As I read Genesis, I love arriving to the part where Joseph names his two sons. We read this in Genesis 41:50-52:
Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
Today I considered what the names teach me about God: He comforts us in sorrow and helps us “forget” in a way that allows our lives to feel abundant and joyful, even as we surely remember suffering in a way that allows for the second name to reveal God as One who blesses us in the midst of suffering.
I love turning what I read into ways I talk to God. We can pray, “God help me forget my trouble to enjoy the life You’ve given me, and help me recognize how You’ve made me fruitful here.”