God’s Greater Plans
“You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result-the survival of many people.”
Genesis 50:20
I love the story of Joseph and his brothers. Growing up in a family of four boys, and no sisters, we experienced a lot of brotherly “planned evil” against each other. Sometimes it was fun. Sometimes it hurt!
What I love about their story is this: while these 12 boys were trying to live out their broken family story, God was working out a larger, redemptive plan. God always has a bigger plan.
Joseph was clearly favored by his father, Jacob: the first-born son of his beloved wife, Rachel. Not only was he Rachel’s first child, but he was clearly an intelligent, handsome and gifted young man. Jacob made Joseph a multi-colored coat to symbolize how special and set-apart he was. This favored status brought on uncontrollable jealousy in the hearts of his brothers. They hated Joseph.
Then Joseph has dreams. Dreams of him becoming exalted above his family. Dreams of greatness and exalted leadership. His brothers hatred reached a boiling point.
In time their hatred turned violent. Joseph’s brothers threw him in a well and then sold him to Midianite traders headed for Egypt. Betrayed by his own family, he was now a slave heading to a foreign land. Joseph’s brothers told Jacob that an animal had killed Joseph. They even showed him his special coat covered in the blood of an animal. The plan to get rid of Joseph had worked. Or had it?
While Jacob grieved, God was blessing Joseph. God began to prosper Joseph in Egypt. He grew into a great leader and manager for his master and their family. Whatever was put into Joseph’s hands grew and increased. He had the trust of his master, resources and meaningful work. But then his master’s wife falsely accuses him of attempting to rape her. His master, enraged and hurt by the supposed betrayal, commits Joseph to prison.
Finding himself in a dark, lonely cell, Joseph hits another bottom. He is as far from his dreams of greatness as he can imagine. But God’s plan keeps unfolding. He keeps growing and learning. He is learning to trust God in the worst of circumstances. He is learning to forgive those who betray him.
Then his moment comes. Because of his gift of interpreting dreams, he is taken from the prison, cleaned up, and brought before Pharaoh, an incredibly powerful ruler. He interprets Pharaoh’s dream and is then supernaturally promoted and given a leadership position next to Pharaoh himself! What an incredible story of redemption and promotion!
But God is not done. His greatest plan is about to unfold. In time, a famine brings Joseph’s brothers to Egypt seeking grain to feed their families. In a series of tests, Joseph seeks to determine if his brothers have changed. God works on Joseph’s heart and shows him this incredible truth: his brothers meant to do him harm, but GOD HAD A GREATER PLAN IN EVERYTHING. GOD ALLOWED EVERYTHING HE WENT THROUGH TO SAVE HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE ISRAEL!
In a touching and emotional moment, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers and the family is reconciled. Joseph forgives his brothers and they are all reunited. He soon embraces his loving father and his younger brother, Benjamin. What a fantastic story.
There are huge lessons for us from this Genesis account. We look at our lives and see the facts, the setbacks, the people and the events. We try to figure out what God is doing and what we should do next. But God is ALWAYS WORKING SOMETHING BIGGER IN OUR LIVES. He has plans that we can’t see or comprehend. He reveals them to us when the timing is right. He shows us when we are ready to know what He is doing.
Take some time this week to slow down and pray for wisdom and revelation about your life and your situation. God may reveal some insights into what He is doing in your life. One of our greatest enemies to revelation is the fast-paced lives we live. Get quiet and ask God to reveal to you His thoughts and plans for your life.
He may not give you any detailed plan. He may just grant you the grace and peace to trust Him in the midst of your situation. Yet, He may show you something that blows your mind.
One of the joys of following Jesus is seeing Him in new ways as the years go by. At one season, we see Him as Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider. In another season we see Him as our Kinsman Redeemer, restoring and blessing us to His love and favor. Then at another time, we see Him as our Defender and Protector. Moving from Glory to Glory means to see new parts of God’s nature and splendor as we grow in our walk with Him.
I encourage you today to trust in God’s BIGGER PLANS for your life. Step back from all that is happening to you in this present moment and thank God that He loves you deeply and wants to bring about His blessings and order to your life. Tell him about the trials and struggles you are facing. Ask Him to show you what He is doing through those trials in your life.
I love serving God. Every year I live, I see His greater plans unfolding in my life and the lives of those I love. With each passing year, I am learning to trust His GREATER PLANS that He has in His heart for us all (Jer. 29:11-12). I pray that all of us will rest today in His perfect leadership. He is bringing about His plans today and every day. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!