Because God Meant It for Good

, I want you to turn to the last chapter of the book of Genesis, chapter 50, and we're going to begin and then do a little bit of a flashback. As you know, we are in a series called “Unlikely Heroes” that is already a prepared book and it will be available to you by the end of August. You're going to enjoy reading this book and we're taking a look at some of the…some of the heroes, some of the men and women that God used in remarkable ways who at the beginning were very unlikely to have the level of influence that they have had.And tonight we're going to talk about Joseph…Joseph, because God meant it for good. If you look at chapter 50 of Genesis and verse 20, Joseph says, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result to preserve many people alive.”You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. That introduces us to a characteristic, an attribute of God which we often call His providence. That is to say that God works His own ends, no matter what the intention of people be it good or bad, God will bring about His own ultimate end. And what God means to happen, will ultimately happen. God coordinates and organizes all the apparently independent activities, and thoughts, and ideas, and movements of people, pulls them all together, makes them harmonize with one another to effect His ultimate ends. That is revealed to us in many stories in the Bible, none more dramatic than the story of Joseph...