of the world, God didn’t call his army of angels to save him. He didn’t, because he knew he would rather give up his son than give up on us. Regardless of what you’ve done, it’s not too late. It doesn’t matter how low the mistake is, it’s not too late to dig down, pull out that mistake, and then let it go-and be free. What makes a Christian a Christian is not perfection but forgiveness. “Christ had no sin, but God made him sin so that in Christ we could become right with God (2 Cor. 5:21).”
Joseph knew that God was hearing his prayers. He knew that he could talk to God because God listens. You can talk to God just like Joseph did. Your voice is being heard, and it matters in heaven. He takes every one of us seriously. When you enter his presence, he turns so that he can hear you. No need to think that you are being ignored. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you say may not impress someone else, it impresses God, and he listens. “I cry out to the Lord; I pray to the Lord for mercy (Ps. 142:1).”
One of the things that the Lord desires is that there is peace on earth. Peace comes about when everyone learns to forgive. If only you knew that the Lord came to help and not condemn. If only you knew that tomorrow will be better than today. If only you knew the gift that he has for you. Trust that God is in your corner. Trust that God wants what is best for us.
Forgiveness for us today is not something that will be an easy task, but with prayer all things are possible. “When a believing person prays, great things happen (Jam.5: 16).” We need to let Joseph be our example on how to forgive. He may not have fought back like us, but his willingness to forgive gave him favor with God. We need to start letting Joseph strength be our strength also.
God wants us to be just like Jesus. “We are like clay, and you are the potter; your hands made us all (Isaiah 64:8).” If our bodies malfunction, we seek help. Shouldn’t we do the same for our hearts? Of course we should. Jesus can change our hearts. He wants us to have a heart like his. When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us. God’s justice and love are equally honored. And you, God’s creation, are forgiven. But the story doesn’t end with God’s forgiveness…. It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name.
How important is it that we pray, armed with the knowledge that God is in heaven. Pray with any lesser conviction and your prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow. But spend some time walking in the workshop of the heavens, seeing what God has done, and watch how your prayers are energized. “The heavens tell the glory of God.” (Ps. 19:1)