Remember how last week we talked about Joseph? You know, the one whose brothers sold him into slavery, and how he eventually became a leader in Egypt?
Well, fast forward a few years. A famine swept over the land. Jacob (aka Israel) and eleven sons decided to travel to a place they heard had food. You guessed it—they went to Egypt!
They didn’t recognize Joseph, but Joseph sure recognized them. He ended up being able to save his entire family from starvation. And he was able to make amends with the brothers who had treated him so badly.
So here’s a tricky question to think about: Was it good that Joseph went through all of those horrible things? If it weren’t for the bad choices of his brothers, he might not have been in a place to save his family. So does that mean his trauma was part of God’s plan?
Not exactly. God doesn’t cause bad things to happen to us. He respects agency and allows people to make choices—even bad ones. He usually allows natural consequences to unfold. So while He doesn’t cause horrible events to occur, He sometimes allows them to occur when He knows He can use them to accomplish His work. He is really good at helping us find blessings in our trials!
If you have been hurt by the bad choices of other people, know that God loves you and does not want you to be in pain. He will help you find healing, if you turn to Him. Someday you might even be able to use your challenging experiences to help other people. But for now, just focus on feeling His love!