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God Intended It All For Good

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The Virtuous Life - Day 224 - Genesis 50-15-21 - God Intended It All For Good - Growing As Disciples

The Virtuous Life – Day 224 – Genesis 50-15-21 – God Intended It All For Good – Growing As Disciples

But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.  So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us  to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept.  Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.  But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.  No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.  Genesis 50:15-21 (NLT)

Intended

That is a very important word for you to consider. What is an important word for me to consider? Intended, is the word I want you to consider. You will have to say more to help me understand what you have in mind. Let me ask you a few questions. Go ahead, I’m listening. Has anyone ever intended to deliberately harm you? I can think of many times others have done things that have hurt and harmed me. Yes, that was their intended goal. In that situation you have two very different choices that you will have before you. What choices will be before me? You can be bitter and resentful. You can be angry and revengeful. With a heart filled with rage you can seek to pay back evil for evil, those who intended harm against you. I’m guessing that is not the best choice. You do have your sense of humor. Of course, it is not the best choice. Why is it not the best choice? Being bitter and resentful, and angry and revengeful, never accomplish your purposes, nor do they help me in anyway. Those negative thoughts, attitudes, and actions would only further harm me. That is correct.

What is the other better choice for me to make when others intend harm against me? That is a very good question. This may not occur to you, so I will make it clear to you. I will always bring good out of the bad, that is done against you. I am not the author of the bad done against you. It is not my plan that evil will be done against you. But know this, without out a doubt, whatever others intend for evil against you, I will redeem, and intend for good in your life. I will use all your experiences in life to accomplish my purposes and plans in you. So, now I will ask you, what is the better choice you will make when others do evil against you? I will look for and expect to see how you will even be able to use the evil done against me to accomplish your purposes and plans in my life. That is correct. Do this and you will see my hand working in and through your life, to accomplish my purposes and plans. That I will do. That will be very good.

Lord, evil has been done against me. I have been harmed by the actions of others. I will not attempt to pay back evil with evil. Instead, I will having a forgiving attitude. I will also look for and expect to see good you will bring out of evil done against me. Amen

Key Question…   What good has God accomplished in your life through harm that was done against you?

Living It Out…  Look for and expect that God will bring good out of evil done against you.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that God will bring good out of the evil done against you.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how God has brought good out of evil done against you.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you come to know how God has used for good what others intended for evil.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Devotional Study Guide click here

The Virtuous Life – Day 224 – Genesis 50-15-21 – God Intended It All For Good – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                                                        Copying not permitted                                                                                    http://www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Intended It For Good

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 41 - Genesis 50:20 - Intended It For Good - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 41 – Genesis 50:20 – Intended It For Good – Growing As Disciples

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)

Intended For Good 

Do you believe that I can do that? Do I believe that you can do what? Do you believe that I can bring good, even out of bad? Do you believe that I can take someone’s awful behavior and terrible mistreatment of you and use it for good? In other words, can I use whatever happens to you to accomplish my purposes and fulfill my plans? I will tell you what I don’t believe. What don’t you believe? I don’t believe you are the author of my being harmed and mistreated by others. That’s good, because I am not the author of your harm. But you have not answered my question. Can I take what has caused you pain and even suffering and turn that around and bring good out of your life? I believe that you can do all things. With you nothing is impossible. With you all things are possible. You can redeem every situation. You can use any and every circumstance of my life for your kingdom and glory. Yes, I have. Yes, I can. Yes, I will. I will however say two things. Go ahead, I’m listening. I don’t expect to like going through pain and suffering even with the knowledge that you will be able to use it in some way for your kingdom and glory. No one likes going through pain and suffering. What else do you want to say? I don’t expect to understand or know how you will someday use even painful and troubling circumstances to accomplish your purposes and plans through my life. Sometimes, I may understand by looking back over my life. Maybe, I will never, in this life, understand how you have or will use something I have gone through for your purposes and plans. Do you always need to understand? Must everything always make sense to you? No, I don’t always need to understand. No, everything doesn’t always need to make sense to me. I do know that I can and will place all my faith in you, even when something doesn’t make sense, or I do not understand. My overriding desire is to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. That is very good.

I do want to discuss one more thing with you. There is something that will short circuit my ability to work in and through you. There is something you must do when you are harmed and mistreated. What is that? You must forgive others. You must not harbor anger and resentment. You must not become bitter or resentful. You must love and forgive others just as I love and forgive you. That I will do. Then I will be able to use every circumstance you go through in life for my kingdom and glory. You will shine brightly in the world for me. You will bear fruit for my Kingdom and bring glory to my name. That is the desire of my heart. That is very good.

Lord, when someone has deliberately harmed me it has been hard for me to forgive them. I have held on to bitterness and anger. Forgive and heal me. Take the harm done against me and powerfully use it for your good purposes. Bear fruit through my life. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Promises – Day 41 – Genesis 50-20 – Intended It For Good – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

God Intended It For Good

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Life - Genesis 50:20 - God Intended It For Good - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Life – Genesis 50:20 – God Intended It For Good – Growing As Disciples

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)

A Dream

You have a dream don’t you? Yes, I do.  Where do you think that your dream came from? It certainly didn’t come from me. Why do you say that? I’m sure that the dream that I have came from you. Why is that? The dream that I have is to bear an abundance of fruit for you. I want you to use me for your kingdom and your glory. That dream could have never started with me. Why is that? I would have never dreamed up something like that on my own. I would never have desired that without you placing it in my heart. You have a very good point. I understand why you are so certain about the origin of your dream. You are right, by the way, that dream of yours did originate with me. I’m very glad that you have embraced it as your own. Yes, I have embraced it as my own. That dream burns in my heart to be fulfilled. I ache with desire for you to use me in your service. Aren’t I using you right now? Yes, you are, but I sense that there is more. What I have been experiencing has seemed like preparation for something more. I think you want to use me more fully in some larger way. Yes, I do, you can be sure of that.

You’re anxious aren’t you? Yes, I am. You are a little discouraged? Yes, I am. Why is that? I have had so many twists and turns and ups and downs in life. I have had one trial and setback after another. I have begun to wonder if the dream that you have given to me will ever be fulfilled. Are you beginning to doubt me? No, I don’t doubt you. I think I am beginning to doubt myself. I have been wondering if I have heard you correctly. I have been wondering if you really will be able to use me for your purposes and in your plans. Do you think my ability to use you depends on you? Now, that’s an attention getter of a question. No, your ability to use me depends on you, not me. That’s right don’t ever forget that. You have been waiting for me to use you is that right? Not really. What have you been doing? I have been going wherever you have directed me. I have been doing whatever you have asked of me. So, you haven’t been sitting around waiting for me to use you, is that right? No, I have been busy doing whatever you have given me to do. Yes, that’s right and that’s very good. Have I have been using you everyday? Yes, you have been using me everyday. But, you sense that I have much more for you. You know that I have some larger purpose and plan for your life, is that right? Yes, that’s right.

You said that you have gone through twists, turns, ups, downs, trials and setbacks, is that right? Yes, that’s right. What have all those detours, trials and setbacks felt like to you? They have felt like preparation. It feels like you have been teaching me to rely on you so that I can persevere through every difficulty. When you look back over your life up to this point what do you see? I see that your hand has been on me. You have used every twist, turn, up, down, trial and setback to teach and strengthen me. Do you want me to stop teaching you? No, I don’t. Do you want me to stop preparing you for the work that I have for you? No, I don’t. Can you be thankful for every twist, turn, up, down, trial and setback that I have been able to use for good in your life? Yes, I can. Do you believe that I will accomplish my purposes and plans in your life? Yes Lord, I do. That’s very good, because I will.

Lord, thank you that you can even use evil that people have done to me to accomplish your purposes and plans in my life. Help me to persevere through every setback in life on the way to you accomplishing your plans in my life. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Life – Genesis 50-20 – God Intended It For Good – 4 Page Discipleship Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com