“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good .  .  .” Genesis 50:20 

You know the story of Joseph.  He was the favorite son of Jacob, the eleventh of twelve, and when he was young he was a little arrogant.  His father gave him the “technicolor dreamcoat”.  He told his brothers he had a dream which showed all his brothers and even their father bowing down to Joseph. He probably shouldn’t have done that.  Made ‘em mad.  So mad they wanted to kill him. They even threw him in a well and left him there to die.  But Reuben (one of the brothers) got him out and sold him to slave traders on the way to Egypt.  There Joseph went through hell and high water; being accused of rape, thrown in prison, then finally released and promoted to be the prime minister of Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh.

Then a famine came and everyone was near starving, so the brothers came from Canaan to get food.  Through a miraculous chain of events, Joseph was reunited with his family. Jacob and all his sons lived in Egypt for a long time.  When Jacob died, all the brothers were afraid that Joseph would take vengeance on them for trying to kill him and for selling him into slavery.  That’s when Joseph said, “You meant to hurt me, but God meant it for good.”

If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that this often happens.  What appears to us to be harmful will often end up being good.  Sometimes (as in this story) it takes a long time for things to turn out, but if we trust God, as Joseph did, we will see God’s perfect will come to pass.  Like it says in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to those who love God.”  That’s us. So “give thanks in all things, for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.  You just never know the plans God has for you!