Pam Padgett - teacher
Each of us have probably had things happen in our past which were
difficult. One of these for me was as a child watching my mom go
through times of depression, keeping the house dark and staying in bed
for a week or two at a time. Recently I was talking with God about
these times and was surprised when I was reminded of the following ...
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose.
I don't think I had before thought of God working times like this for good according to His purpose. But for those who belong to and love God, He works all things together for our good according to
His purpose, even problems
and trials.
While considering this, I was reminded of Joseph, one of the sons of Israel. Joseph encountered many trials yet remained faithful to God. And God was with him, never
abandoned him. Joseph came to recognize that God worked all of this for good. For by these things, Joseph was set in a place to
help many people, including the chosen people of God, during a severe famine, fulfilling the purpose of God.
The trials Joseph dealt with would be very difficult, frightening, and even dangerous ...
-- Joseph was hated by his brothers because their father loved Joseph more than his brethren. Then God gave Joseph dreams showing that he would rule over his
brothers. When Joseph told these dreams, his brothers hated and
envied him even more. (Genesis 37)
-- When his brothers had opportunity, they cast Joseph into a pit, then sold him to Ishmeelites. The Ishmeelites sold
Joseph to Potiphar, an
officer of Pharaoh in Egypt. (Genesis 37)
-- When Joseph would not lay with Potiphar's wife, not wanting to do wickedness and sin against God, Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph. Joseph was put in prison. (Genesis 39)
-- Pharaoh's chief butler and chief
baker were put in the same prison. When the chief butler and baker were given dreams showing what
would happen to them, Joseph told them the interpretations from God.
Joseph asked the butler, who was re-instated as chief butler, to
mention him (Joseph) to Pharaoh. But the butler forgot Joseph, and
Joseph remained in prison for another two years. (Genesis 40)
These trials, however, resulted in Joseph being in a position to help many people, including the house of his father Israel, according to the will of God ...
Pharaoh was given dreams which
troubled him. When the magicians and wise men could not give the interpretation, the chief butler remembered Joseph and told
Pharaoh about him. Joseph was brought out of the prison and gave to Pharaoh the
interpretation of the dreams. The dreams showed 7 years of plenty
followed by 7 years of great famine. Pharaoh set Joseph over the land.
During the years of plenty Joseph stored up food for the years of
famine. (Genesis 41)
When the famine came and Jacob's house lacked food, he sent his sons to purchase food in Egypt where Joseph eventually revealed himself to his brothers. And Joseph sent for his father and all
his house to come to Egypt.
Genesis 47:11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
After these things, Joseph explained to his brothers what God had done in all of this ...
Genesis 50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
We may not be able to see with our own mind how God could
possibly cause some things to work together for good. But as we love Him, faithful to Him in all our ways, God works all things for good according to His purpose.