Genesis 50:20 - God's use of Disasters

Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

There is something about natural disasters and the events that surround them that make them seem horrible. Why else would we call them “disasters” if they did not bring to ruin large areas of land and injure many people?  Recently we had a hurricane come out of the Atlantic Ocean, up through the Gulf of Mexico and then made landfall in Louisiana, tracking up through Mississippi and Arkansas. As the storm path moved, the widespread storm brought winds and rainfall to the states not only in it's path but surrounding them. Yet as much havoc as the storm wrought in people's lives, it did much good, much of the south central and mid-western states that this hurricane hit were in drought conditions. I know that here where I am, our water aquifer level was so low that taking a quick shower and running the dishwasher would drain the well for quite some time! This storm brought hours and days even of much needed rain, saving many crops that otherwise would not have survived, saving farmers from ruin, providing rebuilding jobs and temporarily decreasing the unemployment rate as people scrambled to repair the damage from the high winds.

I quoted from the story of Joseph above. His brothers had jealously thrown him into a dry well and sold him as a slave to get rid of him. He was then sold as a slave in Egypt where he was trained to run a household. When God determined his time of learning there was finished, Joseph found himself thrown into prison where he took over running the prison. When God determined that Joseph had experienced enough, He had Joseph released from prison and sent him to run Pharaoh's house and thus save Egypt and the future nation of Israel from the destruction of the severe drought that was to plague the area for years. God used the anger and jealousy of Joseph's brothers to save the world!

Where we often see as danger, destruction, and despair, God tends to see as opportunity. He takes our fears and our experiences and turns them to His purpose and to good. He turns disaster into blessing.  Whatever disaster may be approaching our lives, whatever conditions and hardships we are experiencing, God is turning to good somehow and somewhen. We may not know how, we may not know why, and we may not know when the good will come, but God does.  Joseph spent 13 years as a slave or prisoner before he became Pharoah's overseer. 13 years of pain and anguish before God followed through with his promises to Joseph.

This week then, lets wait on God, trusting Him to do what He does best. Despite what we may be going through, God really does know what He is doing, and somehow it will be turned to good. That doesn't mean it will be pleasant for us, but merely that we get to experience God's grace being sufficient for us in greater depth.

There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
                   ^{Daniel Whittle, 1883.}