Esther Chapter 9. What's intended for Evil, God uses for Good.
When the day arrived when the enemies of the Jews were originally allowed to destroy them, the Jews had came together and fought their enemies. The Jews ended up killing over 75,000 people.
And this passage says that what was originally going to be a disaster for the Jews was turned around and became a disaster for the enemies of the Jews.
This reminds me of Joseph and how his brothers wanted to kill him and sold him to a caravan of people and then reported to their dad that Joseph was killed. But over time, God took Joseph, after many mishaps, and had him elevated to second-in-command in Egypt. This resulted in many lives being saved from a famine because of the wisdom of God given to Joseph.
When Joseph's father died, the brothers feared Joseph would punish them for all they did to Joseph. Joseph responded with, “Don't be afraid… What you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to preserve the lives of many people.”
Do not underestimate the power of the Lord and what he is able to do. He can turn the table around so that the evil that is amongst us can end up being destroyed or fall on the enemy itself. Genesis 50:20 is the passage that says, “What was intended for evil God used for good.”
This also reminds me of Romans 8:28 where it says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.”
Always pursue God. Always love God. As stated in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and God will take care of our needs.”
We don't have to fear the enemy when God is on our side. So keep pursuing God!
The Jewish people were in a desperate situation and God turned things around for them. God does that so many times! I was reminded today of the widow who we read about in 1 Kings 17. She was thinking that her and her son would soon starve to death, but she was asked by Elijah to make him a small cake first. It seems crazy to read this with the situation that she was in, but that’s what happened! God provided for her and later on, we read about how her son was even brought back to life! Nothing is too difficult for our God!