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God Intended It

                 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)

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13)

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

and of course,

           And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

          I’m sure we could add to this list, but for now, it will do. This is a “high energy” morning and high energy, unless carefully directed and controlled, tends to lead to high anxiety. Unfortunately, I have to work today, and it’s not the busy season, so it either has to wait until this afternoon, dissipate, or jump on a gerbil wheel, which tends toward anxiety. That means today’s verses are an attempt to direct that gerbil wheel away from the direction that tends to result in chewing on myself.

          The Genesis verse is first because it’s the biggest, most important verse we can look to when we’re stressing. It’s more than God is working on you, more than God knowing His plans, more than God working things together for good for us, though all of those could be part of it. Genesis 50:20 speaks not just of a good future, but a heroic future. It wasn’t just a good future Joseph saw. He saw a future of saving the lives of his family, his friends, his coworkers, and people he didn’t even know.

          In Hebrews 12:2, we’re told that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. These verses help us when life (or our thoughts) get chaotic. We can rest in the idea that not only is God working things together for our good, but with us, for the good of others. You might not save “the world” but  you might save someone’s world.

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