“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Genesis 50:20
God Meant It for Good
Joseph didn’t call evil good. His brothers had betrayed him and sold him into slavery. Joseph described their actions honestly: “You intended to harm me.”
But their evil intentions were not the only intentions at work. Joseph continued, “God intended it for good.”
Through Joseph’s suffering, God placed him in Egypt. Through Joseph’s position in Egypt, God provided food during a severe famine. Through that food, God preserved Joseph’s family, including the family line through which the Savior would eventually come.
The brothers intended harm. God accomplished salvation.
That does not excuse what the brothers did. God did not approve of their sin. But their sin could not defeat his gracious plan.
The same is true at the cross. Jesus’ enemies intended to silence him. Judas intended to betray him. Religious leaders intended to destroy him. Roman soldiers intended to execute him. Yet through their evil actions, God carried out his saving purpose. Jesus’ suffering became the means by which God rescued sinners.
We cannot always see what God is accomplishing through the wrongs committed against us. We should not minimize evil or pretend that suffering is painless. But we can trust that evil never gets the final word.
The God who turned Joseph’s suffering into the saving of many lives turned Jesus’ death into the salvation of the world. He is still able to bend what others intend for harm toward his good and gracious purposes.
Prayer:
Lord God, when I cannot understand the evil and suffering around me, help me trust your saving wisdom and your gracious purposes in Christ. Amen.
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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