But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to
pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive
(Genesis 50:20).
Joseph must have questioned the why behind his circumstances from time to time. Sold
into slavery by his brothers, made a servant in a man's house and eventually sent to
prison, being accused falsely. We look at some of the trials Joseph faced and we must
confess that most of us are not sure how we would hold up under that. Most of us would
have a hard time believing we could get through it at all, but then to look back on it and
say, "God meant it unto good," how could we possibly say that? For though we see
the potential within the evil for God to bring good, we are often blinded by our own hurt
and pain to ever begin to see anything good in what has most assuredly done us evil.
There is little doubt that Joseph didn't lose hope and feel abandoned and completely
alone. His heart must have broken when he was betrayed by his own--an experience that
would surely kindle in most of us fires of anger and hate--fueled by years of enslavement
and separation. Yet Joseph was not made bitter by his situation, but he was made better.
And because of that God was able to use him in a mighty way to accomplish a purpose much
larger than anything concerning Joseph alone.
How incredible! Yet, for many of us, we would sooner withdraw than to seek to find greater
purpose in our place. We victimize ourselves and consider ourselves deserving of the
bitterness we harbor, all the while ignoring how the bitterness is only hurting us and
making matters worse. We turn our entire situation inward and grow more angry with each
passing day, and then we convince ourselves that no one could possibly understand, and
that no one is worthy of identifying with the pain we have felt. Granted, the pain was
real and the hurt very personal. But, the bottom line is that we have a choice as to what
that pain and hurt becomes. It can either be evil that remains evil--or it can be turned
around by God to bring something that is good.
There is so much in this world meant for evil, and there is so much we will suffer as a
result of that evil. But there is a God who is far greater, and there is a potential for
good to be brought out from all things. We do not have to allow the evil to hurt us to the
point of permanently stealing our joy. We do not have to allow the evil to imprison us in
an eternal withdrawal and disillusionment. There is a victory that can come out of the
worse circumstances, and a joy that can radiate from a wounded heart. All because God can
take what some mean for evil, and use it to accomplish greater things.
Consider the things of this world around you that seem full of evil. It is so very
difficult to look at these things in any positive light. These things are not positive in
themselves and they are certainly not God's desire, yet God is still God--bigger than all
of the evil things put together. If we truly believe that, then we must also believe that
He can take anything bad and make something good out of it. We can believe that the bad
choices we make or even honest mistakes are not above His abilities to move them to a good
and perfect conclusion. And even what may seem at times as a life gone sour, is to God
potentially sweet.
| 
To Bring To Pass