Surviving Pain from the Past

“And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God [said he] hath made me forget all my toil, and all my Father’s house.” (Genesis 41:51 – AKJV)

Pain from the past can kill joy for the present, and smother hope for the future.

I know without knowing them that many people are living miserable lives because of an injustice done to them in the past, a tragedy they can’t forget, or a slight they can’t forgive.

It is impossible to list all that may bring us pain from the past; what pains one person may not pain another. Multitudes suffer some form of depression preventing them from living productive and fulfilling lives.

I am not blaming these people; not one of us knows what our reaction will be to any number of circumstances that may afflict us. We don’t know what incident in the past may cripple our ability to live life to the fullest.

I am in full sympathy with those who are in such a condition, but I want to offer them hope. Few have suffered the hatred and injustice that Joseph suffered. He was hated by his brothers. Most of them wanted to kill him because of their jealousy. He was sold as a slave, accused of sexual harassment, spent years in jail, and only eventually found recognition and a platform of influence and usefulness.

Through it all Joseph never faltered; he never allowed past injustice to poison his outlook or dim his vision of what God would do in his life. He was diligent in every situation he found himself in, and gave himself fully to the tasks immediately before him.

How did he do this? Was he some kind of superman the rest of us have no hope of living up to? No, he was an ordinary man with an extraordinary God. He kept on trusting against all odds. That is all he had – faith in God.

Someone says, “It can’t be that simple. There must be more to it than that.” There isn’t. That’s it. Faith in God, nothing more.

No matter what pains you have suffered from the past I won’t refer you to a psychologist or subject you to psychoanalysis. I’ll just give you a four word prescription: “Have faith in God.”

You can mock my advice. You can say it is an over simplification. No matter. It worked for Joseph. It has worked for multitudes since, and it has worked for me.

At last Joseph had a testimony to God’s faithfulness that could not be gainsaid or denied: “For God [said he] hath made me forget all my toil, and all my Father’s house.”

If Joseph were here to give you advice of how to survive the pains of the past, I am certain it would be the same as mine – “Have faith in God.”

Bad Memory*

(17th May 1992)

“And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God [said he] hath made me forget all my toil, and all my Father’s house.” (Genesis 41:51 – AKJV)

God has made my memory fade

In terms of grief I’ve known;

So that the pain of ancient hurt

Won’t make me ever prone

To evil tides of bitterness

That seek some men alone

God has brought His present power

To overwhelm the past.

His present Peace; the soul’s increase

To strip away the mask

Behind which blessing hid—

But recognized at last

Please visit  My website: www.christophershennan.ca
My blog: https://christophershennan.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNShennan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherShennanAuthor

Figure 20 from “The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.” Image by Guillaume Duchenne. Image is in the public domain.

Surviving Pain from the Past

Surviving Pain from the Past

“And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God [said he] hath made me forget all my toil, and all my Father’s house.” (Genesis 41:51 – AKJV)

Pain from the past can kill joy for the present, and smother hope for the future.

I know without knowing them that many people are living miserable lives because of an injustice done to them in the past, a tragedy they can’t forget, or a slight they can’t forgive.

It is impossible to list all that may bring us pain from the past; what pains one person may not pain another. Multitudes suffer some form of depression preventing them from living productive and fulfilling lives.

I am not blaming these people; not one of us knows what our reaction will be to any number of circumstances that may afflict us. We don’t know what incident in the past may cripple our ability to live life to the fullest.

I am in full sympathy with those who are in such a condition, but I want to offer them hope. Few have suffered the hatred and injustice that Joseph suffered. He was hated by his brothers. Most of them wanted to kill him because of their jealousy. He was sold as a slave, accused of sexual harassment, spent years in jail, and only eventually found recognition and a platform of influence and usefulness.

Through it all Joseph never faltered; he never allowed past injustice to poison his outlook or dim his vision of what God would do in his life. He was diligent in every situation he found himself in, and gave himself fully to the tasks immediately before him.

How did he do this? Was he some kind of superman the rest of us have no hope of living up to? No, he was an ordinary man with an extraordinary God. He kept on trusting against all odds. That is all he had – faith in God.

Someone says, “It can’t be that simple. There must be more to it than that.” There isn’t. That’s it. Faith in God, nothing more.

No matter what pains you have suffered from the past I won’t refer you to a psychologist or subject you to psychoanalysis. I’ll just give you a four word prescription: “Have faith in God.”

You can mock my advice. You can say it is an over simplification. No matter. It worked for Joseph. It has worked for multitudes since, and it has worked for me.

At last Joseph had a testimony to God’s faithfulness that could not be gainsaid or denied: “For God [said he] hath made me forget all my toil, and all my Father’s house.”

If Joseph were here to give you advice of how to survive the pains of the past, I am certain it would be the same as mine – “Have faith in God.”

Bad Memory*

(c) 17th May 1992 – by Christopher Shennan)

“And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God [said he] hath made me forget all my toil, and all my Father’s house.” (Genesis 41:51 – AKJV)

God has made my memory fade

In terms of grief I’ve known;

So that the pain of ancient hurt

Won’t make me ever prone

To evil tides of bitterness

That seek some men alone

God has brought His present power

To overwhelm the past.

His present Peace; the soul’s increase

To strip away the mask

Behind which blessing hid—

But recognized at last

Please visit  My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
My blog: https://christophershennan.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNShennan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherShennanAuthor

Figure 20 from “The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.” Image by Guillaume Duchenne. Image is in the public domain.

How to Get Justice

How to Get Justice

(Picture credits at end of post)

Luke 18:1-8

Unfair things happen to us all the time, and if we’re not careful we could allow the injustices of life to embitter us.

Sometimes these injustices are minor and can be swept away with a flick of prayer raised to Heaven, and a simple determination to let it go.

There are other times when the injustice done us has more serious consequences and to simply dismiss it results in serious suffering and dire consequences.

In The fist eight verses in the Gospel of Luke you will find the example of a widow who had no other protection other than the law. The law, however, failed her, for the judge in her case was a corrupt one, and would not use his position to her legal protection against her opponent. He must have known she had the law on her side and that a great injustice had been done her. He just would not act in her favour.

The judge, however, had not reckoned on the widow’s desperation and determination. She simply wore him down with her continual coming. Though he had not a whit of concern for the woman’s dire straits, he gave her protection anyway.

Jesus uses the case of this desperate widow to press home God’s faithfulness to His people:

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; ⁷ now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? ⁸ I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:6-8 – NASB)

According to Jesus there are two secrets to getting justice in extreme situations when all earthly means have failed us.

The first is not to give up earnest and persistent prayer: …will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

Crying day and night is a rather extreme manner of praying, but it is the only solution in such cases of extreme injustice. The answer will come, though it may require a great deal of patience.

The second secret in these extreme situations is cling to the Faith once delivered to the saints. The original Greek text suggests Jesus was not just referring to the lack of any kind of faith (there may be plenty of that), but that the Faith may be a rare commodity at the end times: However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?

If you have these two things you will overcome any injustice that is ever likely to come your way.

Avenge Me!

(© 12th October 1992 by Christopher Shennan)

“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?”(Luke 18:7 – KJV)

Avenge me, Lord,

My adversary’s strong;

My adversary’s anger

Has been both deep and long.

He’s brought my soul to trouble:

My spirit’s sunk in mire,

And I’m tempted to believe

He’ll quench my strong desire.

Avenge me, Lord,

My adversary’s cruel;

My adversary’s planning

To take me for a fool.

I can’t resist much longer:

Such the wiles he casts my way —

My only hope’s in crying

To You both night and day.

Avenge me, Lord,

My adversary’s voice;

My adversary’s laughter

Is mocking all my choice.

You promised Your elect would

Ne’er call out in vain:

Though long they cry for judgement,

You’ll assuage their pain

.Please check out My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNShennan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherShennanAuthor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view#mediaviewer/File:Wikipedia_scale_of_justice.png