Max Lucado once said: “The story of Joseph is in the Bible for this reason: to teach you to trust God to trump evil. What Satan intends for evil, God, the Master Weaver and Master Builder, redeems for good.”1
There are two verses in the Bible, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament, that illuminate this principle beautifully.
(Romans 8:28) tells us: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
And (Genesis 50:20) reads: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
In the Old Testament we see this principle at work. The context of (Genesis 50:20) revolves around the brothers of Joseph selling him into slavery and then seeing how God used this negative to bring about Joseph being elevated to the Prime Minister of Egypt, and using his high position to save many people from the severe famine in Egypt. You probably know the story. If not please read my devotion dated May 19, 2022: “Joseph – from Slave to Prime Minister.”2
And when it comes to commenting on (Romans 8:28) I really like what R. C. Sproul shared: “Romans 8:28 is one of the most comforting texts in all of Scripture. It assures the believer that all ‘tragedies’ are ultimately blessings. It does not declare that all things that happen are good in themselves but that in all the things that happen to us God is working in and through them for our good. This is also firmly grounded in His eternal purpose for His people.”3
If you still don’t think that God can bring good out of tragedy then I ask you to consider what happened at Calvary. For it was at the cross that God used the absolute worst thing that ever happened in history – the death of Jesus – to bring about the absolute best thing that could ever happen – the salvation of our souls. My friends trials, tragedies, and suffering afford us the opportunity to turn these negatives into blessings and opportunities to advance the kingdom and bring glory to God. And since one of the main purposes of life is that it provides us the training grounds for eternity, why not realize that God has a divine purpose for even the negative things in our lives. And after all isn’t the main purpose in life to glorify God!
So, the next time you get hit with a heavy trial or a devastating tragedy remember God has allowed them to happen because He has a master plan in which He wants to use your trial or tragedy for His glory. May I challenge you to meditate on (Romans 8:28) and (Genesis 50:20) and trust the Lord to work all things for good!
1 Inspirational Quotes by Max Lucado – page 14
2 Joseph – From Slave To Prime Minister – Bible Apologetics – A DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Providence Under Fire: When hell attacks, we intercept with grace…From the Tempered Apologist
Topic – Spiritual warfare in real clothes.
Curt’s core claim is the Joseph pattern: the enemy aims for ruin, God turns it into rescue. Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28 are not greeting-card fluff. They’re war-time coordinates.
Some folks ask why it’s needed. God’s sovereignty does not eliminate this war. It guarantees the outcome. Curt’s core commentary theme is simple:
What the enemy intends for evil, God repurposes for good (Joseph). The same pattern is stamped into the Christian life (Romans 8) and crowned at Calvary (the Cross).
So, pop-pop by the numbers, shall we?
(1) I NAME THE WAR, SO IT CAN’T NAME ME
When I had the privilege of mission preaching this, I didn’t start with “life is hard.” I started with the blunt truth. There’s a war for your eternity going on.
It’s not just headlines or politics or somebody else’s bad choices. It’s spiritual, it’s personal, and it wants my heart.
This frame is perfect for a mission crowd because nobody in that room needs a lecture on betrayal, loss, addiction, or being sold out by people who share your blood.
Curt’s Joseph frame is perfect because it doesn’t deny evil, it refuses to crown it. In the Bible, Joseph doesn’t say, “That wasn’t evil.” He says, “You meant evil,” and then he drops the second blade: “God meant good.”
That’s spiritual warfare in street clothes. You stop letting the enemy narrate your pain. You let God weaponize it into mercy, wisdom, and actual backbone.
(2) STOP CALLING IT “ATTITUDE” WHEN YOU MEAN “ALLEGIANCE”
Attitude is everything. Attitude can be a platitude, or it can be blunt force trauma, or it can be a steering wheel. In this war with the enemy, “attitude” is really allegiance. If my default posture is resentment, I’ll worship my wounds and call it “being real.” If my posture is a personal surrender to Christ, I can stare down the same blow and still walk forward.
Curt isn’t selling positive thinking with Bible seasoning. He’s planting Romans 8:28 where it belongs: in God’s purpose, not in my mood swings.
That’s why Sproul hits so hard here. Sproul was a teacher, pastor and theologian who kept dragging people back to God’s holiness, God’s authority, and the comfort that only comes with a sovereign God, not a nervous one.
So yes: “attitude is everything,” because your attitude reveals your master. If your master is resentment, you’ll worship your wounds. If your Master is Christ, you’ll carry your cross and somehow still feed people.
(3) INTERCEPT THE STRIKE WITH ARMOR, PRAYER, AND MERCY
My move is Ephesians 6: armor up. Truth. Righteousness. Gospel footing. Faith. Salvation. The Word. And prayer like it’s oxygen, not decoration. Curt’s Joseph-to-Cross arc is the clearest reminder of how God fights: The enemy’s “best shot” becomes God’s saving act. The Cross is the ultimate example of evil overplaying its hand.
And this is where grace becomes tactical. When you get hit, don’t just grit your teeth and call it character development. Look for the opening God just created. Comfort somebody else with the comfort you’re receiving by grace.
I can serve while my own hands are shaking. That’s not softness. That’s spiritual violence aimed in the right direction: the kind that kills pride, kills despair, and leaves mercy standing.
Lucado is an effective choice here because he writes and preaches hope for people who are hurting, guilty, lonely, and discouraged, and he’s served as a teaching minister at Oak Hills Church for decades. His style is pastoral and story-driven, which is exactly why he lands with regular people. He preaches hope without turning it into mush
Sproul is effective because he refuses to comfort people with cotton candy. He points comfort back to God’s holiness and purpose. Sproul’s lane is exactly this: comfort with steel in it, grounded in God’s purpose, not in the idea that tragedies are secretly cute.
I’ll give ya this:
• When the enemy hits you with shame, you answer with confession and grace.
• When he hits you with isolation, you answer with prayer and community, not the bottle.
• When he hits you with despair, you answer with service. You hand somebody else a cup of water while your own hands are still shaking. That’s not cute. That’s warfare.
God takes whatever the enemy throws to bury me, turns them into building blocks and ammunition, and teaches me to aim with grace.
Gift-edged, Curt – thanks!