What's Up With That, God?! - Divorce Minister
YOU gave me a vision, a dream. This dream had me promoted to a place of prominence, honor, and power.
Then YOU allowed those closest to me to betray me forcing me to leave my home country against my will.
What’s Up With That, God?!
You established me eventually in this new country granting me favor with my boss. Then you allowed my new life to implode disastrously all because of my righteous behavior.
I resisted the sexual advances of my boss’ wife, and then YOU allowed her to slander my name to her husband who then got me unjustly imprisoned for precisely what I did not do!
What’s Up With That, God?!
You let me rot in that prison for years! As a small consolation for my unjust imprisonment, I was given hope tied to someone I helped while he was imprisoned who had a place of influence and could help me get out.
YOU allowed that “promise” go unfulfilled for two whole years!
What’s Up With That, God?!
Such is the story of Joseph.
But it does not end there. God frees Joseph from his imprisonment. He provides him with a wife. Then God, ultimately, fulfills the dream of Joesph’s youth years later. Joseph is made second-in-command to arguably the most powerful man in the world.
I write this as an encouragement. You might find yourself in “slavery” today betrayed by your own family. Or maybe you find yourself at rock bottom in prison like Joseph experiencing great injustice. Perhaps God has given you hope like He did Joseph only to leave you languishing for years–i.e. two in Joseph’s case–and wondering if you were a fool to hope in the first place.
In other words, you may be experiencing your own “What’s Up With That, God?!“ moments.
I can relate.
I certainly had my own “What’s Up With That, God?!” moments.
That is for sure.
But that was not the end of the story for me. And I want to encourage you that today is not your story’s end either. God is still writing.
But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
-Genesis 50:20, NKJV
These were Joseph’s words to his brothers. His betrayers.
God transformed Joseph’s life and did not allow his brothers’ evil choices and actions to derail Joseph’s destiny.
In fact, God used their wicked actions to write Joseph’s amazing story of redemption. God is still doing that today. I am a living testimony with my life as a witness to that.
That said, God redeeming the evil does not make the losses and injustices disappear.
It does not make the injustices less unjust.
It does not give Joseph back all those years he missed being with his father.
It does not erase the real suffering Joseph endured all those years because Potiphar believed his lying wife.
Those things still happened. As faithful spouses, we have our own list of injustices, losses, and betrayals. Even a wonderful life afterwards does not erase the reality of those things. They will always be part of our personal history.
We need to feel free to grieve those real losses accepting them as part of what has shaped us into who we are today. They are part of the story…yet only a chapter or two. Yes, God allowed them to happen. But…
God redeems.
And I still believe He is in the business of redeeming our suffering today just as He redeemed Joseph’s and my own.
