What appeared to be a tragic series of events caused by sinful humans yielding to their basest impulses turned out instead to be steps leading Joseph and his family into the middle of God's will. That's what Joseph was trying to explain to his brothers. At that point in time, all they could see was the devastation they had caused, and they grieved over it and were angry at each other. But, in the same moment, God showed Joseph the "bigger picture."

As he looked back over all that had happened, he understood that God had guided his life and used its harsh circumstances to bring him to this place where he could save his family and many others from starvation. As he shared this perspective with his brothers, despair gave way to hope. In spite of themselves, God had overruled their past and prepared a wonderful future for them.

In our lesson for today, we'll hear the promise that God can accomplish His will in our lives even when people and the devil try to destroy us. But we'll also remember that we must do our part for this to happen.

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