Romans 8:28
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
This week, we are looking at Joseph’s response to his brothers’ betrayal. They had thrown him into a pit, then, sold him into slavery. In Egypt, he was falsely accused and ended up in prison. How could good come out of all this suffering? But it did! He said to them, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it as good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive….”
In considering today’s Bible verse and Joseph’s life, I began thinking about my own life.
On December 15, 2014, my husband was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. This is a disease that often quickly takes the life of its victim. We were offered a “cure” at Emory University Hospital. While there, God gave us the privilege of giving away Bibles to doctors, nurses, and other staff. He also gave us opportunities to share the gospel and the wonderful privilege of seeing two people trust Christ as Savior. God did bring good out of this horrible affliction! But then on, November 14, 2015, my wonderful husband died and went home to be with Jesus, which is good because he is with his Savior!
But what about me, how could this possibly be good for me? I was left alone, in pain, fearful of the future, and grieving.
But then, God’s presence became so real in my life, in a way, that I had never before experienced. Psalm 23 was often on my heart, mind, and lips. I can truly say that when I cried out to Him, He was there! He comforted me. It’s now been five years since my husband went to be with Jesus. I can tell you, that for the most part God has healed me from my grief and grown me spiritually. The verse following today’s passage says that God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. God uses even very difficult things in our lives to bring about the “good” of making us more like Jesus. I want that in my life, how about you?
- What are some really hard things that have happened in your life, where you can look back and see that God has used them for good?
- What scripture, circumstance, or person has God used to bring good out of the hard things in your life?
- How is God going to work the good in bad situations (Jacob was on the run from his uncle and brother) potential to lose his family and possessions because of his own actions?
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you?
