A Blessing to Forget Your Pain

I bless you to be as Manasseh—
“Forgotten troubles,” the name means.

You are not defined by the pain of the past
But by the plans of God.

Though Joseph’s first thirty years were riddled
With sorrow and disappointment,
God’s triumphant, providential plan for him
Eclipsed the adversities of home and Egypt.

God may not plan for you to govern a nation like Joseph,
But He has always intended for you to
“Reign in life through … Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17)
You can forget what lies behind
And “press on toward the goal of the prize… in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:4)

Yesterday is over,
But the rubble of your past shall not be wasted.

Beloved, you are a Manasseh.
The troubles of the past do not define you—
They refine you.