Troubled situations give opportunity to lean into God's promises (Gen 50:20)

Gen 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

 Reading God Will Use This for Good: Surviving the Mess of Life with my friend David. Max Lucado starts it with three cases where he met people in tragic circumstances and offered an audacious prayer for them.

You’ll get through this. It won’t be painless. It won’t be quick. But God will use this mess for good. In the meantime don’t be foolish or naive. But don’t despair either. With God’s help you will get through this.

He talks about how Joseph felt, I studied this and taught to friends in Myanmar years ago: Jacob favors Joseph and brothers hate him because of dreams. The big idea is that Jospeph didn't just loose hope, faith, and love (1 Cor 13:13). He leaned into the promise of God and helped people around him.

Max puts it this way:

Yet he never gave up. Bitterness never staked its claim. Anger never metastasized into hatred. His heart never hardened; his resolve never vanished. He not only survived; he thrived.

Joseph puts it this way:

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Gen 50:20

Questions for discussion:

We can find ourselves in an unplanned circumstance he calls "a pit." What pit have you found yourself in? 

 - This reminded me of 

"there's a hole in my sidewalk" --
"....I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in. It's a habit. 

My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault. I get out immediately. 

walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it. 

I walk down another street.”