Joseph

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it 
unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people.
Genesis 50:20
 
Today I was thinking of the famous Bible character, Joseph...

At the age of seventeen he was thrown into a pit in the ground, and later he was thrown into a prison cell.
 
Joseph was despised and rejected by his own brothers who were jealous of him. They sold young Joseph into slavery, separating him from his beloved father, Israel, and ultimately robbing Joseph of his youthful years.
 
But in the end, all the suffering he went through was worth it. His trials helped to build his character, and they made him ready to be used by God.
 
As events unfolded, Joseph was able to save the lives of his own family, as well as the lives of hundreds of thousands of people when a terrible famine descended upon the land for seven long years.
 
God can take our worst predicaments and turn them into victories. He can take curses and turn them into blessings. And all of what Satan has meant for evil in our lives, God can turn everything around for our good. For God is the God of all flesh, and nothing is too hard for Him.
 
"Ah Lord God! Behold, Thou has made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee” (Jeremiah 32:17).
 
Thus, with a new year approaching, I will keep Joseph's story in mind. His saga was one of hope, and so is mine.
 
D. B.