DAILY DEVOTIONAL FROM PASTOR WESLEY October 29, 2021

God Uses the Wicked

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!" So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, Your father charged before he died, saying, Thus you shall say to Joseph, Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong."' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, Behold, we are your servants." But Joseph said to them, Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Genesis 50:15-21

At times ungodly people appear to triumph over the righteous, and it makes us scratch our heads, wondering why the Lord doesn’t intervene. But the truth is, He often uses the wicked to accomplish His purpose.

Joseph faced one hard-hearted individual after another during his life. His brothers sold him into slavery and had him shipped off to Egypt (Genesis 37:25-28). His master’s wife accused him of an unspeakable crime (Genesis 39:7-18). And even those he helped, like Pharaoh’s cupbearer, forgot about him (Genesis 40:23). But once the story of Joseph’s life was written in full, it was clear that everyone who harmed or neglected the young man contributed to God’s plan. The Lord used all the trials in bringing Joseph to power at the right moment to spare his family—who were the Messiah’s ancestors—from the effects of famine.

In our own life, we can see God’s actions only from the limited vantage point of our humanness. Often the Lord’s goals and purposes are hidden from us until His plans come to fruition. We may wonder at the turns our life takes, but we can be certain God is sovereign over all the earth. The wicked may triumph for a season, but the final victory belongs to Christ and His righteous followers.

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