There are times in our life where we
have to face hurtful situations brought on by others. We may be the
one that is looked down on or thought bad about. But we must keep our
trust in the Lord and believe that all is still in His hands and
realize that some time these times that we go through, God Meant
Them For Good.
GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD
Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD
Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Have you ever had series of events happen in
your life that caused a lot of trouble and you were the one who was
looked on as the bad person when the situations were all over and
settled? When something like this happens, it really makes a person
feel down on them self, even though deep down inside, they know they
were the innocent person. If we are truly honest with ourselves, we
would realize that the main thing that we are bothered with, is what
other people think of us after something like this happens. Many of
us want to be liked, and we worry so much about what other people
think of us, or just how they look at us. But do you know that the
Bible says that we should not be man pleasers, but God pleasers?
It has taken many hard lessons for me to go through in my life to
finally get to the place where I am finally healed of the "disease
to please" people.
Gal 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
There is a story in the Bible that I always refer to now when something like this happens to me. It is the story of Joseph. The life of Joseph speaks of godly encouragement to God's people who suffer and are persecuted.
In Joseph's life, he first shared his dreams with his brothers and his father. But his brothers were jealous of his relationship with his father. Jealousy led to the act of them throwing Joseph into a dark pit, and then selling him to some merchants. They let their father believe Joseph was dead. But wherever Joseph was, he always won the favor of people. He ended up in the house of Potiphar, and was put in charge of all that Potiphar owned until his wife accused Joseph of trying to take advantage of her. He then ended up in prison. From prison, because of his gifts and wisdom, he ended up in Pharaoh's palace in a great position of power. He was responsible for saving many people, including his family, in a time of famine.
Just like Joseph's life, God has many stages that we may have to walk through in order to reach our ultimate destiny in Christ. God showed him his place of power in two dreams but he never revealed the painful paths that Joseph would have to walk to arrive in that place of greatness.
When we first come to Christ, we have a zeal and faith that skyrockets. And then some things happen. As in the case with Joseph, our brothers in the Lord begin to get jealous and look for any excuse to humble us. Jesus warned that a man's enemies would be those of his own household and that can include the household of faith. We are suddenly attacked. We go along serving God when unexpected opposition comes into our life. We ask for prayer, and suddenly, are surrounded by people who are accusing us of every sort of wrong motive. Just like Joseph, we are cast into a deep dry well where no light is shining. If they can't find fault in our actions, they presume on our motives wounding us with jagged accusations wrapped in sweet words of grace. Then it is as if the Father's favor is stripped from us and we suddenly are demoted to the lowest of the low places a slave. People treat us with contempt and we have to learn to bear the injustices in silence. Forsaken by friends and family, we learn in our isolation to draw comfort from God. Even as the Lord was with Joseph, He is with us as well.
After the slavery comes a small promotion and still another test. Will we abuse our newly found authority? We then end up in another place of accusation, and we end up once again stripped of our robe. (or positions in the Church, as was with our situation)
Then comes the prison, the dumping ground of ruined humanity, a place where all hope is vanquished. We are a nobody. The promises of God are now faint memories but His presence becomes our secret abiding place. We have been wrongly accused, sentenced, and locked away. And in such places we learn to allow God himself to become our life. He becomes our comforter, companion, and sweet secret friend.
If you find that life's circumstances seem to be symbolically like Joseph's life, and you have found yourself now in this deep dark prison, be encouraged and know that just like Joseph, a time will come when you will be cleansed of that prison dirt, and you will be brought to a place of power where you speak the Word of the Lord. Suddenly a royal robe is wrapped about your shoulders. This is not the robe of a noble child, but of one in full authority. The Father's favor is again publicly placed on you. After so many false starts, you suddenly find your true place of service. The taunts of your accusers fade in fear of the authority on your life. And the promises of God burst forth to maturity and you inherit his long delayed blessings. Please take heart: God is preparing you for your true place of service by first breaking you, and then remaking you in His redemptive image. He who promised is Faithful and True.
All the things that have happened to you in your life may seem to have been bad, but God is faithful and what others meant for bad God meant for good. God has a purpose for all things that you go through. And I'm not saying that God causes these things to happen but what I'm saying is that when these bad things happen, God is there to work them out for the good!
Rom 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.
And since His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts, (Isaiah 55:8) the outcome of situations may not be what we expected, nor do things look the way, to others, as God sees them. Just be encouraged to know that God is always in control and all will work out as long as you trust in Him through everything you go through. Even if the place you are at today does not look so good, don't lose faith, because all that you have gone through because of others, God meant it all for good. Do not lose hope and never forget the dreams that God has given to you. It is your dreams that will lead you to your ultimate destiny in Christ.
Connie J. Schmoll
Gal 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
There is a story in the Bible that I always refer to now when something like this happens to me. It is the story of Joseph. The life of Joseph speaks of godly encouragement to God's people who suffer and are persecuted.
In Joseph's life, he first shared his dreams with his brothers and his father. But his brothers were jealous of his relationship with his father. Jealousy led to the act of them throwing Joseph into a dark pit, and then selling him to some merchants. They let their father believe Joseph was dead. But wherever Joseph was, he always won the favor of people. He ended up in the house of Potiphar, and was put in charge of all that Potiphar owned until his wife accused Joseph of trying to take advantage of her. He then ended up in prison. From prison, because of his gifts and wisdom, he ended up in Pharaoh's palace in a great position of power. He was responsible for saving many people, including his family, in a time of famine.
Just like Joseph's life, God has many stages that we may have to walk through in order to reach our ultimate destiny in Christ. God showed him his place of power in two dreams but he never revealed the painful paths that Joseph would have to walk to arrive in that place of greatness.
When we first come to Christ, we have a zeal and faith that skyrockets. And then some things happen. As in the case with Joseph, our brothers in the Lord begin to get jealous and look for any excuse to humble us. Jesus warned that a man's enemies would be those of his own household and that can include the household of faith. We are suddenly attacked. We go along serving God when unexpected opposition comes into our life. We ask for prayer, and suddenly, are surrounded by people who are accusing us of every sort of wrong motive. Just like Joseph, we are cast into a deep dry well where no light is shining. If they can't find fault in our actions, they presume on our motives wounding us with jagged accusations wrapped in sweet words of grace. Then it is as if the Father's favor is stripped from us and we suddenly are demoted to the lowest of the low places a slave. People treat us with contempt and we have to learn to bear the injustices in silence. Forsaken by friends and family, we learn in our isolation to draw comfort from God. Even as the Lord was with Joseph, He is with us as well.
After the slavery comes a small promotion and still another test. Will we abuse our newly found authority? We then end up in another place of accusation, and we end up once again stripped of our robe. (or positions in the Church, as was with our situation)
Then comes the prison, the dumping ground of ruined humanity, a place where all hope is vanquished. We are a nobody. The promises of God are now faint memories but His presence becomes our secret abiding place. We have been wrongly accused, sentenced, and locked away. And in such places we learn to allow God himself to become our life. He becomes our comforter, companion, and sweet secret friend.
If you find that life's circumstances seem to be symbolically like Joseph's life, and you have found yourself now in this deep dark prison, be encouraged and know that just like Joseph, a time will come when you will be cleansed of that prison dirt, and you will be brought to a place of power where you speak the Word of the Lord. Suddenly a royal robe is wrapped about your shoulders. This is not the robe of a noble child, but of one in full authority. The Father's favor is again publicly placed on you. After so many false starts, you suddenly find your true place of service. The taunts of your accusers fade in fear of the authority on your life. And the promises of God burst forth to maturity and you inherit his long delayed blessings. Please take heart: God is preparing you for your true place of service by first breaking you, and then remaking you in His redemptive image. He who promised is Faithful and True.
All the things that have happened to you in your life may seem to have been bad, but God is faithful and what others meant for bad God meant for good. God has a purpose for all things that you go through. And I'm not saying that God causes these things to happen but what I'm saying is that when these bad things happen, God is there to work them out for the good!
Rom 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.
And since His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts, (Isaiah 55:8) the outcome of situations may not be what we expected, nor do things look the way, to others, as God sees them. Just be encouraged to know that God is always in control and all will work out as long as you trust in Him through everything you go through. Even if the place you are at today does not look so good, don't lose faith, because all that you have gone through because of others, God meant it all for good. Do not lose hope and never forget the dreams that God has given to you. It is your dreams that will lead you to your ultimate destiny in Christ.
Connie J. Schmoll
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