Turning Curses into Blessings
Theme of the week: When Life Knocks You Down
Sunday, May 20, 2012
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Who Said It … John Snyder
John Snyder is a pastor, author, and conference speaker. He has taught New Testament studies at New College Berkeley (California), and has pastored and planted churches in California, New York, and Switzerland. John received a master of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a doctor of theology from the University of Basel (Switzerland). He is the founder of Community321.com, an online faith community, and the author of Your 100 Day Prayer.
What he Said … Turning Curses into Blessings
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Gen. 50:20, NIV).
This statement near the end of the incredible story of Joseph has always been, to me, one of the most amazing truths in the Bible. It sum-marizes the entire history of faith—yours, mine, and everyone else's. It ties up all the loose ends of human life lived under the umbrella of God's grace and mercy. It speaks of God's mysterious ability to take any and all evil, all malicious intent, and turn it on its head.
People may imagine that their cruel or self-serving plans are working perfectly, but at the right moment God reveals that he stepped in early, wrote a different conclusion to the play, and brought us from the place of their curse into the place of his blessing. He is acting behind the scenes even when we may not recognize his presence, and he determines the final scene of the play. Thankfully, it's in our favor.
Key Study Passage: Genesis 37, 39-45, 50:1-20
Adapted from Your 100 Day Prayer (Thomas Nelson, 2011) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2012 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Dear Father, may I always remember that you offer healing for the brokenhearted, hope for the hopeless, and a heavenly future that will one day free your followers from pain and sorrow.
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