ROSE AFTER THORNS

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt”. Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. Gen. 41:41, 42.

Life has been known to be a full of thorns of troubles and sorrows. Manny claimed that life is painful with manny trials. Thence, manny have come to conclussion to end life thier life by suicidal. However, there is a saying of the notable succesful people, which says, "there is a rose after the thorns."

In the Holy Scripture, there is a famous handsome boy, who in his former life experience a thorny life. This is one of the stories in the Old Testament that is so dramatic- the is the story of Joseph, the dreamer. He was a man of beautiful dreams but also a man of suffering. The greatest tragedy he had was when he was sold by his brothers as means to cast him away from his family. It’s a lonely and painful heart experience. Young Joseph was separated from his father and family in the far away distant land where he had no relatives and friends. He was a total stranger in the land. He was put into prison without any committed crime after he was charged of false accusation by Potiphar’s wife. From being beloved and cared in his father’s fold into a troublous turbulence life was his experience. 

As human esp. as young boy, it is possible that he suffered emotionally, mentally, socially, and physically. He suffered emotionally and mentally because he was separated by great distance from his family and was put into a lonely place, prison. Homesickness was his great experience. I experienced homesickness also when I was in Mindanao for 6 years esp. in my first year there. Mine eyes cannot hold the tears to flow sometimes. How much more to him who was expelled to prison without a fault in a strange land.

Putting oneself to Joseph is seemingly God could no longer remember. Hated by brothers, sold unto strangers, brought to distant land, and cast into prison is very tempting to think that God forgets and forsakes. But Joseph was a faithful young man. He thinks of and acknowledges God in times of temptation, sufferings, and even in prison (39:9; 40:8). After all these thorns of his life, the Lord made him as lord over Paroah’s “entire household and ruler of all Egypt” (45:8) after he was used by God to interpret all the dreams of Pharaoh. This is rose after the thorns of suffering! Rose of his life bloomed after the line of thorns.

There is always rose at the end of the thorns. When life goes unfair because of troubles, suffering, and exploitation in life, there is always hope waiting in each end of these as long we are in the Lord. Jeremiah 29: 12 says,

 I alone know the plans I have for you, 

plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, 

plans to bring about the future you hope for. (GNT)