"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
If you’ve been following this blog for long, this morning’s entry might sound familiar. We covered this verse a few years back, and it’s needed today as much as it was then. This verse contains Joseph’s statement to his brothers who had heartlessly sold him into slavery. How did he avoid resentment when he was treated unfairly by those closest to him? How can we avoid resentment when life seems unfair to us?
Two of the most destructive emotions on the planet are bitterness and self-pity. They are parasitic emotions that when allowed to fester, will destroy their hosts. Faith eliminates the environment they need to exist. Trusting God changes your viewpoint. It transforms you from a victim to an operative in God’s army. It allows you to watch God use what should have destroyed you. …to Make you stronger.
Trusting in an all-powerful God gives you the patience to “let the play develop”. It allows you to resist panic and wait for God to reveal His strategy. He is not anxious or surprised and as His precious child you shouldn’t be either.
Living with Confidence in Christ is what allows an alcoholic to recover and move on to help others fighting the same battle. It enables those who have waded through unimaginable grief to rescue others sinking in it. It allows couples who have worked hard and saved their marriage, to help others who are struggling. God never wastes pain; He uses it to create battle tested “veterans” who can provide priceless guidance to others who are entering the fight.
Completely relying on God changes you at your core. Faithfulness allows you to trust that the Lord will protect you, and that He fully intends to use this trial for your good, and His glory.
If you’re in the middle of a war today, keep fighting… you are not alone. Know that God loves you, and He will carry you through… Grab His Hand and hold on, then turn your gaze outward and find the “many lives” you have been sent to save through the storm.
"It is good for me to have been afflicted, that I might know how to speak a word in season to one that is weary." - Charles Spurgeon
I especially love the statement “God never wastes pain.” I find that so comforting and encouraging. We all walk through painful seasons, and it can be easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged. Yet those same seasons can become opportunities to trust the Lord more deeply and experience His peace.
ReplyDeleteLearning to praise Him through the pain can change so much—our perspective, our hearts, our attitudes, and even how we carry our grief. The hurt may still be there, but there is comfort in knowing God is at work within it.
I remember hearing about a pastor who, whenever something difficult happened, would get excited and rejoice and say, “Okay, God, what are You going to do through this?” I love that he approached hardship with an expectation of seeing God work. That’s the attitude I try to have, too. I don’t always succeed, but the reminder that God never wastes our pain helps me turn my heart back toward Him.