Ever feel completely forgotten? Over-looked? Invisible? Like no one is seeing you or checking for you? Every door is getting slammed in your face and the people you thought were going to be there for you have turned their backs on you and have completely forgotten all the good you did to them?
If you can relate to this post one way or the other, its safe to say that you have been forgotten. But that is one of the best things that could ever happen to you. Let me tell you why. Once upon a time, there was a man called Joseph. He had big dreams. I mean huge. In one of his dreams, he saw himself so great that the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars bowed down to him. He knew he was going to be huge someday and he would (innocently) share this dreams with his brothers and his dad. It got to a point where his brothers hated him so much because of it and plotted amongst themselves to kill him. (Careful who you share your dreams and goals to. Not everyone who looks like they mean well, mean well). Anyway, his brothers sold him to some travelers who took him to Egypt, where he became a slave. Big man with the big dreams, now a slave, in a foreign country. Hmmmm. This doesn't add up. He sees his dreams slowly start to die. How can he ever become that great when he is a slave?
But then while in Egypt, he gains the favor of Potiphar, his master, and he is promoted to manager over all the other servants. I guess things are starting to look up. He starts to think that maybe this is the way God will use to lift him up. But then his master's wife makes a pass at him and he rejects her so she falsely accuses him of trying to rape her. His master is pissed and throws him in prison. He is back to square zero. Back to being a nobody. His big dreams seem so distant now.
While in prison, he meets two guys, who work for the King of Egypt. One of them is the Cup Bearer of the king, the other is the Baker of the king. They screwed up and the King got mad and threw them in prison as a punishment. They may be in prison but its only temporary...till the King cools down.
While they were in prison, they both have a dream. They seem to be worried about their respective dreams so Joseph tells them that he can interpret the dream for them. And he does. Its good news for the Cup Bearer. His dream basically means that the King has forgiven him and he will be restored in 3 days. But its bad news for the Baker. His dream means that he will be executed in 3 days. 3 days later, what Joseph predicted came true. The Cup Bearer was restored back to his position but the Baker was executed. While the Cup Bearer is getting released from prison, Joseph tries to plead his case with him,
" Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.” Genesis 40:12-15
He even throws in his sob story hoping to get a little bit of sympathy.
Don't we do that sometimes? Explaining our situations to some people and even telling them some really sad or gruesome details so we can get their sympathy and perhaps prompt them to help us. That's what Joseph did. But the Bible tells us in Genesis 40:23,
" The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him."
He forgot Joseph. After Joseph calmed his fears and interpreted his dream, he left and completely forgot about him and all he did for him. But God allowed that for a purpose. Joseph stayed in Prison for two more years. Then one day, something amazing happened. The King of Egypt had a dream. a dream that will go on to change Joseph's life.
"When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream:... In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. Then the chief Cup Bearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.” So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh." Genesis 41:1, 8-9, 12-14
See, Joseph interpreted the Cup Bearer's dream and told him to remember him when he goes back to the palace. Joseph was hoping that the Cup Bearer will put in a good word for him and hopefully get him out of prison. If he got out of prison, he would have found a way to go back to his home country, to see his dad and brothers.
But the here's the thing: If The Cup Bearer had remembered Joseph and put in a good word for him at that time, he would have been released and sent back home. Pharoah would have had that dream 2 years later but Joseph wouldn't have been able to interpret it because he wouldn't have been in Egypt at that time. And Egypt and the whole world would have been consumed by the famine that was coming. He and his family would have died of hunger and he would died a mediocre man with "empty" dreams because his destiny was never with his family in Canaan, it was in Egypt, and the way to get there was Prison. There was no other way. But because God is so good, Joseph was forgotten. Completely forgotten. But when it was time, the right time, the time to shine, his moment of greatness, He Was Remembered.
"So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon." Genesis 41:14-32
There may have been other people in Egypt at that time who could interpret dreams but because God had appointed this moment for Joseph, he was the ONLY one in the whole land who could interpret this particular dream because God intended to lift him up through this moment.
"And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders.Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” Genesis 41:33-40
Not only did he tell the King what his dreams meant, but he also offered a solution on how to solve this huge problem coming. He may have done this innocently but he didn't realized that this showed Pharoah an aspect of him that was so important; He was a problem solver and solution bringer. And Pharoah wanted a guy like that on his team. Because Joseph solved the biggest problem Egypt would go through in that time, he deserved a big reward: Second in Command. And Pharoah appointed him Second in Command over all Egypt.
"So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt." Genesis 41:41-43
So we see that Joseph was forgotten by many other people even though they looked like they could help, they did not have the resources to help him the way God intended. So he was mistreated by his brothers, falsely accused of rape in Egypt, thrown in prison and left to rot for years and years. And Prison seemed like the worse place to be but that is actually where he met his destiny helper, the Cup Bearer. But even then, the Cup Bearer still forgot him, because it was not the right time or right circumstance.
But here are more reasons why God allowed Joseph to be forgotten:
Joseph had BIG dreams that God intended to fulfill. He was forgotten because God had an appointed a time to lift him up all the way high (2nd In Command of Egypt), and just anybody could not make that happen.
If anyone else tried, they would have derailed God's plans for Joseph so God allowed them to forget him.He was forgotten because this famine coming was not gonna destroy just Egypt but the whole world as well..
"And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere." Genesis 41:57
He was the ONLY one God had entrusted the solution and wisdom to save the world from this famine. There was nobody else. Only Joseph carried that solution in him. That is why God will not allow just any door to open for you. You need to be where He needs you to be because believe it or not, you alone carry the solution to a problem in this world, and God intends to meet that need through you. When Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream, he was lifted up to Second in Command in all of Egypt. His wise counsel to gather and save the grains in the years of abundance, saved the whole world from dying of starvation and placed Egypt at the top of the Global economy since the whole world came to Egypt to buy food. His siblings came to buy food as well, and they bowed down to him without knowing it was him, hence fulfilling the dreams he had.
So Here's Why God Allowed You to Be Forgotten:
Simple: He has something bigger for you.
Think about the outcome of the story if Joseph was remembered by the Cup Bearer 2 years earlier? Or think about if his master's wife never made a pass at him and he stayed in Potiphar's house? He never would have made it to the Prison, which was his connection to the Palace. Some of the worst things that could happen to us are actually blessings in disguise.
God has more for you and believe it or not, He wants greatness for you more than you want it for yourself.
That is why He will let those doors slam in your face, people walk out on you, go through the mud and struggle, etc, till the right opportunity comes.
God will slam a door or an opportunity that can give you $100 because He wants to give you $100 Million. Trust God. Trust the process.
Final Note
Endure the hardships you are facing. If you feel like you have been forgotten or overlooked, that's good. Because its not the right time for you to be remembered. Be faithful in the little that God has entrusted you with because that is training you for what is ahead. No matter the circumstance, Joseph was always placed in a leadership position. He was placed in charge of the servants in Potiphar's house and he was placed in charge of the prisoners in the prison. And the Bible said he did it faithfully and he did it well. He was in charge of little and he did it well so God placed him in charge of much (all of Egypt and its grains) and he did it well.
Don't forfeit your training because it doesn't look like what you think it should be. Let God develop you. In His time, you will rise and shine.