As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this— to preserve the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20
Listening to a sermon by Pastor John Piper ( https://youtu.be/6alhX2mgBjo ) I was compelled to reflect on this theme in my own life and testify and affirm that the DECISIVE PROVIDENCE OF GOD ( not fate ) is an undeniable truth. There is no random evil or trouble or peril. It is all part of his Decisive purpose and plan. You may see his purpose in an hour or a year or after 30 years or even die without seeing why something went wrong in your life. But if you trust and believe in Him you can maintain the peace in your heart when all around you the world is sinking. If you believe in walking by faith and not by sight, if you believe in Hope that’s in the unseen, if you believe in the treasures that’s in heaven, only then can this life have a peaceful meaning in all circumstances.
- If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.1 Corinthians 15:19
The whole redemptive history and plan of the bible is based on this cycle of destruction and resurrection and is shown many times, I will use two of them. The story of Joseph in Exodus and the very Crucifixion of Jesus.
In Joseph’s case he was betrayed by his brothers, left to die, sold into slavery, imprisoned for 17 years, miraculously made the prime minister of Egypt, saves the whole region from 7 years of famine…All of this designed, planned and executed by God. ‘Even the perils and the troubles of Joseph’. The verse says ‘what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good’- God intended it, planned it, knew it all along and he had a Decisive end for all the troubles of Joseph who was lucky enough to see it after 22 years of pain and misery. It is very easy to say that all works of evil and pain and peril is from satan. Very easy to wallow in guilt and assume that all suffering is an act of punishment from God. Remember like what Job said GOD IS IN ULTIMATE CHARGE. Even if it is the devil’s work it has to be permitted by God for his own good purpose
- “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:10
How many times we pray in the morning, God let all things go well today and then by breakfast we have a bad news, by noon an accident and by dinner we or our loved one is facing death. How many times we have been in some sort of peril and said- God I prayed and you let me down; God I always did good and why me?; God why hurt my family, take me instead!!! Remember the story of Job or Jospeh through all this. Remember God planned it- Not Suddenly will he decide to create a problem, or surprised by the devil and then turns it to his advantage. No! The peril you are going through was planned, planted and purposed by God and what he does is always RIGHT. It is just that we mere mortals can’t see why? If we truly believe in Christ and his Sovereign rule we should and will be strong enough to say in the darkest of times with the greatest of confidence:
- Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Even the greatest of evil and sin this world has seen- the very crucifixion of Christ was God’s design and plan before the beginning of time. The execution of Christ on the Cross was not an accident. If Christ had been killed another way History would have not happened. We would not have the Salvation.
- In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen. Acts 4:27-28
But Christ bore that knowing well that all perils are indeed designed by His and our Father for His good purpose and end. Let us learn from the above experience to see the joy in the perils, how ever testing they may be.
- Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.Hebrews 12:2
Let us be confident to pray like Jesus prayed the night before his crucifixion. For in reality every second of our live’s future could be the same and we need to be sure and prepared to receive what ever God gives us.
- He knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42
