In a Pit?

Bible Reading: Genesis 50Focus Verse: Genesis 50:20 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

This was intended harm that brought life instead: Joseph's brothers put him in a well and then sold him into slavery.   God meant it for good so that Joseph could save his family during the famine. 

Do you ever feel like you are in a pit?  Some pits are just part of life, some pits we fall into for lack of awareness, some pits are from decisions others make, and other pits are from our own decisions.

There's a story: One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Understand this :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The people intended it for burial, but God used it for GOOD.  We can get out of the deepest wells just by trusting God to show us the way out.  Shake it off and take a step up.

~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries