(Joseph said) "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." Genesis 50:20

There are times when things can't get any worse. And then they do.

That was certainly the situation for Mr. Moshen.

* He had lived in Syria, but now because of the political situation, he was trying to reach a country of safety.

* His family had been divided. His oldest son was in Germany; his wife and third child were in a Turkish refugee camp, and he was carrying his seven-year-old boy.

To Mr. Moshen's way of thinking, things couldn't get any worse.

And then they did.

* As he tried to get past the Hungarian border patrol, he was tripped by a reporter and fell to the ground. Later, Mr. Moshen said his first reaction was surprise and "then pain when I saw the fear and panic in my son's face. Zaid (the boy) cried for two hours. He was terrified. Then they took our fingerprints and threatened to put us in jail."

Things were about as bleak as they could get. But, unknown to Mr. Moshen, his story had been shown around the world and touched the folks at Spain's national football coaching center. When they found out Mr. Moshen was a first-quality soccer coach, they decided to help him.

Taking all of their advertising budget, they offered him a place to stay in Spain. There they would give him time to learn the language and bring his family together. Finally, they would help with the papers that would grant him citizenship, and offer him a new job when the time was right.

That's the kind of story Old Testament's Joseph would have understood.

His jealous brothers had sold him into slavery and pretended he was dead. He had been falsely accused and thrown into prison. People who promised to remember him forgot, and he could have thought himself forgotten by the Lord as well.

But the Lord remembered Joseph, and divine intervention elevated him to a position of authority. It was a position he used to save lives, including those of his brothers and their families. Looking at all that had happened, Joseph spoke the words of our text above.

There is a lesson to be learned here. Especially when we are down -- when we feel forgotten and alone -- we need to remember the Lord who sent His Son to save us will never leave us or desert us. This sinful world may do all manner of evil to us, but God can take that situation and turn it for our benefit and the blessing of others.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, when we are surrounded by the dark, help us see the light that comes to us through our crucified and risen Savior. In His Name I ask it. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 50-52    Romans 9:16-33

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