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Romans 8:28 says, “...for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Many times, God’s Purpose isn’t clear. Some have encountered disaster, misfortune or grief, And the victims of those may ask “Why?” And for some of those, for whom things turn out looking up in the end, they might look back and even ask “Why not?”
But the Lord is not transparent; many of His Plans are unknown until they come to pass. Many of His Plans are a work in progress, whatever they are. Whatever they are, Deuteronomy 29:29 says “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever...” Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
But for those who love God, all things, whether good or evil, are orchestrated by Him, that good may come of it. Look at what happened to Joseph in Genesis. His brothers, out of jealousy, left him on the side of the road for dead, for all they cared, and they even led their father Jacob to believe that their brother was killed by a wild animal, as it infers in Genesis 37:33. If this isn’t evil, I don’t know what is. Ironically, Jacob’s children deceived him just as Jacob deceived his father Isaac into giving him Isaac’s blessing instead of giving it to Esau, but that’s a different story.
What Joseph’s brothers did to him and impressed on their father was surely disaster and grief. But what became of it? Turns out that wasn’t the end of all things here. For some travelers pick Joseph out of the ditch he laid in, alive and well, and they bring him to Egypt. And in Egypt he ends up prospering and is appointed to oversee the land. And under his administration, Egypt prospered in the midst of the neighboring famine, and Egypt was able to share their wheat with neighbors, including Joseph’s family, which consisted of the future Twelve Tribes of Israel, who had none.
And what did Joseph say to his brothers when they reconciled? He says in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant EVIL against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” And it was seen, in that time, the result of things working together for good under God.
The Lord says in Isaiah 14:24, “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have PURPOSED, so shall it stand...” And the key thing is, as said in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
But the Lord is not transparent; many of His Plans are unknown until they come to pass. Many of His Plans are a work in progress, whatever they are. Whatever they are, Deuteronomy 29:29 says “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever...” Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
But for those who love God, all things, whether good or evil, are orchestrated by Him, that good may come of it. Look at what happened to Joseph in Genesis. His brothers, out of jealousy, left him on the side of the road for dead, for all they cared, and they even led their father Jacob to believe that their brother was killed by a wild animal, as it infers in Genesis 37:33. If this isn’t evil, I don’t know what is. Ironically, Jacob’s children deceived him just as Jacob deceived his father Isaac into giving him Isaac’s blessing instead of giving it to Esau, but that’s a different story.
What Joseph’s brothers did to him and impressed on their father was surely disaster and grief. But what became of it? Turns out that wasn’t the end of all things here. For some travelers pick Joseph out of the ditch he laid in, alive and well, and they bring him to Egypt. And in Egypt he ends up prospering and is appointed to oversee the land. And under his administration, Egypt prospered in the midst of the neighboring famine, and Egypt was able to share their wheat with neighbors, including Joseph’s family, which consisted of the future Twelve Tribes of Israel, who had none.
And what did Joseph say to his brothers when they reconciled? He says in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant EVIL against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” And it was seen, in that time, the result of things working together for good under God.
The Lord says in Isaiah 14:24, “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have PURPOSED, so shall it stand...” And the key thing is, as said in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
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