Forgetting

 

Forgetting
by Becky Dietz

How did Joseph get to the place of forgiveness when his brothers came and bowed down before him in Egypt? They had despised him and sold him into slavery when he was 17; he was now 30. Joseph had become second in command in all of Egypt and he was the one his brothers had to see when they came to Egypt for food because of the drought.

After Joseph had arrived in Egypt, he was given a wife and soon had a son. He named him Manassah which means "causing to forget." Joseph said, "For God has made me to forget all my toil, and all of my father's house." (Genesis 41:51) But had he forgotten? As soon as he saw his brothers, strong emotions immediately rose to the surface. We never forget, no matter how much we try to stuff down those emotions. Never.

I once had a well-known godly Bible teacher tell me we shouldn't dig and do emotional healing. He quoted Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
He was basically telling me to forgive and to forget. I'm all about forgiving--but I believe we need to do the WORK of forgiveness.

Those verses in Philippians 3 are the verses of an athlete taking off weights, which would slow him down in a race. Paul isn't telling us to erase memories, but to release past offenses, burdens, disappointments, sins, or regrets from controlling our present and future life. How do we do that? We take it to God. We forgive 70x7. We cut and cut at those thoughts, offenses, and emotions until they no longer control our thought life when we think of that person who wronged us. We allow the Word to wash and renew our minds. We allow the Spirit of God to lead us to truth!

Joseph did the work. How do I know? His second son was named Ephraim, which means "doubly fruitful." Joseph declared, "God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." When his brothers came to bow before him, he never condemned them. He'd already forgiven them and cut away every offense. In fact, he fell on their necks, weeping. (They hadn't recognized him. Of course, he was dressed like the Egyptians, but I also believe the emotional and spiritual healing had matured and deepened him.) He quickly told them it had been God's plan all along.

How do you not erupt in anger over such a terrible offense? How do you not DESTROY your offender? How do you declare God's goodness? How do you SEE God's strategic plan in using something so dastardly? I don't think you can...unless you've done the WORK of forgiveness. You can't just forget. 

No?

NO?

by Becky Dietz

I was talking with Dottie, my almost-11-year-old granddaughter, last night. She was telling me how she had prayed for a dog and had gotten one--so now she was praying for something bigger and better. I wanted to guide her and prepare her for a possible "no" from God. (I mean, God can do anything--but this is BIG and involves other people!). I told her that God sometimes tells us, "Yes!" and sometimes He says, "Wait a while." But there are other times He just says, "No." He doesn't do it to hurt us or make us mad--He knows His plan for our lives and sometimes the right thing is for Him to say, "No." He may even be protecting us from something we can't possibly see.

She replied, "Yeah...but you pray and pray and don't know that He's said 'no'--you may think He's just telling you to wait. So you just keep praying and praying!" I had to laugh! She had me there. Yeah....when do you know that God has said, "No?"

We don't. I think it's why God tells us to KEEP asking, KEEP seeking, and KEEP knocking. I even told Dottie about the story of Zecharias and Elizabeth. They'd prayed and prayed for a baby. At some point, I'm sure they quit praying--because they were getting too old to have a baby. But then...guess what? God gave them a baby--when it seemed impossible!

I'll tell you what I told Dottie last night. Let's keep praying and asking God about this. But let's keep our hands open gently. We don't know when or how God will answer. But we can trust His heart because He loves you SO VERY MUCH!

 

Manipulating Emotions

The Jews were envious of Paul & Barnabas and their bold preaching about Jesus. The word of the Lord was being spread throughout their whole region—and they were fearful. Know what they did? Acts 13:50 says they stirred up the devout women and the chief men of the city—until they persecuted Paul & Barnabas and expelled them from their city. They incited a riot by manipulating their emotions. 

Things haven’t changed. Years ago, we participated in a revival where the evangelist manipulated the emotions of women. He was fighting the pornography industry and very openly told us that if he could show moms and grandmas pornographic magazines and get them angry, they’d become the soldiers fighting to get rid of it. The desire to get rid of porn was noble and right…but the mode of operation was all wrong. 

Our emotions can be easily manipulated and we don’t even recognize it for what it is!  God warns us in His word to be on guard, keep our eyes on Jesus, to stand firm, to not be deceived, to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. We’re living in days when it’s easy to be deceived! You’ve probably seen videos or heard podcasts of what you believed to be a well-known pastor—and it’s actually AI trying to manipulate your mind with false teaching. 

Be on guard. Check your emotions. Don’t be deceived.  

Circle of People

As I read Acts 9 this morning, I thought about the circle of people it took to accomplish God’s plan. If any one person had said “No,” the plan would have fallen apart!

Jesus had appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and he was blind for three days. God told Ananias to go pray over him. Now Ananias was reluctant.  He’d heard the stories of how Saul was hauling Christians to jail! God had already told Saul that Ananias was coming to pray for him. Ananias could have refused and the whole plan would have fallen apart…but he went. 

Saul was changed! He went to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, but they were afraid of him. But Barnabas received him and brought him to the apostles to tell his story and he was accepted. If Barnabas hadn’t received Saul, how different this story would be!

Saul was speaking boldly about Jesus and disputing the Hellenists, who wanted to kill him. So the brethren sent him to Tarsus. The whole story changes at this point—Saul begins his missionary journey. And those brethren were a part of God’s plan to send Saul out. 

If any person in the story had refused to obey God, the story would be different. God would have raised someone else up, for sure. But everyone had a part—even a small part—to play. And it all fit together to tell the story of Jesus. 

It just makes me wonder what part you and I are playing. Have we said “No?” Is God raising someone else up? Or are we a small part of a much bigger story?  The story of Jesus.  

Bitterness

A man named Simon had become a believer and was baptized by Philip and began following him. Peter & John heard that many had believed and came to lay hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit. Simon offered them money for that kind of power!

Peter strongly rebuked him and told him, “I see that you have the gall of bitterness and are bound by iniquity.”

Have you ever met someone who has given themselves over to bitterness? They think they can hide it—but it oozes out of them. I love that the King James Version says, “gall of bitterness” because that’s so descriptive. Gall is bile which indicates someone is eaten up with bitterness—they’re living in the vomit of bitterness.  How did they get there? You don’t just become bitter. It’s a progression. First, they’ve become angry or offended. And they stew on that for a long time. Instead of confession or repentance, they give in to their emotions and nurse that wound. Over time, their anger or offense turns into bitterness. This progression becomes a stronghold. 

Peter saw Simon’s bitterness. It was evident. After Peter strongly rebuked him, Simon asked Peter to pray for him. He wanted deliverance. 

You have to be delivered of bitterness by confession and repentance—and then forsaking anger and offenses. You may have to forgive over and over. Don’t get eaten up with the gall of bitterness.  

Break that stronghold!

Dignified by the Indignity

The apostles had been put in jail while the high priest and elders decided what to do with them for preaching about Jesus. An angel let them out of jail and told them to go to the temple courts and teach about this Life.  When the high priest sent for them to come before the council, they weren’t in the prison! Soon a man told them the apostles were preaching right there in the temple!

The apostles were brought before the council and told to quit teaching in Jesus’ name. Peter replied, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The leaders were furious and wanted to kill the apostles. Gamaliel stepped forward and told the council that if left alone, this movement would fall away if it was of man. But if it was of God…they’d be fighting God!

The council took Gamaliel’s advice—but they flogged the disciples before sending them away and then told them not to preach about Jesus. 

The apostles left rejoicing!!  REJOICING! They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame  and to be exposed to disgrace for the sake of Jesus’ name. That’s amazing!

The Amplified Bible says it this way…they were dignified by the indignity. I like that.  

Powerful Prayer

Peter & John came to where the disciples were gathered and reported how the chief priests and elders had threatened them because they’d healed a lame man. Jesus had just been killed days before—so they took this threat seriously. So they prayed. 

You’d think they’d ask God to spare them and protect them. Instead they prayed this way, “Lord, look on these threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”  WOW!

And the Father heard and was pleased. How do I know? The place where they were assembled was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Wouldn’t you love to be in a prayer meeting like this? 

Maybe instead of asking God for protection, we should be asking for this kind of boldness and the power to heal in the name of Jesus! That kind of prayer excites God. And what was the result of that powerful prayer?

 

“And they spoke the word of God with boldness.”