47 Days of Justice 2024 - Day 37: Don’t allow being a victim of injustice keep you from helping other victims.

“Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master. Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them. While they were in prison, Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning. When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset. “Why do you look so worried today?” he asked them. And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.” “Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭40:1-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I was reading an article about Juan Guerrero, a San Antonio man, a veteran of the Marines and Army. As a result of injuries he received in Iraq, he eventually lost both of his legs. The article told of how he is reaching out to other wounded veterans, offering support and advice for those who suffer with mental health issues. He is only one of many wounded soldiers who are actively involved in helping others in their same situation.

And then there’s the phenomenon of victims of natural disasters, actually helping other victims, while they, themselves, have lost everything.

Whereas wounded warriors and victims of natural disasters are not victims of injustice, per se, they are victims, nonetheless. However, the injustice aspect of such victims comes when they can’t get the help they need.

I saw a story about a woman from the United Kingdom who was trafficked as a very young child. In her case, she was the victim of the evil injustice of human sex trafficking. As such, she endured every imaginable physical and emotional trauma, including being sold to a gang of men who videoed the abuse, to having a forced abortion. Making things worse, over the course of all those years of abuse, no one recognized what was going on with her. She finally did get rescued after drugs and alcohol put her in a coma. Now, she has devoted her life to seeing that other victims of human trafficking can receive the help they need.

Granted, not all victims of injustice reach out to others. Some become bitter and isolated, allowing what has happened to them cause them to never want to reach out to help anyone! After all, why should someone needing help or comfort for themselves reach out to others? This scripture offers some insight:

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:4‬ ‭NLT

Some victims of injustice become so demoralized and diminished that they can’t entertain anyone else’s woes, much less offer a helping hand.

As children of God, we must depend on Him, no matter what we are personally going through. We must allow the Lord to give us the strength to endure today’s suffering, all the while, hopeful about our future. Then, we must reach out with the same help we have been given and help others who have fallen on hard times.

Joseph has experienced one smackdown after another; now he finds himself in prison, a victim of injustice. But, apparently he’s doing such a good job in the prison that he is watching over other prisoners.

In our opening scripture we see that Joseph even seems to care whether the other prisoners are happy or not, and is offering to hear their troubling dreams. He needs help himself. What’s in this for poor Joseph? Nothing, that he knows of….

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

#resolveforhim #47DaysOfJustice