Our Bible verse for today: “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result – the survival of many people.” Genesis 50:20 (CSB)
Our thought for today: “God will use your circumstances for His purposes if you let Him.”
I once knew a fine Christian lady who was married to an extremely difficult man. He was angry, profane, argumentative, mean, and sometimes violent. She, on the other hand, had a sweet and gentle personality with a very pleasant demeanor. She was friendly and gracious, compassionate towards others, strong in her faith, and she carried herself with poise and dignity even though her homelife was often a nightmare. Amazingly, she stayed married to that man for over fifty years until he died. Many people thought she should have divorced him long ago but no, she honored her vows whether he honored his or not.
The Lord has used her example of faithful perseverance in a terrible situation to inspire countless others – especially her family. Her children and grandchildren have all noticeably been impacted by her sterling example, and they all exhibit similar character traits. It’s a fine family, and her example to them through all those years was so powerful that it was the strength of her character that had the most profound impact on them, rather than the negative traits they all witnessed and experienced from the man involved.
The account of Joseph in the book of Genesis tells a similar story. Joseph was a good man enduring difficult circumstances well. Sold into slavery in Egypt by hateful brothers; falsely accused of sexual assault; imprisoned for years for something he didn’t do; Joseph’s life seemed tragic. But he did his best to honor God in the midst of those tragic circumstances. Eventually God raised him up out of all that, elevated him to a high and influential position, and used all of it as a source of blessing to countless others.
I’m betting that the circumstances of your life aren’t as bad as Joseph’s; and probably not as bad as the lady I wrote about above; but I’m certain you do have your own issues. All of us have things going on in our lives that we wish weren’t there.
God might not shield you from hardships in life, but He will use you and your hardships to accomplish His purposes. The things you experience in your life matter very much. God can redeem the difficult circumstances and use it all in good ways to bless you and others as well, if you let Him.
I encourage you today to consider your circumstances, ask God how He wants to use them for good, and then recommit yourself and your situation to Him.
Oak Hill Baptist Church