Bad things happen to good people and at times we wonder why because it does not make sense. However, Joseph had an entirely different perspective as the following scriptures reveal:
And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Genesis 45:4-8
Here is one of the most powerful scriptures that anybody in adversity should draw inspiration from because the life of Joseph clearly demonstrates that this is true. Paul, the apostle, writing to the church in Rome, said the following:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NKJV)
Anybody looking at Joseph while he was still a slave and imprisoned would have ruled him out because his circumstances did not seem to align with the dream that he had for his life. He was deprived of physical freedom, and there was no way, humanly speaking, that he would become the leader his dreams had predicted. But God was with him and was working out everything for his good.
To understand Joseph’s perspective, it is important to factor in what the following psalms say about him:
Moreover He called for a famine in the land;
He destroyed all the provision of bread.
He sent a man before them—
Joseph—who was sold as a slave.
They hurt his feet with fetters,
He was laid in irons.
Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the Lord tested him.
The king sent and released him,
The ruler of the people let him go free.
He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his possessions,
To bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom. Psalms 105:16-22
It is worth noting that this Psalm was written a long time after Joseph had died. The writer of the Psalm understood who was truly in charge of the affairs of man. God!
To truly understand what is going on in our lives, community, and the world, we must factor God into the equation. Those who have decided to reject God have come up with some worldly solutions that have failed to deliver the peace, joy, contentment, purpose, and happiness that we all crave. Many have questioned why a good God will allow suffering, death, discrimination, hate, murder, and all the ills that we suffer from.
There are many excellent resources that handle this subject better than I can, and you can refer to those. It is important to note that the life of Joseph demonstrates a simple truth that God will make use of the good, the bad, and the ugly because all things mean all things. Are you willing to trust God to make the most of whatever situation you are in? You can choose life, victory, hope, and happiness by trusting God to work all things for your good.
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