Good News

  A friend told me a story the other day that went like this; A farmer lost his horse. When his neighbors heard, they were sympathetic and stated, "What bad luck!" The farmer scratched his beard in thought and retorted,

 "Good luck, bad luck; who knows?"

 A couple of days later, his horse returned, but not alone; she brought with her a whole herd of wild horses. His neighbors gathered around in amazement. "Now that's what we call good luck," they said. The farmer replied,

 "good luck, bad luck, who knows?"

Eager to get started breaking in their new found fortune, the farmer's son saddled up bright and early the next morning. The horse chosen proved to be a wily foe, as the son was thrown to the ground, badly breaking his leg. The neighbors shook their heads, "so sorry for your bad luck." The farmer's reply was a soft

 "good luck, bad luck, who knows?"

 Only a couple of weeks went by before war broke out, and every able-bodied man in the region was called into service. However, because of his injured leg, the farmer's son had to remain at home. "What good luck is that?" The neighbors said, but the farmer just smiled and answered,

 "good luck, bad luck, who knows?"

  Joseph was the favored son of a rich man. Oblivious to the fact that his brothers' resentment had turned to hatred, he considered himself a very lucky young man. As opportunity afforded it, Joseph's brothers plotted his death. At the last minute, it was decided to sell him as a slave to an Egyptian caravan passing the desert pit where they were holding him.

 What catastrophic misfortune for Joseph!

Where was God in this?

As the sun set over the fading horizon of what he had always known as home, all hope also faded into dark night.

 On arrival in Egypt,things began to look up.

Potiphar chose him to serve in his house. Quickly, Joseph rose from a lowly servant to the man in charge of Potiphar's entire affairs.

This apparent good fortune turned to disaster.

He was falsely accused of seducing Potiphar's wife and was thrown into prison for several years. Joseph was left to wonder what he had done to deserve this?

Where had he gone wrong?

Of course, the story takes a dramatic turn in the end and places Joseph next to Pharaoh in power and prosperity; saving not only Joseph from starvation, but his entire family.

Good luck? No luck at all. 

It was all in the plan to turn what seemed impossible into God's way to not only rescue Joseph, but his entire family.

Don't fight the process!

God knows what it's going to take to get you from here to a successful conclusion. 

Do you think Joseph was the same person as he was when the process began...or Moses or Gideon or the apostle Peter?

Things are seldom as they seem. What may appear as a roller coaster ride to nowhere really is getting you to where you ultimately want to be.

Trust it, it's not a mirage, and that's

 "good news"


copyright 8/18/2014