🌿 Manasseh

Gold is purified in the fire. Diamonds are formed under pressure. Pearls are made from irritation. In the same way, being conformed to the image of Christ—the hope of glory—is not a painless process. Transformation always costs something, and Scripture is full of stories of those who bore that cost. Think of Jacob wrestling with God, Joseph betrayed by his brothers, David hunted and misunderstood, and Saul—later Paul—of whom Jesus said, "For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:16). 

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27 of the countless stripes he endured, the imprisonments, the beatings with rods, the stoning, the shipwrecks, and the constant dangers he faced. Yet through all of this suffering, Paul became one of the greatest contributors to the early Church, writing much of the New Testament and establishing churches across nations. His pain was not wasted; it was transformed into purpose, and his life still bears fruit for the Kingdom today.

Joseph’s story also reminds us of God’s redemptive power. Betrayed, enslaved, and falsely accused, he endured years of hardship before God elevated him to a position of authority in Egypt. When Joseph became a father, he named his first son Manasseh, meaning “to forget,” saying, “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house” (Genesis 41:51). This wasn’t forgetfulness of memory but a supernatural release from the burden of pain and betrayal. It was evidence of God’s healing power.

This is the essence of the anointing. Isaiah 10:27 declares that the anointing is the power of God that “removes burdens and destroys yokes.” God’s Spirit not only carries us through trials but brings us to a place where we no longer carry the weight of what we endured. He gives us His perspective, revealing purpose in every trial and turning our pain into testimony.

Perhaps that’s where God is leading you, too—a place of release, healing, and restoration. The same God who transformed Joseph’s betrayal into blessing and Paul’s suffering into a global ministry is still at work in your life. He has an anointing for you—a power that removes the burden, destroys the yoke, and makes you forget the sting of the past because He reveals Himself in it. He redeems every tear and turns every trial into glory.

Like Joseph, you may be able to one day look back and say, “God has made me forget.”