When You Feel Forgotten {Genesis 40}

When you feel forgotten by those around you, remember that you are not forgotten by God. If you feel forgotten, this passage of the Bible is for you.  #Biblestudy #Genesis #WomensBibleStudy #GoodMorningGirls

Have you felt forgotten?

Maybe you feel unappreciated or unnoticed by your husband or a child.

Maybe you have a father or mother who has walked out on you.

Or perhaps a friend has quit calling or caring.

Maybe you have missed church a lot lately and no one has called to see if you are okay.

Or maybe you have helped someone…more than once… and now you need them, and they are no where to be found.

And maybe, just maybe, you wonder sometimes if God has forgotten about you too.

It hurts.  I know.

Today, the Good Morning Girls are in Genesis 40 and looking at the life of Joseph.  Joseph received his coat of many colors and out of jealousy, his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt.  But the Lord was with Joseph.

Genesis 39:2-4 says:

The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

The Lord was clearly with Joseph and giving him success…but then his master’s wife pursued him to lie with her –over and over. Joseph declined, over and over, until one day she grabbed him by the garment and as he ran away – she was left with his garment in her hands.

In her fury, she accused him of pursuing her and the king placed him in prison.

It’s in prison that Joseph met the chief baker and chief cub bearer.  One morning he saw they were troubled  and he asked why they were downcast.  They answered: they had a dream but no one to interpret their dream for them.

Then it happened.

Joseph interpreted their dreams for them. Joseph told the chief cup bearer he would be released from prison in 3 days and he asked for a favor.  To be remembered.

Genesis 40:14,15

14 Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

Notice that Joseph even tries to appeal to the cup bearers compassionate side. He tells a little of his story and the injustice he has suffered.

And so the cup bearer is released, just as Joseph foretold.  But then, this happened:

“the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.” (Genesis 40:23)

The cup bearer forgot ALL about Joseph!

No mercy, no compassion, no memory, nothin’.

Ouch!

If you are a woman with a big heart  –then you have felt the sting of giving and helping others, and then being forgotten.

The emotions that go hand in hand with feeling forgotten are dark.  It hurts.

But I’m reminded of the story in Luke 17 when Jesus healed the ten men of leprosy.  After healing them ONLY one returned to say thank you.  Only one!  Jesus asked the one who returned – “where are the other nine”?

Those other nine men, healed of leprosy, went on their merry way enjoying their new health.

Jesus was forgotten.

When we see that the Lord of the universe was forgotten –we realize that none of us will escape being hurt by someone who has forgotten us.

I find that comforting.

Though others had forgotten Joseph – like his brothers and the cup bearer – God had not forgotten Joseph.

God was weaving Joseph’s story.

One commentary writes this:

If Joseph’s brothers never sell him to the Midianites, then Joseph never goes to Egypt.

If Joseph never goes to Egypt, he never is sold to Potiphar.

If he is never sold to Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife never falsely accuses him of rape.

If Potiphar’s wife never falsely accuses him of rape, then he is never put in prison.

If he is never put in prison, he never meets the baker and butler of Pharaoh.

If he never meets the baker and butler of Pharaoh, he never interprets their dreams.

If he never interprets their dreams, he never gets to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams.

If he never gets to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, he never is made prime minister.

If he is never made prime minister, he never wisely administrates for the severe famine coming upon the region.

If he never wisely administrates for the severe famine coming upon the region, then his family back in Canaan perishes from the famine.

If his family back in Canaan perishes from the famine, the Messiah can’t come forth from a dead family.

If the Messiah can’t come forth, then Jesus never came.

If Jesus never came, you are dead in your sins and without hope in this world. Thank you, Jesus!

Boom!

Isn’t that powerful?  We see the sovereignty of God working in the life of Joseph.

That same sovereignty is working in your life as well!

Isn’t it comforting to know that all of our hurts and pains and trials are serving a greater purpose? None of it is wasted.

God loves you. You are not forgotten.

Walk with the King,

Courtney

**Chime In**

Do you relate to Joseph? Have you wrestled with feeling unfairly accused or forgotten?  

How have you seen God work your pain and trials for his good? 

What else have you learned in your quiet times this week?

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19 Comments

  1. I didn’t write a blog post this week but had to share with ya…. Amazing timing of your post!!! Strangely enough I have been very preoccupied this week by this very topic. Feeling forgotten as someone I care deeply about struggles thru something and isn’t letting me in when she has in the past. I ache for the pain she is going thru and to be “forgotten” and sitting on the sidelines is an extra layer. I want to hold her hand, hug her and be with her as she go thru her trials. I know it’s not about me and I don’t mean sound selfish. She has her pain and is trying to work thru stuff but I wish she’d let me in and be a bigger part of her life. Thanks for this comforting post.

  2. I love this scripture: Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. (Psalm 27:10)
    Fathers, mothers, friends, family, co-workers, ect. – they can all abandon us at times or even fail to meet our needs/wants without even realizing it. But the Lord will hold us close – it’s Him we need to cling to when we feel unappreciated or forgotten – just as Joseph did!
    Cooking Up Faith
    http://www.cookingupfaith.org

  3. OOh thanks for sharing that bit from the commentary! I love that point. I greatly admire Joseph’s perspective in all of this. Despite his circumstances he shows in chapter 50 verse 20 that he knows that what his brothers intended for evil God used for good. I love how steady he is! It reminds me to focus like you said on how God has not forgotten me in my circumstances whatever they may be and that He is using those circumstances (and me!) for His good purpose.

  4. As always, you put into words what I feel in my heart about today’s reading! I love the detail of how Joseph’s story is to important!
    Thank you
    Tonya

  5. wow! just heard a sermon from David Jeremiah saying pretty much what you said about the IF’s! guess it was time and meant for me to listen and read on Joseph:)

  6. My eyes welled up with tears just reading the first part of the image. I’ve been so feeling forgotten the past few days — my boyfriend is away at National Guard training and I know he is so busy with 10-12 hour days of classes/training followed by study sessions late into the night. I feel the enemy whispering thoughts in my ear like “he doesn’t miss you” and “he has forgotten you”. I so needed this reminder today! THANK YOU!

  7. I know too well what this feels like. I still often wonder why and how a father could leave their child but when I read about how much God loves me and never leaves me, I’m just in awe. God will never and has never left my side despite my father’s actions. Thank you for this post! It was timely because I’ve been struggling with that fear again.

  8. Not only did Messiah come from Joseph’s line but Joseph was also a type and shadow of the Messiah. It’s a very deep subject.
    I found it interesting that there are many different translations when it comes to Joseph’s coat. It could’ve been a coat of many colors, a long sleeved or full sleeved coat. A coat that went all the way down to his ankles, a coat that had pictures, a tunic with stripes, a coat with many shades of one color, etc.

  9. I have often felt forgotten or unappreciated by my husband and kids lately. This was a good reminder to turn to The Lord for my joy and fulfillment.

  10. I totally comprehend where Brandi is coming from and instead of one parent is was both for me .
    Thank for this post because I needed a nuge to be reminded we are never alone as a God is always along side us.

  11. I don’t want to come out like I’m a pitiful woman but I have been through a lot of issues that most people would have a hard time believing. I’m 57 and I’m disabled and I have been alone for many years. Yes I have the Lord and his goodness with me. I know that he will prevail for me in his timing. God is so faithful and merciful to us. I too love reading about all the wonderful stories in the Bible. I have been doing my best to make myself stay above and praying that I don’t fall back in depression. Glory to God…

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