But God Protects Us from Harm

 

But God Protects Us from Harm

 

Joseph is sold into slavery out of his brothers’ jealousy. In Genesis 45:8 Joseph says, “So it was not you who sent me here, but God; He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and a ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

 

Joseph recognizes that his brothers’ intent was for his harm, but that God is greater than others’ motives & actions. God is the One who arranged circumstances that brough Joseph to Egypt. It was Joseph’s obedience to God’s plan that allowed God to lift him into the high position in Egypt.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about trusting God to arrange the circumstances of our lives for His glory & our benefit.

 

In Genesis 50:20 Joseph says to his brothers, “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.”

 

Again, Joseph does not soft sell when he speaks to his brothers. He acknowledges they meant it for evil or harm against Him. But God uses it to save many people’s lives. God is a saving, redeeming God. In Luke 19:10 Jesus says that He came to seek & save the lost. God uses Joseph to save his family & it was through Joseph’s family that the Messiah comes. God has a plan & He is sovereign & He will accomplish His plan no matter what. In Philippians 1:6 Paul says that he is sure that He who began a good work in you will bring in completion in us at the day of Jesus Christ.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about trusting God to fulfill His will in our lives.

 

David is being chased by King Saul so that he can kill David because Saul knew that God has rejected him & chosen David to be king.

 

In 1 Samuel 23:14 it says, “And David remained in the stronghold in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.”

Saul wanted to kill him, but he also knew that God had anointed him as king of Israel. David trusted that God would accomplish that. David in this situation stayed in the stronghold that God had provided for him to stay safe. Psalm 9:9 says, “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” David trusted God to be his stronghold to protect him from Saul’s hatred of him.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about trusting God to be our stronghold that protects us from others who want to harm us.

 

Jesus does not promise us that we will have a problem-free life or that we will never face difficult times. He does promise us that His plan for our lives is good. He does promise us that He will fulfill His good plan in our lives. He does promise that He will be our stronghold to protect us from harm.

 

We must believe Him, trust Him, & obey Him. Satan means to kill, steal, & destroy, but Jesus came to give us life & life in abundance.

 

Believe It!

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls,

Joe