God Meant It For Good!

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people {or a numerous people} should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Gen50:20 ESV) We know the story only to well. When Joseph’s brothers knew that their father was dead, they became very afraid. They now thought that with their father dead he could no longer protect them and keep Joseph from doing them harm. Of course we know that Joseph never meant to do them any harm at all. He loved his brothers and had long forgiven them. There is no way to be sure if their father really said the things that his brothers told Joseph in Genesis 50:15-18. More than likely he did not say these things. Once again they colluded together to protect themselves. Of course, Joseph then made that great statement that has stood like a rock against a storm that even though their treatment of him was evil, God meant it for good! I believe that it was wrong or evil for the colonists to resist their English Government. I believe that it was sedition, treason, and rebellion as they threw off the crown’s claim on them and this land. The resisted government and therefore they resisted God. There is good, no great news! Even though the colonists were evil and resisted government with evil intentions; God took their sin and used it for his purposes and his glory. God took their rebellion and used it to establish a new nation on this continent with a new form of government that he could use for his glory. It is beyond human reasoning that God would in the light of such behavior bless this nation in such a manner that it would become the greatest nation on earth. We celebrate 233 years of independence not because of what our forefathers did, but in spite of it. The good that God has shed on us cannot be known nor told. If we had an eternity we could not give thanks to God nor praise him for all that he has done for this country in spite of our sin. Yet, when we think of how God has blessed this country we can not help but get teary eyed when he hears these words: O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! Thank you Lord for 233 years of giving us this opportunity of having such a wonderful place to live, raise our families, and worship thee! Happy Independence Day America! “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people {or a numerous people} should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Gen50:20 ESV)