09/06/2026
SUNDAY — 09-06-26
You Meant Evil, But God...
But God...
Scripture: Genesis 50:15–21
Key Verse: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” — Genesis 50:20, NIV
Good morning, friends. This is Coffee with Jesus. I’m Pastor John.
Today we're beginning a new series built around two of the most powerful words in the Bible:
But God.
There are moments when everything seems to be going in the wrong direction.
The diagnosis is bad.
The relationship falls apart.
Someone betrays you.
A door closes.
Something happens that you didn't deserve, didn't choose, and certainly didn't want.
And sometimes there really is evil involved.
The Bible never asks us to pretend evil is good.
Instead, Scripture gives us something far more powerful:
Evil doesn't get the last word. God does.
Joseph learned that.
As a young man, Joseph had dreams about what God would do with his life. But his brothers became jealous of him.
One day they seized him, threw him into a pit, and sold him into slavery.
Imagine watching your own brothers walk away while strangers carried you toward Egypt.
Joseph eventually became a servant in Potiphar's house. Then Potiphar's wife falsely accused him, and Joseph was thrown into prison.
Think about his story so far.
Betrayed by his family.
Sold as a slave.
Falsely accused.
Imprisoned.
And Joseph hadn't done anything to deserve any of it.
There must have been nights in that prison when Joseph wondered:
“God, where are You?”
But God was there.
Joseph couldn't see the whole story yet.
Eventually Pharaoh had dreams no one could interpret. Someone remembered that there was a Hebrew prisoner who could interpret dreams.
Joseph was brought before Pharaoh.
And almost overnight, the prisoner became the second most powerful man in Egypt.
Then famine came.
And because God had placed Joseph in that position, Egypt had food.
Eventually Joseph's brothers came looking for grain.
The very brothers who had sold him into slavery now stood before him needing his help.
Years later, after their father died, Joseph's brothers became frightened. They thought Joseph might finally take revenge.
But Joseph said:
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”
Don't miss what Joseph said.
He didn't say:
“You didn't mean to hurt me.”
They did.
He didn't say:
“What you did really wasn't that bad.”
It was.
Joseph called evil evil.
“You intended to harm me.”
But then come those two words:
But God.
What his brothers intended for evil, God took hold of and used to save lives.
That's the difference between biblical faith and pretending everything is fine.
Christians don't have to call evil good.
We believe God is so powerful that even evil cannot prevent Him from accomplishing His purposes.
And the greatest example is the cross.
Human beings betrayed Jesus.
They falsely accused Him.
They beat Him.
They nailed Him to a cross.
What happened at Calvary was evil.
But God...
God took the darkest act in human history and made it the means of our salvation.
The cross became an empty tomb.
Death became resurrection.
Defeat became victory.
And sin met grace.
That's what God does.
Maybe something has happened in your life that you still don't understand.
Someone hurt you.
Someone betrayed you.
Someone made a decision that changed your life.
I would never tell you that what happened was good.
Maybe it wasn't.
But I will tell you this:
God isn't finished with your story.
What someone else intended for harm doesn't determine what God can do next.
Your worst chapter doesn't get to write the ending.
God can redeem what was broken.
God can bring purpose from pain.
God can use what you survived to help someone else survive.
And sometimes it takes years before we can look backward and recognize His hand.
Joseph had to go through the pit before he could understand the palace.
So if you're somewhere between the pit and the palace today, don't give up on God.
You may not see what He's doing yet.
But the God who was with Joseph in the pit was the same God who was with him in the palace.
And He's with you.
Someone may have meant it for evil.
The enemy may have meant it for evil.
Your circumstances may look hopeless.
But God...
Those two words mean the story isn't over.
Let me pray for you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that evil never gets the final word. Some of us carry wounds caused by things that should never have happened. Help us never confuse evil with good, but give us faith to believe that You can redeem what others have broken. Take our pain, our disappointments, and even the things we cannot understand, and use them according to Your purposes. When we cannot see what You're doing, help us trust that You're still at work. In Jesus' name, amen.
And remember, you can find these devotions on Facebook. Search Coffee with Jesus and Pastor John, find the page, click Follow, and share it with your friends.
And since it's Sunday, I warmly invite you to worship with us this morning at 11:00 AM at First Methodist Church of Winnsboro. Come worship the God who can take what looks hopeless and write two more words:
But God...
