FORGIVE 'TIL IT HURTS-PART 2
By Brenda Graff
Joseph lived in Canaan
He was 17
His father, Jacob favored him above the other children since he had been born in his later years. He cherished him so much he made him a special tunic with many colors.
His brothers could not talk to him peaceably for they were increasingly jealous.
While feeding flock with brothers he brought a bad report by way of dream to his father,
Jacob (Israel).
Genesis 37: 5-10 This ignited an even stronger argument as to how his brothers were responding to his presence. His brothers became so enraged they decided to plot his death. Genesis 37:17-19
One of his brother’s didn’t agree with plot, and intended on saving him. He put him in a cistern (pit) in hopes to retrieve him later once his other brothers weren’t aware.
Procrastination Pit
How many times have you intended to
take care of something important but procrastinated so long, the damage was
done?
Think of auto repairs. You start with a little leak in a hose that
probably would have only cost around $7 dollars to fix, and due to lack of
attention becomes a $300 crisis.
Procrastinating
in health issues. Men are notorious for
putting off going to the doctor.
Unfortunately, some illness does need immediate attention or they may
turn terminal.
Putting off addressing a
situation with your child, can heap years of sorrow both on the parent and
child.
Procrastination compromises one’s
integrity.
How often do you promise to do
something, and never follow through?
However, procrastinating a necessary change in one’s life, or family can greatly have an impact on the rest of your life and those in your sphere.
Rueben intended to save his brother, but he was sadly too late. He was devastated. It says in Genesis 37:29 – he tore his clothes.
Have you
ever fallen into a pit or experienced a pitfall?
There are
many definitions but few stand out to me because I have been there.
Definition: pitfall pit·fall \ˈpit-ˌfȯl\ : a danger or problem that is hidden or not
obvious at first 1:
trap, snare; specifically: a pit
flimsily covered or camouflaged and used to capture and hold animals or men 2: a
hidden or not easily recognized danger or difficulty
Joseph had no idea he was about to be thrown into a pit, much
less be sold into slavery.
HEBREW DEFINITION: shachah shaw-khaw' to depress, make to stoop, or worship.
His brothers showed him how he would be the one bowing down this
time, having no control over a circumstance at a bottomless pit.
DEFINITION – PIT: a
hole, shaft, or cavity in the ground, an enclosure in which animals are made to
fight each other, hell - a place or situation of futility, misery, or
degradation
Joseph was cast into total degradation at the drop of a
dime. Sold into slavery by his own
family.
GREEK DEFINITION: PIT
abussos ab'-us-sos: "abyss":--deep, (bottomless)
pit.
Joseph was thrown into a pit of hell unlike he had ever
imagined.
Have you ever experienced that kind of pit? I’m talking about one of those bottomless pits
where it hurts just to wake up. Your
filled with so much grief over an injury breathing becomes an effort. Your heart is so heavy with sorrow, it feels loaded with a sack of nickels. Sometimes we
get thrown into pits by no fault of our own.
You may have grown up with abusive parents, whether physical or
emotional. Often it’s said that physical
wounds heal, but verbal leave wounds that ooze over years if not dealt with.
Psalm 57:6 (KJV)
They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down:
they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen
themselves. -Selah.
You may have or maybe living with someone who is or was
abusive and set you up for failure. In
many cases abusive mates will do everything in their power to prevent their
partner from friendships, education, or much interaction with other folks. Some are so controlling they will literally
leave a spouse without transportation or communication means. They will prevent access to funds. These individuals, unless through therapy recover usually create their foregrounds from their backgrounds for family...and the cycle continues.
I’ve met so many women over the years who
have suffered and still suffer in these situations. I know too well what this is like as I was in a relationship with someone just as I described.
No one intends on pit-falling.
Often,
if we are not keenly aware, and deeply doused in God’s word which brings wisdom,
we can trip over a pea sized problem, procrastinate, and procreate pandemonium
and plunge deep into that pit!
Suddenly, finding yourself with wounds that could
hemorrhage for years! My cloak of hope,
love, trust, confidence, and security was ripped from me. I eventually got out of the situation after
many years, but not without open wounds.
Procrastination is a path to pit-falls.
Money Pit
It could be a partner who mishandles finances. There could be
issues with shopping or gambling addictions.
You may feel overwhelmed with the responsibility to stretch and save
while stressing over the 'more month then money' circumstance.
Pit of Personal Care-taking
You may have or is someone who is married to an addict. A situation that forces you to be responsible
for everything from the finances, down to decisions, raising of children, to
repairs on the home, plus the care of that individual. You may have not been aware that this individual had these
issues when you partnered at first. Or maybe
they developed over a traumatic injury, or loss. (Being cast into that pit without cause).
Pit of Hopelessness
It could be the strain of caring for the disabled, mentally
challenged, or terminal. At times may feel
that there is no other life outside of this obligation.
Whatever the pit – Has someone who may have caused the pit
tried to rescue you you from it…not realizing that it was too late?
Genesis 37:29 (KJV)
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not
in the pit…
Reuben was too late!
He was sorrowful, regretting, and knowing there was nothing he could
do. He was so stricken with sorrow he
tore his own clothes.
That kind of pit I believe is the absolute hardest to climb
out of, it’s like trying to climb up a rope soaked in baby oil.
How do you forgive yourself if you’re the pit
perpetrator?
Psalms 51
#1 vs. 1 - Ask God for mercy
#2 vs. 2 - Ask for forgiveness
#3 vs. 3 - Acknowledge your destructive act.
#4 vs. 4 - Recognize you were born into sin.
#5 vs. 5 - Renew your mind.
#6 John 5:15 – Abide in Him!
#7 vs. 13 (Psalms) – Use your experience to better the lives
of others.
#8 vs. 14 – Let it go, don’t live in a mindset of chronic self-condemnation.
#9 vs. 17, Psalms 34:18, Isaiah 57:15, 66:2 – Go before the
throne with a true broken spirit and let God use that to mold you.
#10 – Mat 18:23-35 Extend mercy just as you were given mercy.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who
wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man
who owed him 10,000 talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay,
the master ordered that he, his wife, his children, and all that he had…to be
sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient
with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master
took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go." But when that servant
went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a 100 denarii. He
grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I
will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown
into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what
happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master
everything that had happened." Then the master called the servant in. 'You
wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged
me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on
you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until
he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each
of you unless you forgive your brother from the heart."
-To be continued
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