The Soil of Suffering

“God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”   Genesis 41:52

 

“Sir, you have another son.”  Joseph smiled and settled back to catch his breath.  The speed of life was moving faster than he could have ever imagined.  One moment he had been in prison; the next he had been standing in Pharaoh’s court interpreting a royal nightmare.  Seven years of feast would be followed by seven years of famine, and Egypt had better be ready.  Pharaoh knew a good (and Godly) man when he saw one, so Joseph had been appointed Prime Minister to prepare for the coming catastrophe.

With the position came a nice wardrobe, new wheels, and a wife, and God added to the bounty by blessing the couple with two baby boys.  Little Manasseh arrived first, helping Joseph forget his past troubles as he focused on his precious family, and then Asenath gave birth to a second son.

Joseph named the baby Ephraim, which means “twice fruitful” in Hebrew, and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering”(Gen. 41:52).  Egypt had been a place of pain for Joseph.  The hurt of betrayal had been layered with the indignity of slavery, the struggle of temptation, and the sting of injustice.  The consequences of others’ choices had caused him years of grief, and he had suffered much for their sins.  

Yet, right there, in Egypt, in the place of Joseph’s pain, God made him fruitful. The squirming newborn in his arms was a loud and clear reminder that God delights in reshaping and refilling broken hearts.

Just because you’re down doesn’t mean you’re out.  Your place of anguish can become your place of abundance for God’s grace seems to grow best in the soil of our suffering. 

Let Him fix you up, fill you up, and make you fruitful.

Right where you are. 

But God...

“‘I cannot do it,’ Joseph replied to Pharaoh, ‘but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’” Genesis 41:16  

 

Pharaoh’s dreams had him troubled, but the wise guys couldn’t tell him why.  Why did the skinny cows feast on the fat ones?  Why did the shriveled grain swallow up the good?  And why were there seven of everything?  No one seemed to have answers for Pharaoh’s angst until the royal butler suddenly remembered Joseph.  (Two years before, Joseph had interpreted the butler’s dream of release from prison and restoration to Pharaoh’s court, but, until that very moment, the butler had forgotten all about him.)  Since Pharaoh was seeking solutions, no matter the source, “Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon”(Gen.41:14).

The most powerful man in the world looked at the lowly convict who stood before him and said, “I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it” (Gen. 41:15).  What more could Joseph have asked for?  This was his big break, his perfect chance, his one shot to shine, so he took a deep breath and calmly replied, “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires”(Gen. 41:16).

I doubt Joseph paused very long between the announcement of his inability and the assurance of divine reliability (no need to cause Pharaoh further concern), but his words reveal a wise man who understood a wonderful truth.  When we can’t, God can.  (And even when we can, that’s because of God too.)  In other words, it’s good to know your limits, but it’s better to know God is limitless.

A flood destroyed life on the earth, “but God remembered Noah.”

King Saul searched intently for David, “but God did not give David into his hands.”

Jealous Jews put Jesus to death on the cross, “but God raised him from the dead.”

“But God…”  Two small words.  Many big results.  

When given the opportunity, humbly state what you can’t do, and gladly state what God can do.  Unlike Joseph, you probably won’t end up running a country, but like Joseph, the outcome will always be amazing.

“But God…”

Pen Pals

“Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison.”   Genesis 39:20

William Congreve was right.  “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” and Potiphar’s wife was living proof.  Angered by Joseph’s refusal to rendezvous, she accused him of attempted rape and submitted his coat as evidence.  Since slaves had no defense and the deed appeared undeniable, Joseph was slung in the slammer. 

Where was God when Joseph was unjustly punished?  What was He doing as Joseph did time for an uncommitted crime?  Is this the way God treats his faithful children?  Prison seems a poor reward for choosing right over wrong. 

But the jail cell was just where God wanted Joseph.  In prison he was protected from Mrs. Potiphar.  She couldn’t sink her claws into his cloak or his conscience while he was behind bars.  And although Joseph was locked inside, God wasn’t banned to the outside.  “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him”(Gen. 39:21).   In the injury of injustice, he was never alone.  God was his constant companion and his comfort.

God was in control, using Joseph’s jail time to prepare him for future responsibilities. “God showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there”(Gen 39:21-22). The administrative skills learned at Potiphar’s house were sharpened and strengthened as Joseph managed the angry and afraid inmates.

The distress of those incarcerated with him became an opportunity for Joseph to show compassion.  “When Joseph came to them [two of the prisoners] the next morning, he saw that they were dejected.”  He connected with their concerns because of the ache in his own soul, and he showed them he cared.  “So he asked them, ‘Why are your faces so sad today?’”(Gen. 40:7).  Eventually, God used the contacts made in prison to provide Joseph’s way out of jail and into Pharaoh’s court, but his days in custody made a difference for the rest of his life.

Our prison days have a purpose.  A miscarriage of justice doesn’t mess up God’s plan.  He is sovereign and sure of what He allows.  When you suffer because of someone else, don’t cower in your cell under a blanket of bitterness.  You might pay a penalty you don’t deserve, but there can be gain in the pain and God’s presence will become more precious.  He can use your isolation to insulate you from further anguish, and He will prepare you for the next part of His plan.  Your distress can give you empathy to reach out and relate to others whose hearts are also hurting, and, in His timing, God will provide the way out by His gracious work in you and through you.

God can do a lot when we’re doing time.

Don’t get tough.  Let Him make you tender. And always trust.