“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good….” –Gen. 50:20
The world, the flesh, and the devil are all working against us. We long for relief and we battle against bitterness. In the heat of battle we tend to forget that God is in control and has promised to use the bad for good. The story of Joseph serves to remind us of this fact. Jack Graham recently commented on this old story that you’ve probably heard before—
A man was climbing a mountain with his son one day and his son was having a very hard time. He was smaller than his dad, so his little legs were struggling to take the necessary steps. So he told his dad, “Dad, it’s so hard because of all of these rocks. They’re big, sharp, and they hurt.”
The dad looked down at the boy and said, “Son, those sharp rocks are what we’re climbing on. Without the rocks, we’d fall.”
In life, we’re going to encounter bumps and jagged rocks. Many of them hurt us, scar us, and leave us sore and bruised. But as believers, we have to see those rocks not in terms of the damage they cause, but as stepping stones to a higher plane of living. Yes, the enemy may intend them to cause us harm, but God will use them for our good.
Don’t be discouraged by the jagged rocks you’re treading on today. Put them below your feet and use them to propel you to a higher plane of living. Keep your eyes focused on the prize and you’ll rise above life’s negative circumstances.
