No Stranger

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

Chapter 40 ends with a crushing reality for Joseph who remained in the dungeon of the palace. I can just see the excitement on Joseph’s face when Pharaoh sent for the chief butler to restore him to the position of cupbearer for the king. As Joseph sat shackled on the dark floor watching freedom being granted to another, joy of his imminent release must have been his companion. Surely the cupbearer will tell the king of Joseph’s great interpretation. But days melted into months which turned into 2 years. He must have wondered how on earth something so important could have slipped the butler’s mind? Where was the appreciation for Joseph and what he had done for him? Joseph had been there for the chief butler, but the butler did not reciprocate. The shackles remained clinched around him, the room remained dim and the door remained locked. The butler’s intentions weren't bad, but we are reminded by his short memory of mankind’s bend towards self-interest. The butler might have forgotten Joseph but God was putting into place the freedom Joseph would experience at God's appointed time.

‘People will fail us for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes their failures are a result of the evil in their hearts and other times it’s simply due to the limitations that are inherent to being human.’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 56. Like Joseph, we act on the behalf of others helping them get through a tough time. We give of ourselves not to gain from others, but when we are in need only to be let down by others it is a tough pill to swallow. The disappointment and abandonment seem greater than the initial circumstances, leaving us alone to sort out our emotions. Psalm 118:8 reminds us that ‘It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humanity.’ It is echoed in verse 9 which states, ‘It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in nobles.’ When we place our complete trust in God’s faithfulness on our behalf instead of mankind, we give others the same grace that God has shown us. Humanity is a fickle group of people with very bad memory so to place our hope in someone over God is to ensure we will stay locked in the dungeon. 

I can always count on my daughter, Kristen to find amazing songs that cut through our experiences and points straight to the heart of God.  This is a line from Natalie Grant's new song titled, No Stranger.

‘Hallelujah, what a Savior…Hallelujah, He is no stranger to me!’ Natalie Grant, No Stranger