JANUARY 6 - God Means It

JANUARY 6 - God Means It

 

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

 

I draw a lot of inspiration from the story of Joseph. Although he was never paralyzed, a lot of things happened to him that could be construed as accidents. There were plenty of unfortunate mishaps in Joseph’s life, like being tossed by his envious brothers into a pit and left to die. But later on — after more mishaps — Joseph told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good so that others might be saved.”

 

I like that word intended. He is a God of intention — he has a purpose, a target, a goal, and a plan. God was a giant step ahead of Joseph’s brothers, aborting their evil intentions to suit his own purposes. Joseph’s problems did not catch God off guard, presenting him with situations he wished would never have happened. From the beginning, God calculated for Joseph to experience all these things. Why? For the salvation of others. God is not a sweep-up boy who follows you with a dustpan and brush, second-guessing how everything will fit into a divine pattern for good. He does not put on a hazmat suit so that an evil situation doesn’t contaminate his holy reputation.

 

Think of disappointing or bad things that have happened to you. God’s hands stay on the wheel of your life from start to finish so that everything follows his intention for your life. This means your trials have more meaning — much more — than you realize. Your problems have more purpose than you can imagine.

 

Not because God merely used bad things, but because God intended them so that others might be brought to Jesus through your example.

 

Lord God, I praise you that your intentions in my life are always good. Every “accident” happens so that somehow, someway, others might be introduced to the Savior through me.