I just had lunch with a friend who needed to hear that where they are is not merely the result of the deeds of other people nor the result of their failure in any way. Rather, as Psalm 105:16-22 affirms, the Lord sent him in a new direction for good and redemptive purposes.
No doubt, Joseph, who the Psalmist writes about, could not see this in the middle of the hardships, but he came to see it. Therefore, he said, under inspiration, Genesis 50:20, “What you meant for evil, God meant for good…” Even when evil people do bad things to us, our good Father is at work to will and work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
For those of us who have received hard things at the hands of other people, the doctrine of God’s providence is the healing agent that keeps us upright. If the Scriptures affirmed that I was left up to the whims of people or Satan, I’d be a basket case. Job reminds us that Satan even has to get permission to assault us. We are not left to the hands and decisions of people alone. Mysterious, yet healing truth. Romans 8:28 is clear that God works all things together for our good. It’s God at work, not merely the evil hands of evil people. Good Father takes what is meant for evil and works it for the good of his people.
Here is an example of this truth applied from Monty Williams, who just lost his wife in a car accident. Monty is an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Give this video a watch.
Theology in the Dirt 