Often we perceive life situations as either good or bad. But does the Bible support this view? The consideration of some biblical texts will certainly enlighten us on the subject.
One of the most famous passages of the Word of God is that of Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). God is limitless and no circumstances can destroy His perfect, foreordained purposes. One of the biblical characters well aware of this is Joseph, son of Jacob. His story is recorded in Genesis chapters 37-50. In summary, Joseph had received divine revelation of a glorious destiny where he would reign among others over his brothers. The latter, jealous, sold him in Egypt where Joseph was a slave and prisoner for 13 years! In the midst of this horrible situation, God made a way and Joseph became second in command of all the land of Egypt. Nearly a decade later after his elevation, Joseph found himself facing his brothers who needed his help to fight starvation. Joseph decided to help them, their relationship was restored and he later came to this conclusion: “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 50:20 NKJV). The challenges in Joseph’s life ultimately served to fulfill the prophecy that his brothers had tried, in vain, to abort. God’s wisdom truly surpasses all human understanding (Romans 11:33)! Let’s look at another example.
If anyone could call his circumstances bad, it would be Job. Overnight, this man lost everything: his children, his income, his health, etc. All misfortunes fell on him and his house. Although his wife encouraged him to curse God, he never did, deciding instead to remain faithful to the end (Job 2:9-10). The biblical text does not specify over how long the story of Job’s ordeals takes place. Certainly, it went on long enough, and this servant of God could have lost heart and abandoned the faith, but he never did. In the end, Job realizes, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5 NKJV). God finally restored Job by offering him double all that he had lost! His relationship with God went to another level also, and he lived a very long life.
How can we call the journey of these two men bad after seeing the end that God has in store for them? The Bible is full of very diverse examples that confirm to us that putting your trust in God always ends up paying off. Psalm 37:5 says “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (NKJV). Before judging our history and issuing a premature verdict on our lives, let us wait for God to pronounce His last word. He acted on behalf of Abraham (Genesis 21:5) and several women who were unable to have children (Genesis 21:7, 25:21, 30:22, 1 Samuel 1:19-20, Luke 1:5-25). God raised men who would have stayed unnoticed without His intervention (Judges 6:12, 1 Samuel 16:13, Judges 11:1-11). He visited widows whose lives were in danger because they had no means of support (1 Kings 17:8-16; 2 Kings 4:1-7; Ruth 4:13-15; Luke 7:11- 17). He changed situations that at first glance seemed irreversible (2 Kings 20:1-7; Esther 3:13-15, Esther 7 & 8; John 11:1-46). Let us then decide in this season to opt for the gaze of God when storms beyond our control decide to knock on our doors. The Creator of the universe is too powerful to be underestimated. Moreover, He has more than one trick up His sleeve and deserves our unconditional trust.
If the foundations of your life have been weakened by unfortunate circumstances. Or if everything threatens to crumble around you, trust in the unshakable rock: Christ. He only asks to enter our hearts in order to redirect us towards our destiny. And if we follow His own vision with persistence, we will have a front row seat as He works miracles and wonders on our behalf.