”You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Genesis 50:20New International Version (NIV)
Genesis 50:20 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
God Intends All For Good
Genesis 50:20 can be summarised as “God intends all for good”. This is a godly mindset that Joseph developed, which carried throughout his life.
Therefore, this verse highlights Joseph’s testimony of God’s good intentions in his life and the life of God’s people. This is the salvation of his (Jacob’s) family (or Israel) from the severe famine in Canaan.
However, God’s salvation came through the jealousy of his brothers. This jealousy motivated his brothers to hate him, thus, selling him into slavery.
Joseph’s early life (Genesis 37)
If you remember, Joseph was hated by most of his family. Consequently, his brothers decided they wanted him out of their lives. Therefore, they planned to kill him.
Fortunately, Reuben rescued him from their hands. Therefore, they ended up throwing him into a well to die.
After that, Judah also rescued Joseph from his brothers’ intentions. So they sold him into slavery in Egypt.
Joseph’s later life
After years of being a slave, Joseph rose to a position of power and authority and led the nations of Egypt and Israel through a terrible famine. His leadership saved lives, including the lives of his family members. These are the very ones who tried to kill him.
God’s intentions are good
Therefore, as Joseph looked at his brothers, the ones he could have hated as his enemies, he spoke to them thus: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”.
Unfortunately, most of us are quick to see God’s goodness in the blessings of life, but not so quick to discern His goodness in our trials. But, as a child of God (John 1:12), your response (or reaction) to evil (or challenges) should be motivated by the fact that God’s intentions are always good (Romans 8:28).
This requires you to acknowledge His sovereignty and surrender to His will. In this way, you will be enabled to understand that out of evil, God can/will deliver good (salvation) to many. Even the salvation of men came through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Therefore, evil, and evil plotters that are commonly motivated by jealousy, cannot overrun God and His grace for you, for it is these divine things that assure us of His goodness (Isaiah 54:16-17 and Jeremiah 29:11).
Whatever evil you shall face, do not lose heart or contend with the evil plotters. Rest in the assurance that God will be glorified in the good that He will bring out of the same. This is the mindset that you need to have with you always.
Prayer
Lord God, I thank You for Your good intentions towards me and the evil that is or will be planned against me. Indeed You are a sovereign God, who reigns from the highest throne! I worship You and pray this in Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
2 Kings 9-10 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
