GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME? FEELING LONELY AND/OR UNAPPRECIATED?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them,
they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said
to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one
of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him.
Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” When Reuben heard
this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his
life,” he said. “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern
here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said
this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So
when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe
—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw
him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in
it. As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a
caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were
loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way
to take them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “What
will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come,
let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after
all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph
up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the
Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
(Genesis 37:18-28)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever had the feeling that life has dealt you a bad hand?
You suddenly have an unfavorable change in health or finances,
or the unexpected death of a loved one. You feel abandoned or
rejected by a good friend, or you feel like your expressions of love
are not received.

The environment at work changes and you feel you are being
overlooked as a valued employee. You think you are ‘going
the extra mile’ but no one else seems to care.

Or maybe you just have a feeling that you are making bad choices
with what you say or do. No matter what your intentions are, your
words or actions are not received well by others.

Any of these can give you the feeling that
you are on an island with no relief in sight.

Sometimes we can arrive at this point as a result of our own faults
and failures. We may not be exercising godly wisdom in the things
we do and say. Our godly filter may not be engaged and we spend
an inordinate amount of time looking for (and sometimes pointing
out) the fault of others, instead of appreciating the good in them.

Finding fault in others is a slippery slope that can be hard to get off
of, once you are on it. It can cause a leader or boss to overlook those
who should be rewarded for their good efforts. It can also cause a
breakdown in relationships between two or more people.

However, there are times when we may feel as though we are on an
island through no fault of our own. Regardless of how we reached
this point of loneliness, how should we respond to this feeling? We
should spend time reading and learning from the scriptures.

Joseph was only 17 when it seemed he had lost almost everything
as a result of the actions of those who should have been the very
ones who would defend him in every situation – his brothers. He
lost his family, his position as the favored son, his home and his
freedom. The hatred from his brothers and his overwhelming losses
must have stunned and devastated Joseph.

Why did this happen to him? His father created an unfavorable
environment as a result of his feelings toward Joseph.
    When his brothers saw that their father loved him more
    than any of them, they hated him and could not speak
    a kind word to him. (Genesis 37:4)

We can see that showing favoritism toward one child is never a
good idea. Adding fuel to the situation, Joseph shared a godly
dream with his brothers and his father. A dream that indicated
his father and brothers would be subjected to him one day.

This caused his brothers to hate him even more and his father
even rebuked him. Instead of being glad that their brother would
rise to a high position, they allowed their selfish feelings to rule
their emotions, and ultimately their actions.

Even though Joseph had overwhelming losses, he never lost his faith.
That was the one thing his jealous brothers could not take from him.
Joseph probably wondered why God had allowed this trial to enter his
life. He may have wondered why the pain continued, (and worsened),
but he held fast to his faith.

He had faith that God would bring goodness out of a bad situation.
We see his faithful attitude when he spoke to his brothers years later.
    “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good
     to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many
     lives.” (Genesis 50:20)

Even while serving as a slave in a foreign land,
Joseph was blessed by God as a result of his faith.
    The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived
    in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that
    the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in
    everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became
    his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household,
    and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
    (Genesis 39:2-4)

ACTION:
When God has a plan, He will see that it is executed successfully
(regardless of the obstacles man tries to put in the way). God may
even use man’s failures as pathways to fulfilling His plans.

We may not understand why God has allowed a trial into our lives,
but we can learn from the example Joseph gave us in the scriptures.
When we are walking through dark valleys (those times when life is
crumbling and the future looks dim), we should embrace the reality
of God’s presence with us.

When we are saved, at the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit
comes to live permanently within the new Christian and seals
him or her as belonging to God forever. Because of this act of
love and kindness from God, we are never apart from the Lord.
    No circumstance, suffering, or loss can separate us from Him
    or His love. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
    Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness
    or danger or sword? (Romans 8:35)

    For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels
    nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
    neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will
    be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
    Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

If you are going through a difficult time right now, then talk to
the Lord about it; share your feelings with Him (you may already
be doing this, and if so, don’t stop).

Pray,
“Lord I thank You for Your presence with me at all
times and especially during this time when I feel lonely
and, or, unappreciated. If I have caused others to desert
me, then help me to see my faults. If it is not a result of
my own faults, then help me avoid the feelings of anger
and bitterness. Regardless of the causes, help me to
remember Your promises to be with me at all times. Show
me how Your love will sustain me as You bring goodness
out of a bad situation. I pray that this experience will be
a time for increasing my faith in You, and not an incident
that will cause me to lash out at others, or feel that You
have deserted me and are deaf to my prayers. Forgive me
for any wrong attitudes I may have, and help me to enjoy
Your presence, so that Your love can overflow to others
through me.”

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