God’s Intentions

“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 alive.” Genesis 50:20

Joseph’s brothers came to him after the death of their father Jacob and begged him to forgive them for the way that they had treated him. Jacob had feared that Joseph would retaliate against them after his passing, and he had told them to ask Joseph for forgiveness after he died. Joseph assured his brothers that their apologies were unnecessary, because he had already forgiven them. His brothers were undoubtedly surprised to hear this, because all of them (including their father) had assumed that the only reason Joseph was being kind to them was because of their father’s presence. It did not seem possible to them that Joseph could have actually forgiven them.

The basis of Joseph’s thinking was revealed in his reply. “Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good.” Joseph was not looking at his brothers’ actions, but rather, he was looking at God’s intentions. Everyone experiences hardships in life. At some point, we all are mistreated in some way. During those difficult times, it will help us to keep from getting bitter if we remember that God is in control and that He has our best interests at heart. It will help us to forgive those who have wronged us if we will focus on the fact that God has a plan for our lives, and that, while they may have meant it for evil, God is working all things together for good.