Hi friends~ I’m preparing to teach from Genesis 39-42 on Wednesday and was thinking of you – wondering if you would help me with some research.
Do any of you have a story like Joseph’s – where you (or your loved one) was undeservedly removed from a place you thought was “good”, to be debased and “forgotten” for a while, only to be later lifted back up (via the debasement) to an even “better” set of circumstances?
If so, and if you don’t mind being an example to us all, would you please briefly share your story?
Over and over, the Lord is teaching me that HIS TIMING IS PERFECT, & HIS PLANS CANNOT BE CHANGED BY MAN! What He desires will stand. He will jog a memory, turn a king’s heart, or accomplish His plans in a higher way than we can imagine.
I’m praising the Lord for this truth, and am looking forward to your God-stories of how He has brought you through adversity – and done an even better/greater work within your life and heart!
Thanks in advance for sharing! I’m praising the Lord with you for all He has done…
Jennifer
Smelling Coffee says
Dear Anonymous friend~ So glad to know better how to be praying for you! And, so glad that you know for sure that the Lord has not forgotten you.
His timing is perfect and His provision is always enough in His perfect timing! Just like in the life of Joseph…
I will be praying for you, sister~ And for the new adventure the Lord is taking you on as He works out all of the details.
With love and prayers… Jennifer
Anonymous says
Hi Jennifer –
I’m the same anonymous poster from March 30th at 8:20 pm on this post. I just wanted to thank you for your prayers….I know He hasn’t forgotten me and He is beginning to lift me up out of that stage. Just to help you understand a little more….my husband and I have been working for the past 3 years towards moving overseas to a closed country to serve in full-time missions (why I’m posting as anonymous) and we have been trying to raise our financial support for over a year and we have been (and still are) stuck at 42% of our need for the past 4 or 5 months. It has been a low point for us in trying to understand if we are truly following His will or if our timing is off — it is so hard to know why. But I believe after much searching and prayer we are on the right track and that His timing is truly perfect. We still don’t know where our support is going to come from (we’ve spoken with over 25 churches and only 1 is supporting us), we still don’t know when we are going to leave and have many unanswered questions. But last Sunday on Easter, He took my granny home to heaven after a year long battle with losing her memory and a shorter one with losing her body’s independence. It was a beautiful day and we couldn’t have chosen a more perfect ending to her 91-year old life. Almost our whole family was able to be there Saturday for her service and God gave me the words to speak at the service in her honor and the strength to say them. Her passing frees us in some ways to continue on our journey – as much as we wish she was still with us, we know His timing is right. Interestingly enough, the day before, my husband was laid off from his job. As much of our future is still unknown, we are believing God CAN provide our remaining support and that these 2 events last week are His way of showing us His timing will be perfect for our journey to serve Him overseas.
Mel says
I think of my boys with this story…for them they loved their birth mom and while to the outside world it was a bad place to them it was the norm…then they are moved to a series of not great foster homes….and then they come home to me…which i pray is for them a wonderful loving home…
Sandy Toes says
Hello my blogging friend!
Have a great day!
sandy toe
Jenny says
I found your blog from a verse entry you made from the Beth Moore Living Proof Blog. I hope you don’t mind that I have started to read your blog.
A story that came to mind is a story that I got from the Beth Moore Esther bible study that my church is doing. In the end of Esther chapter 2, Mordecai shows his loyality to the King and tells about a plot that some of the King’s guards had to assassinate the King. In the very first line of the next chapter (3) the King promotes another man. Something that should have been Mordecai’s reward was given to a different man (Haman). But it was all in God’s perfect timing. God sparks the King’s memory in chapter 6, amazingly enough, and the King honors Mordecai. And it all falls together in perfect harmony to help the Jews and show the evil in Haman (the other man who was honored who wanted the Jews destroyed).
Hope it helps.
Smelling Coffee says
Thank you, Anonymous, for being honest about where you are. I just prayed for you and asked that the Lord fill you, teach you, and lead you every day – in every “stage” of your life. I pray that you live like Joseph – with integrety both in adversity and in exaltation. 🙂
Anonymous says
I feel like I am in the “forgotten” stage of this right now 🙂 Praying for the better set of circumstances and trying to figure out the lessons I need to learn while in the debased stage!
Faye says
JENNIFER,STOPPED BY FOR A VISIT.YOUR BLOG IS SUCH A BLESSING!HAVE A GREAT DAY!