My greatest example of forgiveness was given to me by a very dear friend. I watched my friend struggle with what appeared to be an insurmountable trial. Their child had been intentionally harmed by someone else. As the family struggled with overcoming the effects, the patriarch of the family humbly approached the offender and his family. He told them that he had forgiven them.
As I pondered his wonderful example and the genuine forgiveness of this man despite the harm to his child, the story of Joseph of old came to the forefront of my mind. Joseph was one of Israel’s twelve sons. His father loved him completely and with all of his heart because he was the firstborn of his beloved Rachel.
Joseph’s brothers were envious of the love that he received from their father. In jealousy and rage, they threw him into a pit. They explained to their father that his beloved son had been torn to pieces by wild beasts. Imagine the agony and despair of Israel or the longing of Joseph who had been torn from his father?
Joseph of old was sold into Egypt as a slave. Potiphar bought Joseph and made him a servant in his home. He was then accused by Potiphar’s wife of attacking her and he was sent to prison for “a season” (Genesis 40:4). After interpreting the Pharoah’s dreams, Joseph was placed second only to Pharoah in preparing Egypt for a seven year famine which was to come.
Wow! Joseph had so many reasons to hold his brothers in contempt. A multitude of evils came to Joseph because of the wrong that his brothers had done to him. But do you remember what Joseph said to his brothers? “I am Joseph, you brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
“Now, therefore, be not grieved nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
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“And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity…
“So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God:” (Genesis 45:4 -5, 7-8). What a beautiful story of forgiveness!
When you truly forgive, your mind will be freed. The spirit of the Lord will return to your life. You will feel and know that He guides your every step and watches over your every move. You will know that He had consecrated your trials and difficulties in your lives to make them blessings just as the Lord did for Joseph. “Because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper” (Genesis 39:23).
The Lord sanctifies all of our tribulations. Through my trials, I have seen the Lord’s hand guiding and directing me. I have been blessed and prospered both spiritually and temporally. Father is very aware of every trial that comes in our paths and consecrates it to our good as well.
By Tracy Atkinson
Tracy Atkinson, mother of six, lives in the Midwest with her husband. She is a teacher, having taught elementary school to higher education, holding degrees in elementary education and a master’s in higher education. Her passion is researching, studying and investigating the attributes related to self-directed learners. She has published several titles, including The Art of Learning Journals, Calais: The Annals of the Hidden, Lemosa: The Annals of the Hidden, Book Two, Rachel’s 8 and Securing Your Tent. She is currently working on a non-fiction text exploring the attributes of self-directed learners: The Five Characteristics of Self-directed Learners.
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