'As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.'
- Genesis 50:20
The ending of Genesis contains a verse which summarises God's covenant faithfulness towards His people and beyond. Joseph speaks these words to his brothers after a life in which they had mocked him, sold him to slavery and left him for dead. In any person's life, such behaviour would have made retribution and anger a perfectly reasonable reponse in their reunion. However Joseph had a revelation of something within God's grace which caused him to realise something about his own life circumstances and even beyond that to see God's purposes for the world through even what others would mean as evil.
Joseph understood something about his life in the midst of God's grace that we would do well to understand. That in the ups and downs of his life whether grief or joy, it was not Joseph who was the author of his story but God. It was God who was the main protagonist, key driver and the prime mover of Joseph's story, using it to write a testinony of His grace and goodness to Joseph and the world.
Likewise for us we ought to reflect on the peaks and valleys of our own lives. Who is the main driver of our story? Do you consider it to be your ability, wisdom and experience? Or is it God's will and sovereignty. For in our hands the end of our grief is often scars, bitterness and hurt. But in the hands of our good God our pain is simply another way to paint on His canvas of grace.
Let’s be encouraged this week not to see ourselves as the prime driver of God's story and submit to His awesome grace which works even what is meant for evil into goodness for His people.
“從前你們的意思是要害我，但神的意思原是好的，要使許多百姓得以存活，成就今日的光景。”創世記 50:20
《創世記》的結尾有一節經文，總結了神對祂的子民，以及更廣泛地對世人的立約信實。約瑟在經歷了一生的苦難後，向他的兄弟們說出這番話；他的兄弟們曾經嘲笑他、把他賣為奴隸，甚至任由他自生自滅。對任何人而言，這樣的遭遇都足以使人在重逢時選擇報復和憤怒，而且似乎是完全可以理解的。然而，約瑟從神的恩典中看見了一些更深的真理，使他明白自己的生命境況，甚至更進一步，看見神對這世界的旨意——即使是別人原本要加害於他的惡事，神也能使用它來成就祂的美意。
約瑟在神的恩典中明白了一件關於自己生命的事，這也是我們應當好好明白的。就是在他一生的高低起伏中，無論是悲傷還是喜樂，為他的故事執筆的並不是約瑟自己，而是神。神才是約瑟生命故事中的主角、關鍵的推動者和最終的掌舵者，祂藉著約瑟的一生，寫下祂向約瑟以及全世界彰顯恩典與美善的見證。
同樣地，我們也應當在自己人生的高山低谷中反思：究竟是誰在主導我們的生命故事？你是否認為，主導你生命的是自己的能力、智慧和經驗？還是神的旨意和主權？因為在我們自己的手中，悲傷的結局往往留下傷痕、苦毒和傷痛；但在我們良善的神手中，我們的痛苦只不過是祂在恩典的畫布上繪畫的另一種方式。
讓我們在這一週得著鼓勵，不要把自己看作神故事的主要推動者，反而要順服祂奇妙的恩典。即使是原本要加害於人的惡事，祂也能使用它，使之成為美善，為祂的子民成就祂的旨意。
