Genesis 50:18-21
“[Joseph’s] brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. ‘We are your slaves,’ they said.  But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid.  Am I in the place of God?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  So then, don’t be afraid.  I will provide for you and your children.’  And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”

John 16:6-7
“Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.  But I tell you the truth:  It is for your good that I am going away.  Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

Romans 8:28
“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.”

Omnipotent God, there is no scheme that can surprise you or render you helpless.

Every sting intended to harm us becomes the catalyst for a miracle.  You grasp the strike and deliver a stroke.

Strengthen our faith that you can weave black threads into the pattern of a beautiful tapestry.  In grief remind us, though it is beyond our understanding, that you unfailingly work for our good.

In the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ we pray, who drew from the tragedy of the cross the great legacy of our redemption.

Listen to ‘O My Distrustful Heart’ by Jacob Tilton