On the back of my Saving Fatherhood business cards is the verse Genesis 50:20. It’s a great verse for anyone who has suffered and wondered, “has God abandoned me?”. We all need hope, especially when trials are long. We pray for God to lighten our burdens and if we look for comfort everywhere. Sometimes it may be easier to accept the idea that God is punishing us. But that’s not necessarily true. Sure when we sin we may be choosing to inflict suffering upon ourselves but God is merciful and long suffering. He gives us warnings to stay away from sin to help us not to suffer. But as the sovereign Lord of all creation he certainly could step in but sometimes he doesn’t. Reading about the story of Joseph in Genesis 50:20 points us to an instance when God used suffering for good. The verse reads:

20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people[a] should be kept alive, as they are today.

This is the story of Joseph and the trials he had to go thru were significant. First his brothers tried to kill him but they decided to spare his life when one of the brothers suggested profiting off of Joseph by selling him into slavery. As a slave he was falsely accused of trying to rape his Master’s wife. So off to prison he went. He spent at least 2 years in prison and another 11 years in slavery. But God did rescue him and without ruining the story he became a very powerful man in Egypt. When famine came throughout the region his brothers came to buy food and Joseph was there to meet them, in a position to help them or deny them. Joseph saw God’s hand at work to help his family to survive.

That’s when Joseph said what is written in Genesis 50:20 to his brothers.

20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people[a] should be kept alive, as they are today.

Now it was not easy for Joseph. You need to read the details. He struggled with anger and bitterness, but He knew that God is sovereign and faithful. Now while we don’t always see what God is doing we can trust that he’s doing something. As I look at this current crisis, I see a lot of other people suffering because they lost their rights. I wonder if the tyranny people are experiencing will be used for good. Will this tyranny bring compassion for family court victims?

Last Tuesday on April 28th, 2002 I drove north to Trenton, NJ to participate in a rally outside of the Trenton War Memorial Building. The event coincided with Governor Phil Murphy’s address to the state. After that rally and another rally, King Murphy decided to open up some state parks, beaches and golf courses but they he changed his mind and closed some as well. There is also another rally tomorrow

Thursday, May 7th
1:00 PM – 03:00 PM
See map
[May 7, 2020, 137 W State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608

FOR MORE INFO – opennj2020@gmail.com

Now my intention was not just to be a protestor although I feel very strongly that we need to open New Jersey immediately. If you are a family court victim fighting for your rights I can’t understand why you would not support freedom unless you are scared, and as a Christian I realize I need to respect your views while I make cogent arguments to persuade you that we can’t love our neighbor by trying to control our neighbors. My intention was to interview other protestors to find out what they know about family courts and to help these people realize that before New Jersey took their Constitutional Rights they practiced on Family Court Victims.
I understand that I may lose some of you that are passionate about keeping everyone at home. You may have a legitimate fear that could be out of compassion for a loved one who is high risk. So please don’t hear what I’m not saying. We need to care for those people who are high risk.
Regardless, our fears do not allow us to violate the rights of others. Our fears do not allow us to prevent others from exercising their God given rights. Our fears should be for others, and our call should be to sacrifice.

So what you are about to hear is a series of interviews recorded during the protest. Saving Fatherhood does not necessarily support the views of the people interviewed. Some of the comments are very colorful and interesting. But we do support their right to be free. These people who have had the boot of the government on the back of their necks are the partners we need to help us change the family court system. Those who suffer have the best ability to be compassionate. Think of how you may have or can help others because of what you’ve gone thru. Maybe God wants to help us in the family court or maybe he wants us who have suffered to have compassion on these people who are suffering devastating loss. Maybe you are the person God put in someones life because God gave you the gift of compassion.

2 Corinthians 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.