God Intends It For Good

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.

This verse explains one of the most important things you could ever learn from the Bible and I would encourage you to stop now and read it again and again. The point is that God can take anything…anything…and make it turn out for your good. He does not waste a move.

The statement quoted here is near the end of the story of Joseph, the son of Israelite patriarch Jacob, and it holds a principle that will guide you and help you understand how to get through life. That sounds like a bold statement, but I assure you this is a foundational truth of all of Scripture.

Joseph was a Hebrew who was elevated and appointed to be the governor of all Egypt but the road to get there was not easy. As a teenager, he was hated and betrayed by his brothers who tried to kill him before selling him into slavery.

Can family relations get any worse than that?

He was sold to a wealthy Egyptian and managed his property so well that it brought great success until he was falsely accused of raping the master’s wife and was thrown into prison.

Was God there?

Sitting in a dungeon he interpreted a man’s dream who was eventually restored to his place in the court of the Pharaoh the king. When the ruler of the land had a dream that he wanted interpreted, Joseph was called up from his jail cell and told him what it was and what it meant.

He was immediately promoted and elevated to be second in command over the nation. He knew that God had raised him up to save his family from the coming famine but when he saw his brothers in line to buy food, he could see that he had a chance to get revenge.

He was in a position of power to punish them, but his confidence in the sovereignty of God led him to forgive, and to explain to us, in this verse, who is the Creator of all things and why we should trust Him.

He believed that God is so good and so powerful, that He can even use the evil intentions of others, whether strangers or family, to benefit us and bring about His plan for our life. His brothers wanted to ruin his life, God wanted him to be a savior to them.

Joseph believed that we are never out of God’s plan if we trust and obey Him.

When it seems that you have become a victim of someone else’s evil intentions, remember the life of Joseph and what God demonstrated through Him. The Lord can take the motives of others, even ones that have no desire to please Him, and use it for your good.

Trust Him and patiently wait for Him to take care of you.