Sunday
06-21-2026
By: Brenda
“What Others Meant for Harm”
“God Meant for Good”
Joseph’s story shows that God’s sovereignty is not canceled by cruelty.
Even when Joseph could not see God’s hand, God was shaping his destiny.
What others had meant for evil, God transformed into a blessing.
1. Whether we are hurt by:
(abuse, cruel words, or betrayal)
We can look at the story of Joseph.
He was beaten, stripped, mocked, and sold by the very people who should have loved him.
Genesis 37:23–24
His brothers stripped him and threw him into a pit. And they sold him for silver.
Genesis 37:28
Joseph understood betrayal.
Joseph understood cruelty.
And Joseph understood being treated as if he had no worth.
But God never agreed with his brothers assessment of him.
And just like Joseph our value is not determined by the people who hurt us.
Our identity is not shaped by the words spoken against us.
Because God sees us the way He saw Joseph — chosen, loved, and destined.
2. When our life falls apart financially. (bills, food, jobs)
We can look at the story of Joseph.
He lost everything overnight.
His home, his security, his stability, his income. And he became a slave with no rights.
Later, he became a prisoner with no hope of advancement. And Joseph knew what it was like to have nothing.
But Scripture repeats the same phrase: “The LORD was with Joseph.”
Genesis 39:2, 21
Not “Joseph was successful.”
Not “Joseph was comfortable.”
Not “Joseph had everything he needed.
But…
”The LORD was with Joseph.”
And that was enough to carry Joseph through.
God is with us in our financial struggle.
God sees the empty fridge, the overdue bills, the job applications.
And God is not distant from our needs.
3. When we feel alone.
(no family, no friends, no church)
We can look at the story of Joseph.
He was separated from everyone he loved. Not for days, but for years.
He had: No family, no community, no spiritual support, and no one who knew his story.
And yet, God was shaping him in his loneliness.
Sometimes isolation is not abandonment.
It is preparation.
God often does His deepest work in hidden places.
4. When we feel trapped.
(prison, homelessness, situations we can not escape)
We can look at the story of Joseph.
He was literally in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Genesis 39:20
He was thrown into prison and he stayed there for years.
He knew what it felt like to be stuck, forgotten, and overlooked.
But God was not done.
The prison was Josephs doorway to the palace.
Our current situation is not our final destination.
When we lose someone or something we love. (death, breakups, heartache)
We can look at the story of Joseph.
He lost: His father’s presence, his home,
his freedom, his youth, his dreams (or so it seemed.)
He knew grief, he knew longing.
He knew the ache of wanting something he could not have.
But God restored more than Joseph lost and in ways Joseph never could have imagined.
God is not limited to what we have lost or what we might lose.
He can create new beginnings out of broken endings.
Here are the spiritual lenses Joseph teaches us to use:
1. God is working even when we see nothing.
Joseph did not see God’s plan until years later.
We may not see it yet but that does not mean God is absent.
2. Our pain can be a pathway to purpose.
Joseph’s suffering positioned him for influence.
Our suffering may be shaping compassion, strength, wisdom, or calling.
3. People’s evil can not cancel God’s good.
Joseph said:
“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”
Genesis 50:20
This is not denial. This is redemption.
4. God is with us in the pit, not just the palace.
God’s presence is not proven by comfort.
It is proven by faithfulness.
5. Our story is not over.
Joseph’s story turned suddenly in a single day.
God can shift our story faster than we can imagine.
Oh, how God loves us ❤️
Dear Father in heaven,
You see every wound, every loss, every heartbreak, every fear.
You see the places that feel like pits.
The loneliness, the financial strain, the broken relationships, the words that still sting.
Just as You were with Joseph, be with us in our suffering.
Redeem what was meant for harm.
Heal what is broken.
Restore what is lost.
Strengthen what is weak.
And remind us that Your presence is our hope.
Your purpose is our anchor.
And Your love is our identity.
Turn our pain into purpose.
Our tears into testimony.
And our pits into places of transformation.
In Your Son’s precious name, Amen.
Have a blessed day
God loves you ❤️
and so do I ❤️