Are you defeated? – Genesis 40:23 and 41:1a

Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Genesis 40:23

Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; Genesis 41:1a

Are you walking around defeated? Do you hate your job, you school, your home life?  No matter what you try to do and no matter how close you try to walk with God, you just find yourself stuck in the same old rut.  Day after day, night after night you are dealing with the same problems and frustrations. You have tried for so long and hard to make things better with no avail and now you feel like giving up and throwing in the towel.  You start thinking, “I must be worthless” and “God must not care about my situation or else He has forgotten me”.  If you find yourself in a place of defeat and hopelessness, remember Joseph. 

God had plans to make Joseph a great leader. He used him to save his family and assure the founding of the great nation of Israel. Yet God did not just place Joseph in a high ranking position from a birthright or by political ties.  Instead God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery, falsely accused and then thrown into prison. There God blessed him to interpret a dream and hope renewed inside of him; surely now he would be freed from this prison, this life of constant setbacks! But two years went by and not another word or hope of freedom much less prosperity.  Although Joseph continued to honor and follow God, he must have surely felt defeated and forgotten. 

Through all of the turmoil God was molding Joseph.  He had put him in the right place and at the right time, so that he could use him to do great things; he was given favor, power and authority to do what God had sent him to do.  At which time Joseph looked back over all he had been through and it made perfect sense; God had been diligently piecing together a puzzle far too big for him to do on his own. He was ready to face the challenge ahead because God had equipped him through his circumstances with all the tools he needed.

God too has great plans for your life. Although following Christ is not always easy and we may find ourselves in situations that make us feel defeated and forgotten, we are neither.  Take heart in knowing that as a child of God we are constantly being molded and directed by Him for His purpose. One day we will look back on our current state and realize that we were never defeated or forgotten; not even close.