Nothing Wasted

And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.

Genesis 45:5

Okay, so he might have acted like a brat. And his father kept it no secret that Joseph was his favorite son. And Joseph wasn’t wise when he shared the dream of his older brothers bowing before him. I can just imagine how obnoxious they thought that was. But did Joseph deserve to be thrown into a pit to die (plan A) or be sold into slavery (plan B)?

Of course not. But they both happened. As a slave in Egypt, Joseph dealt with false accusations and unfair imprisonment. But after he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph was assigned to the highest position in the land under Pharaoh. As Joseph’s story unfolds, even his own dreams were fulfilled: his brothers did bow before him years later when they traveled to Egypt in a time of famine and asked for food. By then, Joseph had matured. His response to them was wise and gracious: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

You can read all of Joseph’s story in Genesis, but the point is this: just as God didn’t waste Joseph’s hard times, God doesn’t waste your hurts. Not. A. Single. One.

Lord, thank You for working out Your plans for good in my life, and giving me hope for a redeemed past.