But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, BUT GOD meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your littles ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Genesis 50:19-21
He said similar words years before when he revealed himself to his brothers... "Don't be angry or grieved with yourselves... FOR GOD sent me before you to preserve life." Genesis 45:5
Joseph saw God in his story and it made all the difference in his life and story.
Those words spoken about you aren't truthful, but God...
I have cancer, but God...
Those people rejected me, but God...
Someone else received the applause or promotion, but God...
Put in the hard you are walking through, but choose to look beyond to see God in the story. Look beyond to the possibilities of what God may do. That may be too difficult right now as the muck of the hard is too much; that's ok, simply choose to stay with God, trusting Him that He is in your story.
As I think of all that Joseph walked through, the hatred, the selling to a strange people and ending up in Egypt, resisting temptation then ending in prison because of words spoken that were not truthful, being forgotten by a fellow inmate and at the end of it all; he could say the words... "you meant it for evil, but God... meant it for life."
He saw God in his story and it kept him from bitterness and retaliation. When I loose sight of God in my story, at how big He really is; I get stuck, mired in the pain and all too quickly I walk in the muck of self-pity and revengeful thoughts.
For a bit the waves of the storm threatened to take over, I lost sight of how big my God is and discouragement set in.
Look at your problem and God becomes smaller. Look at God and your storm diminishes.
And I'm reminded of Peter, the moment he walked on the stormy waters to Jesus was also the moment he sank when he looked at the stormy waters. But he cried out to Jesus and Jesus stretched out His arm to save him.
The way of God is the way to life. God is still in the life-preserving business.
With God there is no room for retaliation because there is always a bigger picture happening. The hard part for me is to trust God, I mean really trusting Him and looking beyond to the possibilities of, but God.
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