What Enemies Intend for Evil, God Uses to Save

Weekend, January 6 & 7

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Joseph

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Genesis 50:20

Recommended Reading
Genesis 37:1-36

It's easy to get bogged down in wondering why God allowed a certain event in our past. Verses like Romans 8:28 can help us, but talking to someone who has lived the before and after of a difficult event can help even more. Joseph is one of those people.

Joseph was his father Jacob's favorite son which caused his brothers to resent him with a fierce jealousy. So they sold him to traders headed for Egypt. Once there, God's blessing on Joseph caused him to rise to great prominence. In anticipation of a famine, Joseph had Egypt store up grain for the future. And when Joseph's brothers traveled from Canaan to Egypt looking for food, the brother they had hated turned out to be their savior. They were shocked and embarrassed to meet Joseph; but he declared to them that what they had intended for evil, God was going to use to save them through the famine. Looking back, Joseph saw trouble and confusion. Looking forward, he saw a reunited family.

The before and after of your story may not be as clear as Joseph's, but your faith certainly can be. Yesterday's events serve tomorrow's purposes.

There are no accidents in the life of the Christian. Rowland Bingham

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 19:1 - 21:34 ;
Genesis 22:1 - 24:67

From: Turning Point Online