“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 (NIV)
Every problem in your life has a purpose; there’s meaning in the mess of it all.
When you’re in the middle of a difficulty, it’s hard to see its purpose. But hindsight is 20/20—so when you look back at a problem after you’ve gotten through it, you often can see what God was doing.
In the 1980s and ’90s, there was a TV show called MacGyver. It was fun to watch because MacGyver could make something out of nothing. He’d gather bailing wire, chewing gum, and acetone, and suddenly he’d have built a whole rocket ship. He could use anything—even the everyday, ordinary things around him—for his own purposes.
Let me tell you—God is so much better than MacGyver! He can take everything in your life—the good stuff, the bad stuff, the hurtful stuff, the bizarre stuff—and use it for good.
Remember, God doesn’t cause your problems. But he does allow them so he can use them for his own good intentions, even when other people have bad intentions.
A great example of this in the Bible is the story of Joseph. Joseph faced a whole string of terrible problems. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He was falsely accused of seducing his master’s wife. He was thrown into prison.
But Joseph kept on being faithful. And eventually he was placed second in charge over all of Egypt. In this role, he was able to save entire nations from famine. He was even able to save his own family—including his brothers, who had sold him into slavery.
He told his brothers, “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 NIV). Joseph knew that God’s good intentions had been working, even in the bad circumstances of his life.
You, too, may be in a bad situation right now. It may seem like everything in your life has gone wrong. People with bad intentions may have hurt you. But God intends to bring good out of it. He wants you to bring him the broken pieces of your life. He can bring peace out of those pieces.
Remember, God’s purpose is greater than any problems you’ve been through. And he’ll bring good out of them if you’ll trust him.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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