” My brothers, I do not count myself to have taken possession, but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things before”: Philippians 3:13 MKJV
Read: Genesis 41:50-57; Genesis 45:1-11
The life of Joseph is a fascinating study and you can read this in Genesis chapters 37 to 48. If anyone ever had troubles, it was he. He had trouble from every side, the most painful of which was from his family. It may seem that Joseph had this large heart and he forgave all the evil done to him by his brothers and others but we must realize that it took time. Joseph had to work with God to release from his heart all the hurts of the past. When God saw that Joseph had gotten rid of bitterness and pain, God promoted him and took him to an incredible place. We see this in the name Joseph gave to his first child -Manasseh; it meant, “God has let me forget all my troubles and my family back home.” The second son was named Ephraim, meaning, “God has made me a success in the land where I suffered.” So, it is clear that forgetting and letting go of the past come before fruitfulness. Child of God, if you want to be fruitful, you must deliberately work with God to forget past hurts, wrongs, and mistakes. You must forget your losses and regrets. God wants to take you to a higher place but are you ready to go? The past can end up being a dead weight around your ankles, making it impossible for you to mount up to the next level. I implore you to work with the Holy Spirit. He is eager to help you. It’s your time to fly!