Genesis 50:19-20 New King James Version
19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Genesis 50:19-20 The Message
19-20 Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid. Do I act for God? Don’t you see, you planned evil against me, but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people.
Adversity to the rescue.
I have experienced countless times when I have lived this very truth, God has the ability and desire to turn adversity into blessings. When facing problems, I trust the Lord who inevitably has “something up His sleeve” to surprise me as He reveals His solution in His perfect time.
I am reminded of the following story that illustrates this truth.
The Donkey in The Well
A farmer had an old dried up well on his farm. No matter what he did, he could not revive the well and so planned to fill it in. But alas he procrastinated.
One day his prized donkey wandered around the farm and came upon the well. Curious, the donkey edged closer and closer until standing at the brink the ground gave way and the donkey tumbled into the well.
Standing for hours trapped in the well, the donkey figured his time had come and he was about to die.
The farmer, noticing that his prized donkey was nowhere to be seen began to wander around in search of the wayward donkey. As he approached the well, he heard the wining brays of the donkey.
The donkey thought, “Aha, finally my master has arrived to rescue me!”
The farmer, upon gazing on the dilemma that now faced him wondered, “How am I going to get the donkey out of the depths of the well?”
Suddenly, an idea came to the famer’s troubled mind. Off he went to the barn running with purpose.
The donkey was now in a state of extreme dismay as he heard his master leaving. “What is this?” he mused, “I thought he was going to rescue me? I am doomed!”
Now the farmer quickly returned with a shovel and proceeded to vigorously shovel the dirt he had prepared to fill in the well. Shovelful after shovelful fell into the well each landing on the confused donkey. The farmer’s shoveling was relentless.
The donkey, standing at the bottom of the well was furious. “What in the world is my master doing? Trying to bury me? Has he given up on saving me? What am I going to do?”
The donkey had no other recourse than to shake off each shovelful as they landed on his back and then step up as the dirt piled up around his feet. Step by step, shovelful after shovelful, slowly the donkey rose until the well’s edge was in sight. Suddenly the donkey realized he was being saved.
The farmer soon had the donkey within a few feet of ground level and the donkey was finally stepped out of the well.
This story illustrates what happens when we are facing adversity in life and we become overwhelmed as there is no feasible answer readily known. We might tend to feel lost and with little or no hope of a positive resolution.
I wonder what went through Joseph’s mind before he realized “what God had up His sleeve” for him. After all, Jospeh experienced a long string of one adversity after another. But in the long run, he became the great blessing for multitudes of people that God intended.
Adversity is the crucible that transforms for the greatest good for so many. Is your current bout with the adversity you are facing today having the makings of transforming you into a blessing for many? What does God “have up His sleeve” for you?
A dear friend of mine once said, “When you are facing adversity, it’s God saying, ‘Do you trust Me’?” Trusting the Lord with genuine and authentic trust is critical. Just think of the donkey. How much grief could have been avoided if only he trusted his master. Even when understanding is lacking, true trust can and will get us through to the final solution.
(See my book, Solomon’s Recipe for more on the power of trusting the Lord. There is a post – March 2015 – on this blog of my turning point “Solomon’s Recipe“ that inspired the book. See www.allanemusterer.com for more information)
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TURNING POINTS
The realization that God is good, and He has only good for me, is the turning point that allows me to trust Him with an authentic trust. This saves me from unnecessary worry and fear and frees me to keep an eye focused on what my Lord has “up His sleeve” for my blessed future.