First, Joshua Harris renounced his books and now he’s renounced his faith in Jesus Christ. This is disheartening to the Christian community. You can see his Instagram post below where he makes statements specifically denouncing his faith and former self-righteousness:

It’s not uncommon for young people to have a form of self-righteousness as it relates to their faith or personal convictions. That’s no reason to leave the faith or deny Christ. That is a fault of our humanity which tends to pride. This is why we need Jesus, and God’s grace is enough to cover, heal, and forgive the self-righteous.

I read both of Joshua’s books coming up and personally, I did not see a problem with them. I recall him sharing his testimony in the first book about how he used to date to feel girls up and let his flesh loose sort of speak without looking for the commitment of marriage. He became convicted about that lifestyle and decided to kiss dating goodbye—no longer dating to please his flesh, but for a greater purpose. He wrote a workbook to follow-up with this idea assisting men in the workbook to choose love over lust.

He cautioned single men about the pitfalls of pornography and to have accountability with one another in their search for purity. Finally, he met his wife and continued to be transparent sharing about his courting experience, which is essentially dating, but with a specific purpose of marriage in mind. These were all good things that contributed well to the body of Christ; however, it’s the nature of man to look at things in extremes instead of for what it is.

There is a lot of imbalance in church culture regarding dating, purity, and the topic of relationships. Some took Joshua’s message and refrained from dating altogether no matter what their hearts were like. Many because of fear of being imperfect or impure; simply refused to date. Others said to heck with the idea altogether. They just did themselves tossing an idea that one can be pure and date with pure motives completely out the window.

All of this interpretation and misinterpretation can easily take the focus off of what truly matters placing it on rules instead of the disposition of our hearts. The most important thing for us as believers is not even to defend sexual purity, although it’s important. The most important thing is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. When we genuinely love God the way he requires, everything else begins to line up in our lives including our sexual purity.

We will at that point date with the right intentions and purpose and no one will have to remind us to honor God with our bodies. There is entirely too much religion in the church meaning people doing things that appear religious without relying on the power of God.

When we do work, focus on morale, and rules without relying on knowing Christ and his power to keep us; we can easily fall away from the faith. Christ is the foundation and the life-blood of all that we are. Without him, we can do nothing. The greater acquainted with that revelation we become; the more firmly rooted we will become in Christ, and the harder it will be for us to fall away from the faith–because our faith isn’t built on our self-righteousness or ability to keep rules, but our ability to depend on the God who makes us righteous.

In this world, we will have questions, meet people of varying faiths and beliefs. This is why we have to study. We have to become lovers of the truth meditating on it day and night. It isn’t easy to be in a position like Joshua was–representing purity and carrying the weight of others and their interpretation on his shoulders, but that was not entirely his responsibility. Our responsibility as teachers of the gospel is to say what God gives us to say and not worrying about who receives it or not.

We are to be patient and to walk in love with all not grappling with who does not receive or believe what we’ve given. It’s God’s responsibility to convince men once they’ve heard the word God has given us to share. It’s men’s own choice to choose whether they will obey God. If they choose not to obey; their blood will not be required at our hands as long as we obeyed God in sharing what he’s given us. I pray that he comes back to himself and what’s important which is Jesus Christ and knowing him personally.

Recently, I’d seen on social media how a street preacher protested against Kirk Franklin outside of his concert. He boldly rebuked Kirk saying that he did not represent God properly at the BET Awards. He accused Kirk of listening to preacher’s who were drunk with wine and refused to shake Kirk Franklin’s hand.
See the brief video below:

First, it’s always good to have a healthy discourse about the Word of God and God in general. This is the most important topic for man-kind. It was also good the street preacher bought up the wrath of God as people have only associated God with love within the broader culture. However, it was clear that the brother has got to be young in the Lord or his faith because he was not using wisdom nor interpreting the scriptures properly. He used for an example a scripture stating:

​“The blood shall be up to the horses’ bridle.” – Revelations 14:20

This is a scripture that he suggested for Kirk to use on the Award show. What does that scripture mean? It seems to be of a unique context that most people may not be familiar with. It’s not wise to confuse people with passages of scripture that will require an enormous amount of explaining to get a simple point across.

The other scripture he misinterpreted is when he shared that Kirk had friends in the world, thus; he could not be a friend of God. That scripture does not mean that you literally cannot have an unsaved friend or associate. It is stating not to take on the spirit of the world which is clearly described as the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. If we take on the spirit of the world; we cannot take on the spirit of Christ. They are opposite. The Bible is clear in John 17 that we are to be in the world and yet not of the world. There is a difference. Also, he bought up another scripture in John that says those that are born of Christ do not sin. Sinning means missing the mark, which is something that we all do including the street-preacher. The scripture in John is talking about intentional habitual sin. It is significant to having an unrepentant heart that is unwilling to change.

Secondly, he was very judgmental, which is a sure sign of a believer, who is young in the Lord. He accused Kirk Franklin of having a heart after money and fame instead of for God and people. How does he know what’s in Kirk Franklin’s heart? Because Kirk did his job, using his God-ordained gift to perform at the BET Awards. The Bible says we will know men by the fruit they bear. I have not seen any fruit that shows Kirk as the street preacher described him.

Instead, I’ve seen the opposite. Kirk seems to genuinely care about people. I met him only one time at a radio interview in Chicago. He had not had much sleep, but he insisted on listening to someone at the radio station who wanted a moment with him. He greeted all of us as if he had all the energy in the world, and even shared wise words of advice. If you ask me, I’d say he has a fathering spirit about him. He cares for many people that can benefit him in no way except for maybe buying his album(s).

Would the street preacher have preferred for Kirk to not have been at the Awards at all? That’s what would have happened had Kirk taken his advice in using the 3 minutes he was supposed to be performing to preach them a condemning sermon on how they all were going to hell. There would be no representation of light in darkness if the preacher’s advice was followed. Thus, it would be even more detrimental for the young kids that he spoke about who are influenced by entertainers who do not follow Christ.

It is far better to have artists like Kirk, Erica Campbell, and Johnathan McReynolds present to be a light and an example of what it means to follow Christ. This speaks louder than words of condemnation. This is a clear example of why the Bible says he that wins souls is wise. The street preacher is zealous without wisdom in this area. That’s why he isn’t called to a platform similar to that of Kirk for the time being.
However, I love Kirk’s response to the young brother. He responded with humility. People have commented on the look on Kirk’s face as if he was losing a battle with the young man, but Kirk is very sure on who he is and his calling in Christ. When you are sure on who you are and your calling in Christ; you don’t have to defend yourself. You can simply humble yourself and walk in love toward your accusers. He went the extra mile inviting the young man into conversation with himself, and his pastor Tony Evans afterward.

The young man, still immature in his walk with the Lord, stood firm on his zealous stance without proper knowledge. It was not a totally bad experience though. People who oppose others in such a way can keep others sharp as discipline, self-examination, and an aptitude to study the scriptures is often the result of dealing with such a person. Let’s keep the young man in prayer as he grows in his walk with the Lord. Let’s be thankful that he is in Christ. Let’s also continue to pray for some of our intercessors on the front-lines like Kirk Franklin that he will continue to stand firm in his submission to Christ and the gospel.

I’ve been meditating all week on embracing my weakness for acquaintance with God’s power and a whole other level of faith. According to the below scripture, God wants our faith not to simply rest on wisdom from men, but on his power:

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. – 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

God wants us to be acquainted with his power. He wants us to know his power so much that it builds our faith.

Faith: Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Strong belief in God or in doctrines of a religion (Google Definition.)

God doesn’t want us staying at the same level as when we came into the faith. He wants us growing stronger and more confident in him. We grow stronger and more confident in the Lord and in our faith through embracing our weaknesses. This is where we give the Holy Spirit room to work.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. – Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

Above, we see when we are too weak to find the right words to pray; the Holy Spirit prays for us, and not only does he pray for us, but he prays God’s will for us being the Spirit of God; he knows the mind of God concerning us. Just like men know the dealings of men.

Paul speaks of the importance of not boasting in himself, but instead boasting in his weaknesses:

2 Corinthians 12:5 – But I will not boast about myself, except my weakness.

Paul continues to speak of refraining from boasting in himself even though he’d be telling the truth about himself. He chooses to boast in his weaknesses so that men do not think more of him than who he really is. By Paul sharing his weaknesses, it allows him to appear human to his followers as he relies on God. This lets his followers know they can also rely on God.

To keep Paul from looking to himself for strength because of his history of revelations; God allowed a thorn in his flesh making him acquainted with his weakness so that he could be acquainted w/God’s strength and power. This, in turn, builds his faith. Paul sees the value in this process and instead of complaining, he embraces his weakness looking for a full manifestation of God’s power and strength.

In conclusion, we see Paul embracing his weakness within himself for God’s greater power. See 2 Corinthians 12:9. He learns to love this process despite the discomfort of his weakness. In the church, there is a facade that to be a real believer; you have to be strong all the time, ignore or simply don’t address weaknesses for an appearance of righteousness and holiness. However, that isn’t it. That’s not the structure God has built up or ordained. Actually, it’s a set up for a break down because none of us are strong enough to stand up strong all of the time unless we are depending on the Holy Spirit’s power to help us where we are weak.

Don’t be deceived or fooled by those who boast in their reputation or strength as if that is the way to proceed. The way to proceed is to embrace the fact that we are weak allowing God to elevate our faith, confidence, and maturity in him through showing his strength and power within our weakest places.

Did you know that death can be used as a catalyst? What is a catalyst? A catalyst is something that provokes action or change. One of the best examples of this is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated April 4th, 1968. Just 7 days after his death, congress pushed out the 1968 Fair Housing Act in response to the unrest, rioting, and protest for justice across the country. His death became a catalyst for change. It pricked the authority figures in the nation to change the laws on the books producing equality in housing for all citizens no matter race, color, national origin, gender, or religion.
Previously, there was no urgency to pass this law. It was an afterthought or something approached in a melancholy way. Death has the ability to do this in our personal lives. It makes us question if we are living in our purpose as we should. What more does God want us to do here? It is a sobering experience to experience the loss of a loved one.
I’d recently been thinking about how the Bible mentioned death as a sting. When I begin to study the sting of death. I found something similar to death being used as a catalyst:

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. – 1 Corinthians 15:55-56

First, let’s properly exegete the above scriptures: Death exists because sin was introduced into the world by Adam and Eve. However, Adam and Eve would not have known about sin had God not given them the commandment not to sin. Thus, God continued his plan before the foundation of the world to extinguish sin and death by offering his only son as a man to pay the penalty for sin. This introduced everlasting life to man-kind again if we’d only trust in Jesus Christ. Thus, the sting, or prick of death and sin separating us from God no longer exists for those who trust in God.

This is the proper interpretation of the above scriptures for those who die in Christ. However, what about those of us who are still alive in Christ? Can death be used in a positive way to prick us to some form of action that can be used for God’s glory? I think it can.

We know the definition of prick in the sense to cause pain as if getting pricked by a needle, but there is another prick that takes that pain and wakes up to a greater purpose.

Prick in the above scriptures in Greek means the below:1.    A sting
2.    An iron goad, for urging on oxen, horses, and beasts of burden. i.e. here the proverb “to kick against the goad” i.e. to offer vain and perilous or ruinous resistance. (Thayer Greek Dictionary)
Follow me as I break this down:
Goad: To provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate some action or reaction.
    i.e. “He goaded her on to more daring revelations.”
Synonyms: Provoke, Spur, Prick, Sting, or Prod (Google Definition)The above term kick against the goad is from the conversion of Paul, whom the Lord asks why he kicked against the prick? I’d always wondered what that terminology meant. It means why is Paul fighting against the purpose of God for his life. God had to place him in an uncomfortable situation that would sting him taking his eyesight and stopping him in his tracks to prod him to submit to the purpose of God for his life. When Paul finally submitted, he was on fire for God taking the message of Jesus Christ far beyond his generation.
A goad is also a physical tool used to prod animals such as oxen who are used for a particular purpose. When the animal is struck with the goad, it prods him on the direction to go. My point is this sting is significant for being used in a manner as to provide a sting that doesn’t only result in discomfort and pain, but far more. It also results in direction, sobriety, action, and change.
​
God doesn’t allow anything to go to waste in our lives. He uses it all for his glory. In what ways might the Lord be prodding you for change through the loss of a loved one? In what ways might the Lord be providing direction on how to move forward through the loss of a loved one? In what areas might you have been fighting against the Lord or his purposes for your life? In what areas might you have been melancholy prior to the death of a loved one that you feel a fire or prod for change coming on? Think about these things and allow the Lord to walk you through them as you continue on knowing your deceased loved one is at rest.

In a world where being a boss and making mad dollars is highly praised; we have to be careful to have the right perspective on money or else we may end up doing without it or getting it in a way that brings trouble on us.

So many people make money their god. They work two and three jobs for it giving it all of their time, effort, and sometimes their integrity. The good thing is we don’t have to over-extend ourselves or debase our character in any way for it as God’s children. We simply have to realize the purpose and the source for it.

​But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. – Deuteronomy 8:18

God uses us as an example in the earth to show his faithfulness just as He used Abraham, the father of the faith. Abraham was one of great wealth and favor because of his faith in God. His wealth continued on to Issac, and Jacob, and so on. This is another proper purpose of wealth is to leave an inheritance to our children.

God doesn’t give wealth for us to horde, floss, appear superior to others, or to buy things that should be free such as love, friends, and self-esteem. The Bible has many scriptures on money, finances, and wealth that provide a guide that we can use in our personal lives to be successful in our financial lives.

​He who trusts in riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf. – Proverbs 11:28

The righteous know that they have riches because of God. Those who trust in riches do so despising God. They attempt to fill voids in their lives through their relationship with money instead of their relationship with God. We cannot even be righteous without God. Truly righteous people have become righteous through depending on God knowing God has added righteousness to their account. It is nothing they could have done on their own. (Psalms 32:2.)

People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell. – Proverbs 11:26
​Then, he (Jesus) said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” – Luke 12:13 (Also, read Luke 12:13-21)

Greed, and getting money for selfish gain just to store it up is definitely not of God; Just as trusting in money is not of God. In Luke 12, Jesus continues this point sharing a parable about a man who had so much grain, and wealth that he ran out of room to put it. He tore down his barns and built new ones that were bigger so that he’d have enough room to store up.

He looked at what he had while ignoring the more important things in life like his soul due to his hoard of wealth. Jesus warned sharing that his soul would later that night be required of him as he was to die the same night. The question was then asked of Jesus, saying, “who then will have what the man stored up for himself.” Jesus was pointing to the vanity of being rich for the sake of being rich, and not being rich toward God nor the things of God.

We learned in the first part of this series the purpose of wealth is for God to display his covenant in the earth showing others that he is real. He does provide for the fatherless and widow. He does supply all of his children’s need. He does own the cattle on a thousand hills as the Word of God says and there is nothing too hard for him.

If you read Matthew 20:1-16, you’ll see that its a parable about men being hired to work in a vineyard at various times of the day. The people who were hired last were paid first to prove a point to the others that everyone would receive the same payment no matter what time they were hired.

Those who were hired first wanted more. They wanted to see themselves as more valuable than others by being paid more instead of being thankful that God is simply good and gracious to all. What is this inclination in many to want to be valued and validated above another instead of simply accepting the goodness of God?

It really isn’t about us, but about the kingdom of God. The below scriptures sum up the attitude we ought to have, and that is a child-like humility:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. – Matthew 18:1-5

In the below text, the disciples were embarrassed to share with Jesus what they were arguing about probably because they knew they had the wrong motive:

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” – Mark 9:33-35

They’d been arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom of God. Jesus, knowing what they chatted about, begun to correct them sharing that a desire to be great must be converted into humility. We have to be willing to be in last place and to become the servant of all. Then Jesus went on to share the example of being like a child again. It’s okay to desire to be great, but the greatest will be your most humble. It will be the person who is thankful to belong to the Lord and to be counted as a son or daughter of God who will be great; not the person who looks to compare himself to others and desires to one-up the ones he’s compared himself to.
Let’s keep that child-like humility even being willing to look foolish and come in last place at times. This is the culture of the kingdom that God desires for us.

Recently, I’d been stressed with moving, family in the hospital sick, and the everyday hustle and bustle of life. I was glad I’d planned a vacation for my birthday month, March. As I was driving in California, I had ample opportunity to look at the mountains. I felt like God was reminding me of his Word, thus speaking to me through the mountains. As the scripture says, God’s creation testifies of his glory:

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. – Romans 1:20

I’d been getting calls from my mom while out of town showing that she was on the cusp of an emotional breakdown. Then I got word that it happened and she was going back into the hospital for it. So, now both parents are in the hospital, along with having to take care of the normal things of life. I had to shift my mind and thinking while out of town so that I would not walk in anxiety and fear concerning all of what was going on.

Every time I saw the mountain, I’d speak God’s Word about how having faith as a grain of mustard seed would allow me to move a mountain. I was also encouraged that man-kind has authority of the mountains. I was reminded of this by seeing houses built on top of mountains. Houses are homes which are places of safety, security, rest, and peace. Do you mean to tell me that we can go through a mountainous time in life and still have our peace, security, rest, and safety? How Sway? Through faith and God’s grace.

Faith in Christ and his Word is how we navigate the mountain-like hard places of life. As I continued to drive and drive the mountains seemed so long and unending. There were ranges of mountains. Sometimes, we reach such a hard and draining place in life that it seems there will be no end to the hard place, but faith in Christ and his grace for us will cause us to get through the mountain-like hard experience.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

I’ve started to see hard places in life differently after the last series of trials, I’d endured. Even though I still feel the realness of the situation; I also have a greater expectation of where God is in this and what He is saying? I simply know that the Lord is with me empowering me to get through the mountain, live on the mountain, or to remove the mountain completely by faith.

Below are some scriptures, I’ve meditated on while studying in my devotional time about mountains, how they are formed, and what they represent as found in scripture:​God has authority over the mountains and any mountain-like experiences we encounter in life:
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord before the Lord of all the earth. – Psalms 97:5
I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up. – Isaiah 49:11
In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. – Psalms 95:4
Who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength. – Psalms 65:6

The Mountains represent a place of display. God often uses mountain-like experiences in our lives to display his glory:
I will spread your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains. – Ezekiel 6:2

Mountains represent Might. God is Almighty:
In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. – Isaiah 2:2
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord/ Who may stand in his holy place? Psalms 24:3
I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. – Psalms 3:4

The mountains can be seen as a place of refuge:
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. – Psalms 125:2
Mountains can be seen as obstacles to overcome:
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17:20
People assault the flinty rock with their hands and lay bare the roots of the mountains. – Job 24:8​So, when a mountain-like hard place shows up in your life; do not be intimidated by it. Do not wallow in fear and anxiety at all. Shift your thinking on the Word of God and his promises. Go through the mountain-like experience with God’s grace and faith knowing that He has authority over the situation and that you can live in that experience with peace, safety, and security with God as your refuge. He is Almighty and has authority over your situation. Trust him.

The small steps of faith are those steps that may not seem like they’ll have as much impact, but they are necessary to keep us moving forward instead of trapping ourselves in the lie that we will simply wait, doing nothing, and things will turn out as we expect.

I was speaking with a client of mine regarding a business she wants to start. Her thing was that she had not gotten her license yet for the skill-set she’d gone to school for and that kept her from stepping out in faith to start that business. So, of course, I asked her what she was doing to get the money to pay for the license and she said she was believing God for it.

It is good to believe God for things, but our faith in God still requires action verifying that we actually do believe.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. – James 2:14-17 (NIV)

​It’s so easy to get caught up in the thought of just believing God for something, but when we truly believe God for something, we take action. I shared with her how I’d been believing God to purchase either a condo or a townhouse, and I wanted to pay a specific dollar amount for it. I’d been looking for two years and hadn’t seen anything I liked.

One day, at work, it seemed as if God spoke to me saying, “Check the website again.” There was a particular website I’d look on for a condo or townhouse and I had not looked in a while. I checked the website and looked within the range I wanted to spend. I did not see anything I liked. I felt like I was led to raise the price range to show more houses on the market. I saw one I wanted listed for $23,000 more than I wanted to pay. I called a realtor to show it to me and immediately began placing an offer to the seller. The seller and I went back and forth and finally agreed to sell the house to me for $15,000 over what I wanted to pay.

I’d learned of a $15,000 forgivable loan program, which is basically free money toward my purchase with no interest. The plan was to apply for this program and I’d get the condo for what I initially wanted to pay. I explained to my client how a prerequisite for applying for the program was for me to already have a contract in place. Had I not been moving in faith already, I never would have gotten the grant. I explained how when we move in faith; we attract God’s favor to our lives.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)

End of story. I got the condo for what I originally wanted to pay because I got the grant that knocked $15,000 off of the principal. You see, faith continues to move forward when the end isn’t clear or there appears to be an obstacle. 

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. – 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 (NIV)

Had I stopped when I saw the listing $23,000 over what I wanted to pay, I would not have gotten the blessing. Even though I did not know whether a grant would be available or not prior to placing a contract on the property, I moved forward anyway in faith that if I got the grant, I’d be taken care of, and if I did not get the grant, I’d still be taken care of because God is my provider, and he’s been providing for me. These types of experiences build our faith and cause us to take even more action for the next opportunity that God places before us.

For my single brothers and sisters out there desiring to be married; keep treating yourself like you’re worth it. Keep obeying God, and being beautiful inside and out. Don’t allow bitterness to steal your true beauty. You may not see how it will work itself out, but God does and you will see it if you remain in faith.

Keep going out and about to experience various places and new experiences in expectation of God’s goodness. Keep enjoying life and allowing God’s love to shine inside of you. God will meet you at your level of faith in him.

Joseph wasn’t the only one forced to live with pain for a season. Jacob, Joseph’s father, was also forced to live with pain. He’d experienced loss for an extended period of time—the loss of his son Joseph. This incident was completely outside of Jacob’s control. However, he was forced to live with unanswered questions. What exactly happened to my boy? What if I had not sent him to his brothers? Would he still be alive? Did I do enough to protect him?

He’d also lost his wife, Rachel, mother of his son Joseph. The only child he had left of his wife was Benjamin. Jacob had to pass the test of living with loss. Would he trust God enough to still be okay if he’d loss Benjamin too? This was the test being presented to him from his sons when they shared with him that the overseer in Egypt, who was Joseph, unknown to Jacob’s sons, had requested for Jacob’s son’s to bring their youngest brother back with them to Egypt or else one of their brothers, Simeon, would not be released from prison. Joseph had accused the brothers of being spies and the only way they’d prove they weren’t would be to bring the youngest, “Benjamin.”

Jacob shares the below words as he battled within himself over whether he could open himself up again in such a way as not to hold too tightly his last remnant of his wife Rachel which was his son Benjamin.:

But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.” – Genesis 42:38 (NIV)

Sometimes when we’ve dealt with pain for so long, the questioning, the why, the how can I prevent this again because it hurts; we fail to move in faith again. We get stuck, and immobile. We put up protective mechanisms that shield us from our fears instead of moving in faith. These are some of the things that even Jacob, one of the fathers of the faith, struggled with.

However, when Jacob finally agreed to resolve the fact that yes he had been through the pain of loss, and he turned out okay, and if it happened again to his son Benjamin, he’d still be okay because his comfort, trust, and joy of life is not in things always being comfortable and/or avoiding loss; it’s in God. The God of his fathers Abraham, and Issac. This is a point that we have to get to in our trusting the Lord. Our trust in the Lord has to be beyond the pain of our circumstance.

Jacob began to move in faith again, once he became resolved. His moving in faith was sheer evidence of his inner resolve that he had come to. Look at what Jacob says below:

Then their father Israel said to them, “if it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved. – Genesis 43:11, 43:14 (NIV)

Little did Jacob know, his inner resolve, and actions in faith to send his beloved Benjamin to Egypt would result in the reviving of his spirit. To revive means to restore to life or consciousness. Some synonyms for revive are below:

resuscitate, bring round, bring to life, bring someone back to their senses, bring back from the edge of death (Google Dictionary.)
I don’t know if any of my readers have ever been in a state of grief, loss, or depression where it has felt as if you’ve experienced a death, but there comes a time where God will allow our spirits to be revived. As many of us are aware, there was a great ending to this story. Benjamin was bought to Egypt, and Joseph revealed himself. Joseph sent his brothers back with great caravans and provision to bring his father’s entire household to live with him in Egypt. Jacob could hardly believe it when he heard it. That’s how unreal it was.

The Bible says that Jacob’s spirit was “Revived” when he saw the great carts Joseph had sent back with them:

But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” – Genesis 45: 27-28

Joseph was not the only one who was forgetting his pain. God was moving on Jacob’s behalf to cause him to forget his pain. What can we learn from this story?

We see that even though hard circumstance in life can stop us; we have a choice to press past the fear of only experiencing sorrow and loss in our lives. We have to make up in our minds to continue in faith in spite of.

Also, we see that God used the father, Jacob, and his son’s need to bring things full circle. If they had not had the famine; they would have never been reconciled with their brother. It was their need for food that drove them outside of their comfort zone to get what they needed and what God had intended for them to have all along. That was reconciliation with their brother and for Jacob with his son as well as provision.

Finally, we have to choose not to live in the fear of loss or things getting worse; instead, we need to come to a resolve of trusting God no matter what happens. In doing so, we will find that no matter what happens; we will be okay, and we too will experience the reviving of our spirits like Jacob and Joseph.

We can create our own negative cycles through the way that we think. We can begin to expect negative as a norm after experiencing negative for so long. We have to intentionally shift our thinking to be bold in knowing that God is for us and that he allows situations in our lives to prepare us for the good that he has for us.

This happened with Joseph, who was sold into slavery, mocked, ridiculed, lied on, and treated poorly by his own family as well as others he’d trusted. However, God is clearly seen working in the middle of Joseph’s situation. He used everything to position Joseph for his purpose.

Joseph had been strategically positioned to interpret Pharoah’s dream placing him immediately in a position of authority, securing his wife given to him from the Pharoah who’s dream he’d interpreted. This led to his children and the revelations by God of him being able to forget his suffering, and become double fruitful. Finally, it reunited him with his father, brothers, and their extended family. God’s plan is always far more than what we can see and realize. We just have to trust him along the way.

My late pastor, Dr. Angie Ray, used to always say, “God will create a situation to bless you.” This is just what God did with Joseph. We know the story. He interpreted the dream of the Pharoah, who promoted him right afterward. On the outside looking in, we can easily praise God and shout about the ending, but Joseph was not aware of the ending altogether while he was going through it. Sure, he saw bits and pieces in a dream God had given him as a child, but he did not have the full interpretation until later. He had to walk by faith through it all. It was a painful experience for him. It is the same way with us. God will show us bits and pieces of what he is doing–giving us enough strength to go on continuing in hope.

​For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. – 2 Corinthians 13:9-12

Joseph had his first child. He named him Manasseh meaning causing to forget. Joseph said just after naming his son Manasseh, “For God said he has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house. There had been pain over his situation with his family that God was allowing him to forget. However, God is not just a God who makes us forget our pain, but he also brings restoration regarding what has been broken causing our pain. We will discuss this next week.

Joseph had a second son whom he named Ephraim. Ephraim means double or doubly fruitful. Do you remember after Job went through his pain, he was blessed with double? I believe God loves us so much that he gives us reminders that he is still with us and for us even in spite of experiencing much trouble. Real-talk, we can easily forget that God is good in trouble, but trouble is where we see God’s faithfulness the most.

I’m writing this post to encourage us, as many of us have gone through hard times, or maybe some of us are still in hard times right now. Things will not always be like what we’ve experienced. There will come a time of forgetting our pain and trouble. There will come a time of fruitfulness and restoration. There will come a time where we are double or even triple blessed. We have to keep believing that God is good and that he has good for us.