Daily Devotional: Closer to God Every Day

Day 37: What the Devil Means for Harm, God Will Use for Good

"As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are this day." -Genesis 50:20

This verse is bursting with meaning! Think about a time when you were going through a category five hurricane. It was hard, life was shaky, and you really had to cling to God. I don't mean a literal storm, but a tough place in your life. Now, think about how God used it for good. During the storm, it is nearly impossible to see how any good could come from it. Most would see a rough spot and get angry, depressed, and let the devil win. We, as strong warriors for Christ, will not let him win! We are stronger than the devil! I can, however, remember a time when I was pushed to my limit. Last year, I was hit with a wave of depression. I was involved in too many activities, and all of them became too much to handle. It was May of that year that I qualified to run in the state track meet for the 4x1. I had worked extremely hard, and gone through grueling practices to get there. Then, I tore my ACL. Before I got the chance to seal the deal for what I had worked months up to, it was all ripped away from me in the blink of an eye. I was devasted. It turned out that God has a larger plan. After tearing my ACL, it limited the vast amount of activities I could participate in. This year, I have been able to focus on my grades with out the constant demand of multiple extra curricular activities in my ear. I have been much more relaxed which has given me the opprotunity to slow down and focus on building up my relationship with my Father. The devil tried to show me that I had reasons to stay full of anger after my injury, but God toughened me up as a Warrior of Christ and sent me out to battle stronger than ever. Don't let the devil bring you down. He finds so much pleasure in seeing you fall. Look at that situation and think, I can't wait to see how God uses this for good. You may be surprised at how beautiful suffering actually is. What a blessing in disguise.

-Katelyn