Saved For A Good Purpose

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

And 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 that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

                                                                 (Gen 45:3-8 KJV)

Joseph was favored by his father and that made his brothers jealous enough to sell him into slavery. If we went no further with this story than the betrayal by his brothers it would seem like a very bad thing. But, God did not intend for Joseph to be a slave. His purpose was for Joseph to become a leader. He intended to use Joseph to save the people, including the same brothers who sold him, from death by starvation. Joseph forgave his brothers who betrayed him. He forgave and saved them.

Jesus was also sold by Judas. He was betrayed by many. His followers; his disciples deserted him. His suffering was great. Yet, there was a good purpose. His suffering was for our good. That purpose was so that we might be saved from the power of death. 

When his friend, Lazarus, died, Jesus had reassured Lazarus' sister, Martha, that Lazarus would live.

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." (John 11:25-27)

No matter how bad things may seem at any given time, know that God has a good plan for those who love him. (Rom 8:28) In the years to come those who love him will look back to today and see that God led you them these rough times to a better place even a marvelous place.

Be comforted with the knowledge that God is with you and he has a good plan for your life. He will lead you to a better place through valleys of the shadow of death, through green pastures, beside still waters. His goodness and mercy will be with you all the days of your life and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  (Psalm 23)

God's Peace - Pr. J.