Nothing is Ever Wasted

Nothing is ever wasted in God's kingdom.

Have you ever thought about it?

Everything that you have gone through in your life is used for your good and God's purpose (See Romans 8:28).

Think about Joseph for a moment.  He is a great example for the purpose of this lesson.

After everything he went through in his life, God not only brought him through all of it but brought him out better than before.

Joseph had God-given dreams.  Perhaps, he was very young and naive at the time because he prematurely shared those dreams with his family specifically his earthly father and older brothers.

As a result, his brothers caused all kinds of problems for him.  They were initially jealous of him and his big dreams that he shared with them.  They made fun of him and treated him poorly.

They threw him in a deep pit.  Then, they sold him into slavery.  Lastly, they made it look like he had been killed by a violent animal by tearing up his prized robe and putting animal blood on it (See Genesis 37).

What the devil meant for Joseph's harm though, God turned around and used for His purpose and plan (See Genesis 50:20; Jeremiah 29:11).

Even though Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, he came out better off in the end.  God promoted him and increased him over the years afterwards.  He became ruler over a successful and prosperous land.  His biological family experienced hardship and suffered during a famine in their particular region.  Since they were in the midst of a crisis, they came looking for assistance.  They wound up in the land where Joseph was in charge of everything.  At first, they didn't even recognize their own younger brother after all of the years had passed since he was sold into slavery.  However, Joseph had the opportunity to meet and speak with them during their time there (See Genesis 38-50).

He told them, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20, NIV)."

Joseph recognized that his older brothers were used by the devil to hurt him, but now God was using it for his good to save many people in the land.

The same is true for you.  All of the hardships, trials, challenges, and struggles that you have endured may have been meant for your harm by the devil, but God is going to use them for your good as well as for His purpose and plan.  Many people will be saved as a result of everything that you have gone through in life.  You will also come out better and stronger in the end.

God has great plans for you.  Do not allow your temporary circumstances in life to make you forget that truth.  His plans are better for you than you may even physically see with your own eyes right now.  His plans are for you to have a hope and a good, successful, and prosperous future (See Jeremiah 29:11).

Copyright 2015 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.