GENESIS 50:20

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

TO PONDER

When we first meet Joseph in the Old Testament, he is a spoiled brat, so much so that he really gets under the skin of his brothers.  He then goes on a roller coaster ride of being sold into slavery; working his way up to becoming chief servant, highly respected by his master; falsely accused and being sent to gaol; working his way up to be a highly respected chief inmate in the prison; and finally released to be governor of Egypt.

Joseph, for a large part of his life, had little control of the circumstances of what happened to him. But he had a strong commitment to honour his God in how he lived his life in whatever these circumstances were.  In time he came to see God’s hand in all the things that had happened to him and he learned to let go of the resentment and hurt he would have been feeling over the unjust way he had been treated. He came to fully forgive all those who contributed to his pain of his earlier years.

And in hindsight, Joseph came to realise the valuable training he had received in administration from both of his senior positions as a slave and as a prisoner. This training would be valuable in his role as governor of Egypt in preparing for the 7-year drought and then looking after the people during the drought.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you that you are always with us in whatever is happening in our lives. Please help us to thank and praise you for all the good things, and to trust your love and purpose in all the challenging times we face. Amen

Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping