You ever feel like you are being attacked? Things are pulling you down and tempting you to be negative and downtrodden. Others in your life are dealing with illness, anxiety, depression, marriage struggles, temptations, etc. etc. etc. Life can be hard.
The other night, while laying in bed, I was thinking and praying. I said to my husband, "Life is just hard." He quietly said, "Yes, it is" and then followed it up by a loud snore. It was 1 a.m. when I decided to start this deep conversation so I gave him a pass. It's just lately I have had those close to me share some hard, gut-wrenching struggles they are having in their lives. All of these people are fellow believers in Christ and I can see them fighting against the temptation to just be negative and give up. However, they are fighters. The struggle is real though. Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
This is where they find their peace and HOPE. It is true, that even as a believer, we will have troubles that may come in the form of finances, depression, marital and relationship issues, anxiety, and illness. However, despite these hardships and how daunting they can sometimes feel, HE has already won. HE has overcome the world and its ways. With his strength (Philippians 4:13) you and I can overcome these worldly struggles.
Before our Life Group met last night, I felt shaken due to some recent struggles. In tears I hugged a friend and the words out of her mouth stuck with me. She said, "I will rebuke him until I don't have a voice left. We must be doing something good". It reminded me of something Joyce Meyer said in a sermon. She said, "God is up to something or the devil wouldn't be fighting you this hard." Each struggle is just an opportunity to grow in your relationship with Christ.
Last night, God spoke Genesis 50:20 to me where Joseph says, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." If you are not familiar with Joseph's story it was a rough one. He experienced the ultimate betrayal of his brothers selling him into slavery. His brothers killed a goat, dipped Joseph's robe (which was gifted by his father) in the blood, and led their father to believe Joseph was killed. He found favor while working in the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials. Of course, everything blew up when Potiphar's wife accused Joseph of wanting to sleep with her. Her pride was so hurt that when Joseph rejected her advances she turned it around on Joseph and started accusing him instead. Pharaoh, "burning with anger", threw him in prison. Can you imagine how misunderstood and rejected Joseph felt? I personally hate feeling misunderstood and want it all out there and here you have Joseph whose life thus far has been a HUGE misunderstanding, at least from a near-sighted worldly view. However, God had a different plan. "But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden" (Genesis 40:21). Joseph was never alone and never forgotten. God was with him at all times. While in prison, the cupbearer and chief baker upset Pharaoh and they ended up in prison with Joseph. They each had a dream and after interpreting the dream of the chief cupbearer Joseph said, "But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison" (Genesis 40:14). Of course, going along with the path of Joseph's life so far, "The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him" (Genesis 40:23). It wasn't until TWO years later, when Pharaoh had a dream, that the cupbearer remembered the man in prison that interpreted his dream. Pharaoh called on Joseph to interpret his dream and afterward said, "Since God made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you" (Genesis 41:39-40). Fast forward now to a famine that struck the lands. Jacob, learning about grains in Egypt, sent his sons to get some so they wouldn't die. They came to Joseph, who was in charge of distributing the grains. After Joseph eventually revealed who he was to his brothers, who originally didn't recognize them, he ended up reassuring them and taking care of them. "Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children" (Genesis 47:11-12). Joseph not only forgave his brothers, but gave back to them tenfold. That brings us back to when Joseph says, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done..." Joseph's faith and hope was in God and His plan and not in the plan of his brothers that had caused him so much hurt. His eyes were on God, not on this world.
It is absolutely amazing how God can take something that is intended to harm us and bring so much goodness and GLORY through it. I am having the opportunity to see this in the lives of others right now along with my own. Even though it may hurt in the moment, I know that through God so much good can be done. We just have to be open to Him and allow his peace and gift of forgiveness to flow through us, realizing this great truth:
I will admit when I first saw this last week, after a friend posted it, my mind was saying "He...arrow...I...He...points to...I...I don't get it". It sometimes takes me a second. :) Then, it clicked. HE is GREATER than I am. The company is based off of the Bible verse John 3:30 where it says, "He must increase, but I must decrease". So, in the midst of my mini-meltdown before Life Group last night that same friend gave me a journal with "HE>i" and it was just perfect timing. Don't you just love when God works through your friends like that and allows things to happen at just the perfect time?
Jesus is greater than I am. His plan is greater than I am. When I face adversity, it's okay because I know that God is always with me, like he was always with Joseph. I know that he can and will bring good out of what was intended for harm. Such an amazing promise that brings such eternal hope and crazy ridiculous peace that goes above and beyond anything I can comprehend.
