Learning How To Surrender In Times of Suffering
Stacey Lunsford
Learning how to surrender in times of suffering is on my heart this morning. Lot's of times, I would mumble, grumble and complain in the midst of suffering because I didn't know any better....neither did I know that when I was mumbling, grumbling and complaining that I was opening the door of negativity and extended an invitation to the enemy to steal my joy.
Today, praise God, I give no place to the devil. I give thanks unto the Lord today for teaching me how to surrender joyfully, with thanksgiving in my heart, thanking and praising God for the suffering, for the trials, for the tribulations that come in and out of my life.
Through praise and thanksgiving, I am letting God know that I trust Him. I am letting God know that I recognize that He is in control and that He is bigger than all of my problems...and more importantly I am letting God know that it is well with my soul.
Learning how to surrender in the times of suffering wasn't an easy lesson to learn because when you suffer, it hurts and for the longest time, I used to run away from my pain, including the people that caused me pain...but glory hallelujah...I'm not running anymore.
I thank God for teaching me how to face my problems, including the people that are directly related to my problems, in Christian love. I thank God for teaching me how to surrender my will, to His will in the midst of suffering...the biggest lesson that I have learned is...taking my eyes off of the suffering and seeking God for the lessons that I need to learn in the midst of my suffering and asking God how the suffering is making, molding, correcting and teaching me to be all that He needs me to be within that situation.
As I follow up to this morning's post, Joseph is on my heart this afternoon and I am thankful for the many lessons that God is teaching me through the suffering that Joseph endured. It is Joseph's pit experience where God grabbed my attention and if it's okay...I would like to share Genesis 37 with you.
Genesis 37:1-4, 1And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Jacob, Joseph's father was married to Leah...when Jacob married Leah, he thought that he was marrying Rachel but Leah and Rachel's father Laban, tricked Jacob into marrying Leah and than made Jacob work another 7 years before he let Jacob married Rachel. That's a lot of love...isn't it.
As I reflect on that story, I can't help but think about the many friends and family members that are married to Leah but looking for and waiting for Rachel. I share this information with you today because Joseph's suffering ran deep and roots of bitterness and resentment existed way before he arrived on the scene
Leah, Jacob's first wife, had children for Jacob but Rachel was barren. Leah used to tease and harrass Rachel all of the time about not being able to bear children for her husband and when Leah wasn't able to bear anymore children, she gave her handmaids to Jacob, Bilhah and Zilpah and when Jacob sent Joseph to look for his brothers and bring a report on what and how they were doing, it was the children of Bilhah and Zilpah.
"Food For thought"
Favortism, Jealousy and Envy Don't Promote Unity
Genesis 37:5-24, And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 9And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. 12And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. 13And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? 16And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
18And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
22And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. 23And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; 24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
Genesis 37:25-36
25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
27Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. 28Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? 31And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 32And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.
33And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 34And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. 36And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
