You intended to harm
me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the
saving of many lives.
Genesis 50:20
Thoughts~ I never want to
ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit so I listen intently when I hear
“echos”. Late this afternoon I was reading a book by my hero Charles Swindoll
called “A Life Well Lived” when I found myself nodding in agreement with tears
streaming down my cheeks over Genesis 50:20. Joseph had been so mistreated by
his brothers and they were in fear of his new power and yet his kindness to
them was astounding as he told them God had used the evil they had done to him
for God’s purpose. Joseph’s kindness
spoke to me so much but also the fact that God used his brother’s actions for a
better good. This book is not light fluffy reading, and, while short, it will
take me some time to really read because I keep stopping to ponder things. I
wanted to share this in my blog and yet it seemed to kind of serious and
lengthy to tell my story so I dismissed it. Shortly after, I
picked up another book I’m reading (I read a lot!) by Carol Kent called “A New
Kind of Normal” and guess what verse was prominently displayed before my eyes
with “mental arrows” pointing to it? Genesis 50:20! An echo for sure, so here I
sit, typing out these verses, knowing they are for at least one other reader
besides me. In a nut shell, Kent
shares how her life changed when her dearly loved son was sent to prison for
murder. And she shares so transparently every hurt, doubt, bit of anger and
negative feeling she experienced before realizing the truth of this beautiful
verse. God is using the incarceration of her son to save lives! Spiritual
lives, physical lives, emotional lives. She also shares many stories of others
who God is using as they travel pain filled paths yet through the Holy Spirit, are
saving the lives of others by sharing the salvation of Jesus. God has used my past
to save lives that I probably won’t know all about until Heaven. And while some
of it is painful to share, I do so at retreats or in small group settings. The very
short version is that over the past 7 years, God has transformed me from a
hurting victim of an ex husband with a pornography addiction to a woman who
walks with full confidence of His love and plan for my life. He has used every
bit of my pain to help others in similar situations. He is accomplishing His
greater plan to save lives. We often hear that
‘God is a God of New Beginnings’ but another little quote I love goes with it:
“Every story has an end . . . but in life, every end has a new beginning.” An
end to a marriage or to a friendship, a job loss, the death of a loved one can
and will all be used in a new beginning if you allow God to be in first
position of your life like Joseph did. Our Heavenly Father
will use every single situation that happens to bring us to the place we can
accomplish the most for Him. The saving of lives: emotionally, physically and
spiritually. Action~ What kind of evil has
happened to you? Can you look at it yet and say “Yes! God has used it to save
lives” or are you still working through it? Know that God’s truth is for
everyone of us, not just Joseph or Carol Kent. But for me and for you. If Joseph can exhibit
the full assurance that God will use all evil/hurt/sin/betrayal that is done
against him, we can have that very same assurance that God will do the same for
us. Learn to be
transparent and authentic and allow Him to use your own story to help
others. In the process, it will help you
too. Prayer~ Thank You God for
using every kind of situation in my life to bring me to the point I can best
serve You.
Trusting in Him,Becky
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