Genesis begins with the familiar account of creation. God makes lights, skies, waters, land, animals. The pinnacle of creation involves fashioning humans in God’s own image. When most people think of the first book of the Bible, they think of the creation story.
But do you know how Genesis ends? Chapters 37-50 tell of Joseph’s tumultuous life (favorite son, hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, framed, imprisoned, yet preserved by God and eventually raised to a high office under Pharaoh). Many years after betraying him, his devious brothers beg for mercy. Should Joseph give them what they deserve? He decides to forgive, and then says, “As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, for the saving of many lives” (50:20).
This is not just about finding good in natural calamities (e.g., sickness, disasters), but recognizing God’s good hand at work even beneath the brutal, hateful acts of human sinners. While God is not the author of sin, in his sovereign ingenuity he weaves “all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Yes, all things.
Do you dare to trust the Lord today in a radical way, like Joseph? To trust him with cancer? To trust him with job loss? To trust him with bankruptcy? I know this is hard—it certainly doesn’t come naturally. But by God’s help we can learn to rest in the midst of the storm, knowing that God has not lost control and is weaving strands of pain and suffering into a good future.
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