20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
This is one of the greatest verses in the Scriptures. It gives us an insight into how the Lord works His will. God uses even the evil intentions of others to accomplish His will! Evil becomes a tool to accomplish a greater good. He does not create the evil, but He does us it for good. Joseph recognizes his brother’s evil intentions when they sold him into slavery. He does not sugar coat what they did. It was evil and he names it. They must face their sin in order for them to get forgiveness. We must face our sin as well. We must be willing to face it full on with no excuses. If we add the word “but” into the sentence, we are not taking full responsibility for our part of the sin. But God can even use the sinful actions of others for our greater good. Joseph is a perfect example of this principle. Can you think of evil done to you by others that God needs to turn into something good? You might say, “It is impossible to turn ______ into something good.” Go back and read these final chapters of Genesis and look at the evil done to Joseph. God turned even these things around for his good, and the greater good of God’s people. God can even use rape and murder for good in our lives. So what makes the difference? Our attitude and receptivity to God’s hand working in our hearts.
The Arnold Journey 