GLEANINGS - GenesisSample

Does God’s intentions overrule our intentions?

Joseph made a big claim about God in Genesis 50:20 where he says, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”It is the belief that no matter what evil or terrible thing happens, God can always make something good come out of it if we will let him work through us.

But remember God is not the one who caused the evil thing to happen. You can’t blame everything that happens in this world on God.

There is a big difference between saying God causes everything that happens to us to happen and saying that no matter how badly we mess things up, God can bring something good out of it.

The working of God in our lives is often obscure and difficult to see except in retrospect. It is only as we look back that we are able to see the hand of God moving and working in our lives.

In the face of evil, we are given a choice. We can choose our attitude. We can choose whether we feed the bitterness and anger or we can choose to look for God’s hand at work in a larger scheme. Joseph chose not to be bitter, but to see the hand of God.

As Joseph looked back on his life, he saw the hand of God working in both the good and the bad he had experienced. God used all that had happened to him — the evil as well as the good — for a redemptive purpose. What his brothers had intended as harm, God had turned into help for thousands.

Joseph’s life is a practical working out of Romans 8:28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God; to them who are the called according to His purpose.” But remember that the verse does not say that all things are working together for good as we define good. They won’t. Most often we define good in terms of health, wealth, and success. The good that is promised here is explained in Romans 8:29. These two verses ought always to be read together. The good promised in Romans 8:28 is defined in Romans 8:29 as a growing conformity to Christ-likeness.

God uses everything that happens in our lives to change us into His likeness and image if we allow Him to. That is our choice.

APPLICATION QUESTION:

Look back and think of a time in your life when God did something good out of terrible circumstances. Be reminded and encouraged that He always works for good. Are you trusting God's sovereign plan for your life? What set of bad circumstances will you ask God to use for good?

QUOTE:

With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack? Surely we are the most favored of all creatures. A. W. Tozer

PRAYER:

Lord, I thank You that Your plans for my life are always good. Help me to trust in You at all times and submit myself willingly to You. Amen