Page 7 - Good News September 2009 paper

TURN YOUR
TURN YOUR

MESS INTO YOUR
MESS INTO YOUR

MESSAGE
MESSAGE

“As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to
bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are this
day” (Gen. 50:20).
Joseph’s brothers were afraid he would never forgive them for
wanting him dead and for selling him into slavery. In Genesis 50:20,
we see that Joseph had a good and loving attitude as he gave his
brothers the assurance that he had forgiven their wrongdoing. They
may have meant to do evil against him, but God meant it for good.
It is amazing how many times Satan will set a trap for us, meaning it
for our harm and destruction. But when God gets involved, He takes
what Satan meant to destroy us and turns it so that it works for our
good instead. Nobody else can make things work out that way, but
God can. He can take any negative situation, and through His miracle-
working power use it to make us stronger and more dangerous to the
enemy than we would have been without it.
My own situation bears this out. I was sexually, mentally and
emotionally abused for many years during my childhood. This was
certainly a terrible thing to happen to a child, and it was definitely a
work of Satan, but God has worked it out for good. My mess has
become my message; my misery has become my ministry, and I am
using the experience I gained from my pain to help multitudes of
others who are hurting.
I encourage you not to waste your pain. God will use it if you give it to
Him. He has given me beauty for ashes, just as He promised in Isaiah
61:3, but I had to let go of the ashes. I had to learn to have a good
attitude, as Joseph did. I had to learn to let go of the bitterness,
resentment, and unforgiveness I felt towards the people who hurt me.
When we have been hurt, it is important not to let the pain go on and
on by having a bitter attitude. We hurt only ourselves when we hate
people. We would not waste our time hating people if we realized that
they are probably enjoying their lives and are not the least concerned
with how we feel about them. Remember, God is our Vindicator, and
He will bring good out of what the enemy intended for evil.
[The Everyday Life Bible, Notes and Commentary by Joyce Meyer,
Faith Words, NY, 2006].