Gen. 41:51 – He Helps Me Forget

For the last few days my daily Bible reading has been taking me through the story of Joseph. When I read this verse today, it blew me away:

Gen 41:51 GW
(51) Joseph named his firstborn son Manasseh [He Helps Me Forget], because God helped him forget all his troubles and all about his father’s family.

I’ve heard the story of Joseph so many times, and read the story so many times, but I’ve never noticed this little verse before: “God Helps Me Forget.”

I’ve been thinking about it all day today. Life gets rough sometimes, but I don’t think any of us have had it as bad as Joseph. We all have our own burdens to bear, and I’m not making light of anyone’s problems–including my own–but I don’t think that anyone reading this blog can claim that they had it worse than Joseph.

Sold as a slave by his brothers (they were going to kill him!)

Sold again as a slave to an Egyptian–someone who had absolutely no knowledge of Joseph’s God

Wrongfully accused

Thrown into prison

Forgotten about by the one person who could have gotten him out of that prison

And then, after seven years in prison, everything turns around…in one day! The thing is, when most people teach this story, they jump from the part where Joseph gets made governor of Egypt to the part where he is reconciled to his brothers and his family. But right in the middle of those two parts of the story is the beautiful statement, “God Helps Me Forget.”

I have been through rough times in my life…we all have! But there may be people reading this blog right now who are going through those rough times right now. It’s not a thing in the past for you, it’s a thing in the present.

And you’re wondering if it’ll ever get better.

Maybe you were betrayed by a family member…wrongfully accused…or forgotten by a friend.

If that’s you, then let me promise you, there will come a time that you will look back and realize that God has helped you to forget. I know that God has done it for me, and He’ll do the same for you. If you make it through the rough times now, then there will come a time when the hardships that seem so overwhelming now are nothing more than a faint memory.

Because God is the God Who Helps You Forget.

I think it appropriate to end this blog with the words of King David. He said:

Psa 34:18-19 GNB
(18) The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope.
(19) Good people suffer many troubles, but the LORD saves them from them all…

So if you’re going through a rough time right now, then just keep  on hanging on. There will come a day when your hope will be restored, because our God is the God Who Helps You Forget.