Genesis 37-39
When we don't understand what God is doing
or why, His ways can seem perplexing. The times when ungodly people
seem to triumph over the righteous make us scratch our heads and wonder
why the Lord doesn't intervene. But the truth is, He often uses the
wicked to accomplish His purpose.
Joseph faced one hard-hearted individual
after another during his years in exile. His brothers shipped him off
to Egypt. His boss's wife accused him of an unspeakable crime. And even
those he helped, like Pharaoh's cupbearer, forgot about him (Gen. 40:23). The actions (or seeming inactions) of God make little sense at this point.
But once the story of Joseph's life was
written in full, it was clear that everyone who harmed or neglected the
young man contributed to God's plan. The Lord used numerous people
across several years to bring a humbled young Hebrew unexpectedly to
power at the right moment to spare his family--who were the Messiah's
ancestors--from the effects of famine.
In our circumstances, we can see God's
actions only from the limited vantage point of our humanness. We
experience the events He has allowed or caused but can't discern what
He is thinking. Often the Lord's goals and purposes are hidden from us
until His plans come to fruition.
God is sovereign over all the earth. We may
wonder at the strange or even terrifying turns our lives take, but we
can be certain that He is in control and at work. The wicked may
triumph for a season, but the final, eternal victory belongs to Christ
and His righteous followers.
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from Intouch magazine, July 2012 issue
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