“When Bad Things Happen to Good People.”

I love the stories of the Old Testament, there is so much to learn from them. The story of Joseph is one of my favorites, but to tell you the truth, I have always been angry with Joseph’s brothers, who were full of jealousy. (Genesis 37)

Joseph’s father, Israel (Jacob), sent him to check on his brothers, who were far away, tending the sheep. When his brothers saw him coming with his coat of many colors that his father had made for him, they were jealous and forged a plan… Joseph’s brothers “stripped him of his coat,” leaving him nearly naked and cast him into a pit that had no water in it. Then, they sat down to eat.

You know the story… Joseph was rescued by a band of Ishmaelites and taken as a “slave” into Egypt. Here he was, innocent, forsaken by his brothers, and his father not knowing where he was. All his life he served the Lord and now, look where this got him. I have always been angry at his brothers for doing this until I read “the rest of the story…”

Now, many years go by, and Joseph is next in line to Pharaoh! His brothers had come several times to get grain from “Joseph,” not knowing who he was, for now. Joseph is sitting on the throne, next in line to Pharaoh, speaking fluent Egyptian, and through a translator, he sees his brothers coming before him, as in his dreams.

At last, when Joseph sent everyone out of the room, he “cannot refrain himself any longer and breaks out into loud weeping,” so loud that everyone, including Pharaoh, hears him! Instead of being angry at his brothers, (like I was), Joseph said, “God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So, NOW IT WAS NOT YOU WHO SENT ME HITHER, BUT GOD.”  Genesis 45:7

When bad things happen to good people, we sometimes blame someone or blame the devil. But, Joseph was saying, “It wasn’t you, my brothers, who did this… it was God!” So, maybe that bad thing that happened wasn’t the devil after all… could it be that God was using these things to turn them around and bless you? There is a reason for everything… God never makes a mistake and He loves you!

Have a great day, even if something goes wrong, God is still on your side!

Sherry