Intended for Good

Sometimes the things that we think are good in life may not be as good as we think they are. And sometimes the things that we think are bad in life may turn out to be actually good.

Take, for instance, the Old Testament story of Joseph in which his brothers sold him into slavery. God had his hand on young Joseph, and he ended up in a position of great influence in Egypt. Ultimately, he was in charge of the food supply.

When his brothers came to Egypt hoping to buy food during a famine, they thought Joseph was long gone. Little did they know that Joseph had become a powerful Egyptian official. At first, they didn’t recognize him, but Joseph recognized them. And, of course, it would have been an opportunity for the ultimate payback.

But after Joseph dismissed everyone in the room except his brothers, he finally told them who he was. They probably thought he was going to execute them—and he could have. Instead, Joseph made this amazing statement to his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20 NLT).

God is in control, and He has an endgame, if you will. Most Christians are familiar with Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT).

But let’s also remember Romans 8:29: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (NLT). God’s endgame is to make us more like Jesus Christ, because Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people.