Tragedy to Triumph
by Pastor Bill Pevlor

     It seems easy to trust in God’s care and provision when things are going well, but what about when things go wrong? What about when tragedy strikes? Do we lose our sense of security in our loving Creator? Do we get the feeling we are completely on our own? Or worse, do we begin to accuse God of being cruel and unjust in causing such pain and difficulty in our lives?

     No doubt you have experienced some form of sorrow in your life. We all have. Job observed, “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward,” (Job 5:7). It is impossible to go through life and entirely avoid any pain. We must, therefore, determine what our response will be when the inevitable occurs. The worst time to settle the important issues of life and faith is in the middle of calamity. Even a firm foundation of faith can be shaken in the face of great sorrow or distress. If we hope to maintain our faith and peace of mind through the best and the worst times of our lives, we must decide ahead of time what we believe and continually affirm that resolve.

     It is clear from scripture that God indeed has a plan for us. In fact, Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” It is easy to believe that verse when we are happy and healthy and all the bills are paid, but what about when that’s not the case?

     A powerful example can be seen in the life of Joseph in the Old Testament. Joseph was his father’s favorite. He was given special privileges and even a special coat. As a young man Joseph began to receive dreams of destiny from God. He dreamed of being in a position of greatness and power, even over his brothers. This didn’t go over so well with his brothers when Joseph told them of his dreams. They finally tired of the dreamer and shouldering his share of the work while he was pampered and petted. One day they conspired to get rid of their little brother. Stripping Joseph of his beautiful coat, they threw him into a pit with the intention of leaving him to die. Perhaps it was mercy, or maybe just greed, but someone suggested that rather than kill Joseph they could sell him into slavery. So, the brothers hauled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to slave traders. Soon the pampered son found himself a servant in a foreign land.

     As you may know, the story got worse before it got better. Joseph landed a pretty good position in the home of Potiphar. He was put in charge of the entire household. Joseph’s status was short-lived, however, as he was framed and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. So, Joseph went from his father’s home to a dark dessert pit. Then he went from a lofty servant’s position to a branded convict. At this point Joseph could easily have become bitter and disillusioned. He could have shaken his fist in the face of God and said, “What about those dreams you gave me? What about my destiny?” Joseph could have decided that God had abandoned him. He might also have determined that his dreams were not from God in the first place. He may have concluded that God’s plan was for him to rot in an Egyptian dungeon for the rest of his life.

     But Joseph did not do any of those things. In fact, he apparently maintained his faith in God as well as his ability to understand divine dreams. He helped two fellow prisoners interpret their dreams, and both came true. One of these eventually led to Joseph’s release from prison. One day guards came and took Joseph from his cell. Pharaoh had a recurring dream that none of his counselors could understand. One of Pharaoh’s servants remembered a man who had interpreted his dream in prison. The servant told Pharaoh about the man, and Joseph was brought before Pharaoh. When Joseph explained Pharaoh’s dream, he was promoted from prisoner to Prime Minister instantly. Because Joseph did not abandon his trust in God, his dreams came true.

     When we go through the unavoidable hardships of life, we must hold onto our faith. While God’s intention is for our good, because of sin, the devil and the fallen world we live in, bad things can happen to us. God knows about them ahead of time and He is able to make good things come out of them if we continue in faith. He sees the whole picture from beginning to end, and He knows how to bring about His plan for us. And, according to the Bible, it is a good one. When bad things happen, comfort yourself with the knowledge that God’s plan for your good will not be thwarted.

Back for more Good News

Victorious Faith Ministries
219 State Street, Algoma, WI 54201 
Phone:  920-487-5775

©2001 Victorious Faith Ministries