It’s All Part of the Plan

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20

I’ve greatly enjoyed reading The Bible Project’s one-year plan this year. The daily recaps are so helpful in understanding the Bible as a whole, and one of my favorite themes that has continually appeared is God’s sovereignty over evil. No matter how wicked the intentions of others are, even the worst of sin bends to God’s will and does not thwart His plan. Romans 8:28 tells us that God works all things together for good, and He truly means all of it. We see this repeatedly in stories throughout both the Old and New Testament.

Joseph, whose words are quoted in the passage above, said this to his brothers years after they threw him into slavery. His slavery was only the beginning of his trials, but all those hardships eventually led him to leadership in the palace—a bizarre path that can only be attributed to God’s hand on his life (Genesis 37-50).

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship their king’s golden statue, only to find a fourth man in the fire! Not only were their lives spared, but this miracle ultimately changed the heart of their wicked king, resulting in a significant promotion for them all (Daniel 3).

Daniel was conspired against by his peers, who were jealous of his favor with the king. They tricked the king into signing a decree that anyone who prayed to anyone other than him for 30 days would be thrown into a lions’ den. Daniel continued praying daily and was thrown into the den, much to the grief and remorse of the king. Not only do we know the miraculous story of Daniel surviving the lions’ den, but those who hated Daniel were thrown into the very trap they had set for him (Daniel 6). Sound familiar? This also happened to Haman, the evil man Queen Esther confronted to save her people (Esther 7)!

Let’s look at a few examples from the New Testament now! Paul and Barnabas were doing amazing work in spreading the gospel, but their dispute over whether or not to take John Mark with them led to their parting ways (Acts 15:36-41). However, this separation split them into two teams, spreading the gospel further than they would have on their own, and they later reconciled as well (2 Timothy 4:11).

Paul spent much time in prison because of his faith, but through this, he wrote letters to the church. Since he couldn’t see these people in person, he had to write it down, allowing us today to read the incredible words he wrote to the early church—words now known as the Prison Epistles, preserved in the Bible.

And last but certainly not least, Jesus—the Savior of the world, rejected by the people He came to save and nailed to a cross to die an excruciating death. But we know the story doesn’t end there—had He not died on the cross, we wouldn’t have the story of His victory over the grave!

These stories are just a few of many. In nearly every story in the Bible, this theme exists. Not only does God redeem our stories when people sin against us, but He also takes our mistakes and uses them for His glory. He is so, so good to us!

Friend, if you’re discouraged by the evil in the world—whether it’s something someone has done to you personally, an unresolved conflict, or the bad things happening globally—take heart today in the One who is so good at working all things together for good. When we read someone’s story in the Bible from start to finish, it’s easy to see how God redeems things for good. But these people—like us—lived long stretches in the middle, not knowing how things would turn out. All of their stories come together to tell the one big story of God’s redemption for mankind—a story that you and I are still part of today! And the same God who wrote the intricate details of their stories with plot twists better than any modern-day movie is writing your story too.

Prayer:

God, help me trust You with the details of my story when it doesn’t make sense. When I am discouraged or wish my life was going differently, help me remember that You really do work all things together for good. Amen.