beauty for ashes

Joseph says to his brothers in Genesis 50:20: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." 

So many things went badly wrong for Joseph, but God had a plan. This and all the other stories in the Old Testament foreshadow the message of the New Testament. On the face of it, it's hard to overstate the extent to which things went badly wrong when Christ was crucified. 

We marvel at how dull the disciples were. Jesus had even told them he was going to rise again and they didn't even consider that possibility. But when you put yourself in their position, it makes sense that they didn't realize. To us it's obvious, but that's only because we know the story. 

Jesus said to his disciples not long before he went to the cross: "Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." (John 16: 20 - 22)

So, if you are in the pit of despair, if everything has gone wrong, if you are in pain, if life seems unfair, if you're rejected and disrespected, and no one understands or appreciates you, be encouraged because your pain has a purpose. This is always true. It's meant to be like this. Things haven't gone wrong. Things are not out of control. This is the path to joy and the fulness of life, and this new life is permanently yours - no one and nothing can take it away.