You Can’t Change It, but God Can Use It

[You Can’t Change It, but God Can Use It]( Current Teaching Series [Strategies for Stressful Times]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [You Can’t Change It, but God Can Use It]( By Rick Warren — 12/03/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “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.” Genesis 50:20 (NLT) Remember the story of Joseph? His brothers were jealous because he was the favorite son, so they sold Joseph into slavery. He was taken to Egypt, and for the first 40 years of his life, everything went wrong. He was sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape, and thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. For 40 years, nothing seemed to go right for Joseph—but God put Joseph exactly where he wanted him to be. He knew that Joseph would be raised up to become the second most powerful leader in Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world at that time. And because of that, Joseph was able to save Egypt and Israel from famine. Not only did he save two nations from starvation, but he also saved his family—the ones who sold him into slavery. When his brothers appeared before him, Joseph could have confronted them and punished them for what they did to him. But what was Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers? He treated them with grace, not bitterness. He was able to do that because he saw God’s greater perspective and purpose. He knew God could use even the biggest hurts in our lives for good. Joseph said to his brothers, “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” (Genesis 50:20 NLT). God took the terrible sin of Joseph’s brothers and used it to eventually save many people. There will always be people in your life who have bad intentions, who will resent you, criticize you, and hurt you. There will be times when you are the innocent victim of someone else’s sin. There is no way around it. You may not understand it—but you don’t have to! You can trust that God sees, he cares, and he will have justice. Like Joseph, maybe you can’t change your circumstances. And maybe you’re wondering how you’re going to make it through or what God is doing. God can use everything, good or bad, to accomplish his purposes. His good plan to grow your character and make you more like Jesus will not be changed by other people. What others intend for bad, he will use for good. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Sometimes we do not see how God is using our pain for good until many years later. What is an example of that from your life? What did you eventually learn about God through that painful situation? - Why are painful circumstances sometimes the best way for us to grow more like Jesus? - Where do you get the power to treat people who hurt you with grace and not bitterness? Can you do it on your own? The post [You Can’t Change It, but God Can Use It]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get The Purpose Driven Life Leather Edition when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Everyone wonders at some point in life, "What on earth am I here for?" And the good news is that God has an answer! God has a good plan for your life. And Pastor Rick Warren’s bestselling book, The Purpose Driven Life, lays out an easy-to-follow road map for your spiritual journey to discover all God has in store for you. And today, we want to send you a special-edition, leather bound copy of this timeless resource. Whether you’ve read The Purpose Driven Life before, or this is your first time, you’ll discover that real meaning and significance come from understanding and fulfilling God’s purpose for you here on earth. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 5 full-length message from Pastor Rick's series Strategies for Stressful Times. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Finding the Strength to Keep Going When I'm Emotionally Worn Out Message 2: How To Be Happy No Matter What Happens Message 3: How to Trust God When You Don't Like the Changes in Your Life Message 4: How to Keep Your Tank Filled Instead of Running on Empty Message 5: Jesus' Secrets of Resilience [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller [The Purpose Driven Life](. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created [The PEACE Plan]( to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, PO Box 80448, Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688, United States