I heard the cracks in the glass vial inside the plastic tube were bent. The kids were given glow sticks to play as it gets dark outside, but when they were handed out the dull plastic sticks didn’t appeal to them as we had expected. The purpose they were created could not achieve their full potential in their current state, but as the children bent the stick that broke the internal vial, the hidden chemicals were released and mixed, causing a sparkling reaction. This glow had a charm that attracted the attention of the children and attracted them. But the tube had to break and rock, and it became everything that was the light that attracted others.
Traumatic things can occur without warning, and these events cause deep breaks that are difficult to understand and difficult to overcome. The deeper the wound, the longer it takes to heal. We see the devastation that wounds bring in as insurmountable as crushing our present and future. Sometimes we wonder what the purpose of our pain is and why God let us go.
Wounds can occur, such as poor health, loss of those we love, disappointment of friends and family that attract us, physical pain from an attack or accident, addiction, loss of marriage, or abuse. These wounds can occur physically, emotionally, or mentally. They are external, they can be visible to anyone, and are difficult to hide, or internally isolated and torment us, causing anxiety, fear and depression. Wounds are inherently spiritual and can occur due to church wounds and spiritual abuse.
Joseph felt the pain of being injured. Genesis is not only a story of his suffering, but also tells the story of God’s purpose against the trial he faced and Joseph’s victory. Joseph was injured in all areas:
• Joseph was physically injured And he was abused during his two-year stay in Egyptian prison and his two-year stay. Genesis 41:1 “When two years have passed…. ”.
• Joseph was emotionally injured When Potifal’s wife unfairly condemned her for inappropriate behavior in Genesis 39:19, her sincerity was challenged, and she was abused.This was how your slave treated me, and he (Potifal) burned with rage.”
• Joseph was spiritually injured His brothers hate him for the grace of God in his life. Genesis 37:8And they hated him even more because of his dreams and what he said. “The grace of God is in Joseph, and for this reason he suffered because jealousy was aroused in his brother.
The emotional wounds Joseph suffered were profound and long lasting, changing his scars and his perspective. But Joseph did not shake his faith. Even after he suffered from numerous trials and acquired countless wounds that began with the betrayal of his own brother, Joseph told his brother when he returned to Egypt.You were going to hurt me, but God intended it for good to achieve what is being done, saving many lives” (Genesis 50:20). God was watching. God uses all wounds to promote his kingdom with his sovereign design.
God uses Joseph in several ways to serve his purpose in attracting others to him, and does the same for us. There are five ways God uses our pain:
God used Joseph’s wounds to transfer him. God used Joseph’s painful experience to move him where he could be used. He lived in Canaan, but God needed to use him in Egypt. Genesis 37:1-2 says “Jacob He settled on the land in Canaan, where his father was staying.” Genesis 37:28 “Then some Midian traders passed by, and they lifted Joseph. He sold him to the Ishmaelians for 20 silver from the tank, The one who took him to Egypt.” It took traumatic events to move Joseph into place for God’s purposes.
Sometimes God uses our trauma to move pieces of our lives and remove the paths we walk. He also uses our painful experiences to move us somewhere else, in front of a particular audience, or in a particular environment.
God used Joseph’s time to refine him. Joseph’s ability to hear the voice of God was refined only in his time. While he was in the hole, there was no one other than God. When he was captured in Egypt, no one could trust him except God. This time God used him to free him from what he had bound him, giving him time to build trust in His faithfulness. His faith was tested, his patience was tested, and he was placed in a situation where he required him to develop and refine his humility. Purifying his faith increased his intimacy to God and increased his sensitivity to his voice and hands when identification was refined.
God does the same thing in our lives. Our wounds refine our faith, remove the pride that embraces us in an independent faith in ourselves, and drive us to a more dependent faith in God who carries us through trial.
God used Joseph’s wounds to help him improve his resilience. Joseph learned to wait. He spent his time in the pit waiting for rescue, hoping to die. He spent years in prison, waiting to be released, hoping to be there indefinitely. But God always intervened because Joseph saw his hand in detail work. Joseph had witnessed God’s faithfulness in painful experiences, and learned to wait and be resilient. Genesis 41:52 shows that when Joseph named him his second son Ephraim, he understood and internalized God’s faithfulness.That’s because God has made me fruitful and rich in the land of my suffering.”
God teaches us to wait while we are injured. Waiting skills must be experienced before understanding and mastering them. We can then pass that skill on to others and testify that God is faithful to us and faithful to others. If so, we can testify to his goodness just hang on.
God used Joseph’s wounds to hone his skills. God taught him to use Joseph’s time alone in the field to hear the voice of God. When he spent two years at Potifar’s house, he learned to manage and manage many important tasks as Potifar left his home on Joseph’s responsibility. Genesis 39:4 says “Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potifal made him take charge of his house, and he entrusted it to him. Everything he owned in his care.” He was given great responsibility and had to learn a strong work ethic, leadership and management skills. slavebound by Potifal.
God uses our wounded places to build and hone the skills we need to walk through His purpose. Our wounds give us the opportunity to learn to solve problems, become a peacemaker, find a positive perspective, and develop a heart of gratitude, even in the darkness.
God used Joseph’s wounds to strengthen his empathy. Joseph experienced rejection and abandonment, and knew the emotional impact they had on his life. He knew what it was like to be hated by his family and was unfairly judged and unfairly accused when he had not committed any crime. But God allowed Joseph’s injuries to create emotional sensitivity to others, even those who abused him. Genesis 43:30 says Joseph,I moved deeply with the sight of his brother. Joseph quickly searched for a place to cry..
God also uses our wounds to strengthen our ability to understand other people’s pain. No one understands the pain like someone who has experienced it. Trust is more easily developed for those who have gone through the same path and are usually shown patience and compassion. 2 Corinthians 1:4, we say,Comfort those in need with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ”
We may be injured, broken, or damaged, but we have a purpose. Our pain is not in vain, but it is wisely made by the God who sees it. A minute is not wasted, but the pieces are woven together to create something new and purposeful. Jeremiah 18:4 isThe pot he had formed from the clay was damaged by his hands. So the potter formed it in another pot, shaping it as it looked best to him.” We are still injured in his hands, he remakes our wounds, gives us what we need to reshape our lives into another pot and attract people to ourselves with new purposes.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Stavros Constantinou
Dr. Cindy Collier, a retired educator and psychologist in 35 years, is currently a mission director, speaker, female Bible teacher, author and author of educational books. She is a survivor of an abusive marriage controlled by addiction, pornography and mental illness. Cindy uses her testimony and shares the testimony of other women, praises God on her website, cindycollier.org and her social media site.
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