#12 Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction

Genesis 40-45
I actually liked the object lesson for this lesson because it was very thought provoking for me, not to mention upbeat and positive.
It suggests that we pretend we’ve all just been annihilated, isn’t that upbeat and positive? Oh yeah, we have just entered the spirit world and we are awaiting our turn to review our experiences in mortality. Before going in we are asked to think about 4 questions about our adversities and how they have shaped our lives. After answering these we are going to discuss some of our potential answers. So here is the questionnaire:
1-What were some of the trials you faced in mortal life? You could list just one of you biggest if you’d rather do that.
2-What lessons have you learned from these trials?
3-If you could live your life over, what would you change about the way you dealt with your trials?
4-How could you have taken better advantage of life’s experiences?
*I want to add one more just to tie things together at the end better.
5-What is a trial you are experiencing right now?

As we discuss you can continue to answer your questions. Write on the board some of the trials about Joseph’s life. (sold into Egypt)
Hated by his brothers
Brothers conspired to kill him, sold as a slave instead
Unjustly put into prison
Helped butler only to be left in prison 2 more years 13 years total

As I thought about the questions I know I have some work to do to change my everyday attitude. Let’s talk about some of our answers. I think it is safe to say that every one’s trials fit under one of three different categories. 1-Physical struggles 2-mental or pride
3-emotional/spiritual unless there are any others that you feel we should add in here.
If not let’s move on to what lessons we can or what we are supposed to be learning from these trials/struggles?
Physical? Learn our limitations, learn to ask for help, learn that we are stronger than we think, etc.
Mental or prideful? That the Lord is in charge, that everyone will come to Christ in their own way and time, we may have to hit rock bottom before we can start climbing again,
Emotional/Spiritual? The only way to get through is to rely on the Savior, to find within us a strength that can only be found when we are at our weakest point.
Now here is the easy one, if you could live your life over how would you deal with your struggles differently? More patient, cheerfully, with more faith, learn quicker from the 1st experience instead of having to repeat the same mistakes again, not to involve others around me if I don’t have to, etc.

Last one-How could we have taken better advantage of life’s experiences? Sought the Lord’s will right from the start, and not give in till I have my answer, paid more attention to details that were overlooked, sought the Lord’s hand in my life more frequently, trusted completely, laughed more etc.
So how does one deal better with trials, how does one experience to the fullest, how does one live cheerfully, how does one get through life without wishing we had done things differently?
Now we go to our story of the day, Joseph (sold into Egypt) I would start to wonder if this guy was fictional because he dealt with his crappy life so faithfully, so honestly, so valiantly that I almost want to throw-up. But we all have a testimony that the scriptures are real and true and his story wouldn’t be in here if we weren’t supposed to learn from it.

So let’s learn. Genesis 40 Joseph has been here in prison for about 10 years, hanging out just waiting for the opportunity to get out of there. How did he do it? How did he not go crazy?
40:4 He was too busy serving the people he was in with to give his troubles much thought! 2 of the Pharaoh’s staff (chief butler/chef) were put in prison and Joseph Served them.
We know that in our church we have many opportunities to serve, callings, visit/home teaching, committees, ward parties, neighborly kindnesses. We’ve been commissioned over and over to serve one another. Why? Is it because the prophet needs us to check off that to-do-to-be-perfect checklist? Or do you think he knows that to keep us from feeling sorry for ourselves we need to get out of our own heads and get to work for someone else?

40:4 two things I get from this verse, about how Joseph stays so positive; the first he is close enough to the spirit to know these guys are sad-sad? Are you serious? Who wouldn’t be sad to be in prison? Joseph is close enough to them and the spirit to know that they are more sad than normal. Second is that he asks them about their sadness? Why? Do you think he just wanted to know why they were sad? Or do you think he actually cared enough that he wanted to help uplift them? What can we do to look for opportunities to uplift? How could we figure out who we could uplift?

40:8 they tell them they’ve have had a dream and they don’t have an interpreter. He offers his assistance, but he doesn’t forget the most important thing-that God is the real interpreter, after being here in this dreary prison, he is still giving credit to God for the Good things, not the bad ones. He is still testifying to others of the Goodness of God.
He helps them interpret their dreams. To the one he says 3 days you’ll be back serving Pharaoh, to the other one he says 3 days you are a goner-you are going to be hung. Too bad!

40:14 He is humble enough to ask for help in getting out of the prison. He’s taking a chance on this guy hoping that he will be the guy that will finally get him out of there.
*I’m not sure about you, but this is one I struggle with. I have issues with asking others for help, I want to be independent and do things on my own, but we need to learn that sometimes the Lord answers prayers through the help of others. Whether it is getting a blessing from someone, or soliciting for a job, etc.

*well we know that the butler got out and was back into Pharaoh’s service and Joseph was long forgotten for 2 more years. Finally, God allowed a miracle.
Those dream interpreters that were supposed to be experts and had interpreted for years had a mental block, I have a feeling the Lord had something to do with that, and finally the butler remembers Joseph.

41:16 Joseph interprets the dream for Pharaoh, but before he does He testifies of God again, tells him that he recognizes the dream is from God and that God is trying to give peace to Pharaoh, by giving him a chance to prepare his country. Isn’t Joseph a great missionary? Perhaps if we went around testifying of God then our lives wouldn’t be so bleak either.

41:38-39 Joseph interprets the dream, puts forth this great plan to prepare for the problem of famine, then stands back and waits.
At this point he could’ve begged Pharaoh not to lock him back up; he could’ve solicited himself for the job. He just waited, Pharaoh realized that Joseph was a man who walked with God, and He recognizes him as wise and discreet. He is offered the job.
41:45-49 He went right to work, he didn’t go find his office and get settled in and bid others to do the work, he went himself, he worked really hard doing exactly what he said he would do. We know just as Joseph does that being a hard worker and having the integrity to do a job well is one of the easiest ways of dealing with the struggles of life. He still hadn’t seen his family, he still hadn’t made amends with his brothers, and He was moving on with his life, he wasn’t dwelling on the past issues.

I knew of a kid who had lost his father at a young age. Because of this all the people in his life, mother, relatives, friends, teachers all made excuses for this boy exclaiming that, “he had lost his father, give him a break, he’s still struggling with it”. Well it’s been years and years that boy is now a man, married and I believe he has kids, guess what he is still playing that card, at work when he messes up he will tell anyone who will listen that he lost his father when he was young and it still affects him. I have no doubt that it still affects him, it always will, but it doesn’t need to hinder him. He needs to get over it and move on. How many of us hang onto old excuses, how many of us have a hard time moving past struggles and living life again. Well, take some advice from Joseph, find something-anything and get busy doing something well. It may take your mind off it. It’s been proven over and over that when you stop stressing about something it is easier for the Lord to get things in motion that will bring everything right again. Just like what happens here in our story.

41:50-52 we know that Joseph gets married and has 2 kids, all the while never forgetting the Lord and his goodness. He names his kids after the very fact that “God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house” (Manasseh) and Ephraim which means “God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction”

*Gen. 42-44 so at this point 22 years have gone by since Joseph has seen his family. As soon as he recognized his brothers coming for food (v. 7), they bow to him(v.6) and he remembers his dream (v. 9) he could’ve said, “HA, I told you so”, “I told you that you would bow to me” instead he holds his tongue and waits patiently to find out a couple of things.
1-if they have felt bad at all about selling him
2-if they have gained any integrity
3-if they have learned anything from their experiences, to see if they have changed their actions.
So he tests them, by giving them their money back in their sacks, planting dishes from his house in their bags, keeping one of the brothers to see if they would leave him forever like they left him or if they would come back for him. He proves how patient he is, it would’ve made me crazy not to say anything all those times. After all of it comes my favorite part.

After all is said and done they past all his tests, they have proven they are changed men, 45:5-7 He forgives them, he puts at ease their guilt and forgives them before they even say one word. He didn’t wait for them to apologize, he didn’t solicit an apology, he immediately says “be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves…for God did send me before you” “It was not you that sent me hither, but God” He could’ve gotten mad and said, “do you realized what I’ve been through? Do you know where I’ve been and what I’ve had to deal with and how I’ve had to live?” He just tells them about God’s generosity toward him, he tells them all the good things and testifies to them that God is in charge and always will be. He is ever the humble servant of the Lord who continually remembers the Lord and does His will in all things.

What is your attitude to others who have wronged you? Do you have to be right? Do you hold onto grudges and rub in your success? Do you constantly bring up past issues? We know what our attitude should be, we know that we should be serving others, working hard, getting on with life and remembering to be grateful to the Lord in all things. But can we? Will we? We know it is possible because Joseph did it, Christ did it, and if we want to walk with Christ again we must do it! I know we can change one thing today. Look at the list we formed look at the trial you are experiencing right now- how will you approach it from here on out? Live it so you won’t have any regrets. Live it cheerfully, faithfully, honestly, trustingly, valiantly! I know we can change our attitudes, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.