Joseph must have felt abandoned and hopeless when the cupbearer forgot all about him. Not only had he been falsely imprisoned, but now the man who had promised to put in a good word for him seemed to have forgotten all about him as soon as he got his own freedom.

There may be many people whose lockdown experiences have made them feel as Joseph probably felt, left behind in his prison lockdown. Some may have felt left behind while lockdown has been happening, struggling to maintain relationships at a distance and feeling the closeness they had with others slipping away, especially if technology has been a challenge.

There may be others, too, who fear being left behind once lockdown is over. For some, life before lockdown was not full of freedom, perhaps because of illness, family circumstances or other limits on their lives. While lockdown has encouraged us to find other, more imaginative ways of including people and staying in touch, there will be some who fear that this will all slip away once lockdown is over, and they will be forgotten.

The story of Joseph’s eventual release from prison reminds us that, whatever else happens, God does not forget about us, and he does not leave any one of us behind. Yet it was two years before the cupbearer remembered his promise to Joseph.

As we think ahead to life after lockdown, may God bring to mind those we know who will not be emerging into freedom after lockdown, but will instead continue to feel or actually be isolated because of circumstances that began before Covid-19 and will still be there afterwards. The Lord forgets nobody, but he calls us to be his hands and his feet as we move through the world, so may we be more faithful than the cupbearer.

next devotional >>

NEWBOLD BAPTIST CHURCH