Believes That God Always Does What’s Best For Him

Believes That God Always Does What’s Best For Him

A HERO’S TALE

Early on, Joseph endured terrible difficulties.

When he was 17, his angry, jealous brothers sold him into Egyptian slavery. Over the next 13 years, Joseph endured lies, mistreatment, unjust imprisonment, and abandonment. (Read about it in Genesis 37, 39, and 40.)

Sitting alone in a dark, cold, Egyptian dungeon, Joseph probably often wondered, Where is God? Why is he letting all this happen to me? Does he still love me?

Then, suddenly, things got better. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams about a coming famine and earned a one-way ticket into the royal palace. By age 30, Joseph was Pharaoh’s second-in-command. Shortly thereafter, he almost single-handedly saved Egypt (and many other countries) from starvation during a terrible worldwide famine.

As the food shortage spread, even his brothers traveled to Egypt looking for food. They bowed before Joseph, not realizing it was Joseph. His earlier dreams about his family had come true!

When Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, they were frightened. They thought he might take revenge for their cruelty years earlier. But Joseph saw the big picture: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20).

DECODING THE MESSAGE

As the years passed, Joseph began to understand God’s master plan for his life.

God knew all along that a terrible famine was coming, so to save Jacob’s family (which would later become the 12 tribes of Israel), God allowed Joseph to be enslaved, shipped to Egypt, and imprisoned —all to exalt Joseph at the proper time. In essence, God used the wicked deeds of Joseph’s brothers to send Joseph ahead of them into Egypt and save them years later. Incredible!

God still works the same way today. Sometimes in our lives, it seems like everything is going wrong and God doesn’t care. But nothing could be further from the truth.

God does care (more than you know!), and he works everything out for the good of those who love him. Read today’s verse, Romans 8:28, and let that truth sink into your heart.

God will take everything bad that happens to his children and ultimately use it for good. Not just some things . . . everything!

God always has our best in mind. What an amazing God!

BATTLE PLAN

Are you currently going through a trial? Pray about it, track it in a journal, and watch how God turns it into good. Write down the ending, too, so you can remember God’s faithfulness. And if your trial doesn’t end quickly, don’t worry —God still loves you and is working in the situation. Look for ways God is doing good things in the midst of the difficulty.