trbccoffeebreak

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive”  Genesis 50:20

Do you ever wake up with a worship song on your heart and mind? I love when this happens, as it makes me smile to think of God’s promise in His Word to quiet me with His love and rejoice over me with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). In fact, I woke up this morning with a praise song refrain repeating in my mind: “You take what the enemy meant for evil, and You turn it for good.”

“See a Victory” is the name of the song. Now, I’m not going to digress by pointing out theological issues with other lyrical elements of this song or its origin church and writers. I’ll stick with the refrain at hand, which is based on Genesis 50:20. This proclamation of Joseph to his evil-meaning brothers comes after they planned to kill him but changed their minds and sold him into slavery instead.  But the ongoing saga is pretty amazing, and I recommend you read the whole story of Joseph’s rise based on his hard work and integrity, his fall based on lies and false accusations, his rise to leadership again—even while in prison—and his ultimate placement over all the land (Genesis 37-47).

Joseph was honest, trustworthy, worked hard, and did his best wherever he was placed. But, most importantly, Joseph honored God as the basis for his efforts (Gen 39:9), and the Lord was with him (Gen 39:3, 21, 23).

Friends, this world is run by the enemy, and there is plenty of evil—and evildoers. People, more than ever, are without moral boundaries and do whatever it takes to get what they want and please themselves. They don’t care if they have to lie, cheat, or steal, as long as they get their way. You may have experienced this on the job: You work hard, with integrity, but someone else gets the promotion. Or your child works hard (on their own) on a science project only to be beaten out for the blue ribbon by a kid whose parent did their work for them.

But we cannot control the way others choose to function. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, can simple love and serve God first and foremost. Everything we do—in our family, at work, socially—we must do as for the Lord (Colossians 3:17, 23). Our words and actions must be aligned with God’s Word—so we must know God’s Word!

Even by doing the right thing, we will lose battles. We’ll be overlooked at work (even lied about and mocked). We may lose friends. Joseph went to jail for being righteous, and so may we. But, sisters, have faith! The enemy’s reign is short-lived in light of eternity. What is meant for evil in this world, will be used for God’s ultimate glory. Even if we can’t see a victory on the horizon, God wins—and, ultimately, so will we.

“Lord, help me to remember that even though I cannot always the good in a situation, I know that You always know the end from the beginning. I trust You and Your will.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life