Positive Attitude Although Discouraged Genesis 40:23

Genesis 40:23 “However, the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he kept forgetting him.”

How discouraging it must have been for Joseph to have gone through so much rejection and seemingly forgotten and abandoned. (His own brothers sold him into slavery; his first boss in Egypt believed the slanderous lie of the boss’ cunning wife; and now the one man that may been able to help Joseph get out of prison had thanklessly “forgotten” to follow through for Joseph’s sake.) I can see how he could have easily reasoned in his heart, “What a complete ingrate the chief cupbearer is. I gave him encouragement through a good interpretation from Jehovah of his dream and it came true. But the moment he gets out, he completely forgets me.” There is no record of Joseph becoming embittered like that. But Jehovah had not forgotten nor given up on Joseph. What Joseph did not know, could not have possibly known, is that Jehovah was saving him for a particular time.

In our own lives, trials may seem to linger and meander throughout our life. I know from personal experience how easy it is to become discouraged feeling that nobody cares, nobody is loyal. The example of Joseph is one I can appreciate--he continued doing good and putting his life completely in Jehovah’s hands. He had unwavering trust that Jehovah cared for him so he kept a positive attitude and worked for the unselfish benefit of others. He was making a “good name” for himself even if nobody else seemed to care or notice. At the very least, he could sleep easy at night knowing his conscious was clear.