April 17th, 2023
Written by Angie Drummonds
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” –Genesis 50:20
This passage of scripture is usually what I share first when sharing my testimony. It has encouraged me and helped me realize that even when I can’t understand what is happening around me, God does. And what might have been meant to destroy me, God can use it all for good–His good!
Have you ever faced something that was so hard, you wondered how God would get glory from it or how you would even make it through it? Have you ever felt like your suffering and troubles will be for nothing? That your pain and heartache is completely pointless?
I have been there, and if I am honest, I still walk through seasons where I wonder why and how any good will ever come from the pain of the situation. I was reading through one of my favorite daily devotionals, Seeing Beautiful Again by Lysa Terkeurst, and in one of the devotions she talks about how our suffering and pain will not be for nothing. One statement she made that I highlighted and I keep close by is, “Your hurt will not be wasted.” Wow! Every time I read those words I remember what God has shown me throughout my life, no matter what I have faced, and that is that it all has purpose.
The verse I quoted in Genesis were the words of Joseph, who knew all too well what betrayal and hurt felt like. He had been thrown into a pit and sold as a slave…by his own brothers! While in Egypt he continued to suffer through many hardships, and I often wondered if Joseph, like me, wondered how any good would ever come from such a difficult, discouraging situation.
But God had a plan, there was a purpose for it all; Joseph just didn’t know it, but God would soon use everything meant for harm and evil for a much greater purpose, to save many lives.
It’s hard to see the good in our bad situations. But I promise, it’s there. When we turn our focus from our problem and on our God, we realize that He is much greater than any problem we face and He is more than able to bring good from it.
The key is to allow God to be God in our lives in the good seasons where it’s easy to praise Him and in the hard seasons when it’s much more difficult to find your praise.
You see, Joseph endured a lot of hardships, but he continued to do what was honorable and right before the Lord and the favor of God was with him. It was with him in the pit, it was with him in the prison, and it was with him in the palace. Joseph didn’t quit serving God. He didn’t give up when he was betrayed, lied on, and forgotten about. He just kept honoring God through it all.
When hard times come, and they will, the key to getting through them is to trust in Jesus. We don’t have to understand His plans to trust him. We don’t have to know all the answers to know God is working in our lives, even if we can’t see it! We don’t have to see the ending of our story to know it all has purpose!
Your hurt won’t be wasted.
Nothing is wasted when you follow Christ. He can use everything for His glory.
There is purpose in your pain.
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” –1 Peter 5:10
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” –Genesis 50:20
This passage of scripture is usually what I share first when sharing my testimony. It has encouraged me and helped me realize that even when I can’t understand what is happening around me, God does. And what might have been meant to destroy me, God can use it all for good–His good!
Have you ever faced something that was so hard, you wondered how God would get glory from it or how you would even make it through it? Have you ever felt like your suffering and troubles will be for nothing? That your pain and heartache is completely pointless?
I have been there, and if I am honest, I still walk through seasons where I wonder why and how any good will ever come from the pain of the situation. I was reading through one of my favorite daily devotionals, Seeing Beautiful Again by Lysa Terkeurst, and in one of the devotions she talks about how our suffering and pain will not be for nothing. One statement she made that I highlighted and I keep close by is, “Your hurt will not be wasted.” Wow! Every time I read those words I remember what God has shown me throughout my life, no matter what I have faced, and that is that it all has purpose.
The verse I quoted in Genesis were the words of Joseph, who knew all too well what betrayal and hurt felt like. He had been thrown into a pit and sold as a slave…by his own brothers! While in Egypt he continued to suffer through many hardships, and I often wondered if Joseph, like me, wondered how any good would ever come from such a difficult, discouraging situation.
But God had a plan, there was a purpose for it all; Joseph just didn’t know it, but God would soon use everything meant for harm and evil for a much greater purpose, to save many lives.
It’s hard to see the good in our bad situations. But I promise, it’s there. When we turn our focus from our problem and on our God, we realize that He is much greater than any problem we face and He is more than able to bring good from it.
The key is to allow God to be God in our lives in the good seasons where it’s easy to praise Him and in the hard seasons when it’s much more difficult to find your praise.
You see, Joseph endured a lot of hardships, but he continued to do what was honorable and right before the Lord and the favor of God was with him. It was with him in the pit, it was with him in the prison, and it was with him in the palace. Joseph didn’t quit serving God. He didn’t give up when he was betrayed, lied on, and forgotten about. He just kept honoring God through it all.
When hard times come, and they will, the key to getting through them is to trust in Jesus. We don’t have to understand His plans to trust him. We don’t have to know all the answers to know God is working in our lives, even if we can’t see it! We don’t have to see the ending of our story to know it all has purpose!
Your hurt won’t be wasted.
Nothing is wasted when you follow Christ. He can use everything for His glory.
There is purpose in your pain.
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” –1 Peter 5:10
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