If you've been reading this lately you'll know that I'm tapering off a medication that control a chronic pain condition called Fibromyalgia. I'm tapering off one in order to start taking a different one. Well, yesterday was a surpassingly good day. Partly in fear of increased pain, I've become dogmatic of riding to work each day, and lifting weights. I believe that has really helped.

Another surprise is that without the neutralizing effects of Zoloft, my mind has reawakened in a way that I'm not sure how to describe. Some of the old emotional crap has returned as well. There are small waves of despair or anxiety that drift through my mind. The new experience however is that there is a simultaneous hope and confidence in the Lord.

I've been thinking more about Romans 8:28 from yesterday's blog. I don't if I brought this up or not, but John Piper made a really good point. I'm going to grab something that he brought out and lay it down here, because it's big. It's kinda weird too.

It starts in Genesis chapter 50 and verse 20.

Joseph is speaking.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." NIV translation

If you are not familiar with the man Joseph, he was one of Jacob's kids. O.K. Jacob is in the family line of people that were chosen by God to represent Him to the world. God's chosen people are the Jews, the people of Israel. O.K. so they aren'y doing a great job of it these days, but the first section of the Bible is the account of God working in and through them to save the world.

Anyway, chosen or not, Joseph's brothers were a jealous, self-serving bunch. They got the idea that Joseph might be destined to be a great ruler, and they took measures to stop it. They sold Joseph off to slave traders and then told his dad (Jacob) that a wild animal had killed Joseph.

If you want to read it for yourself, it's in the Bible in Exodus starting in chapter 37. Well, Joseph's brothers only had it half right. In those days, the dad of the family, was more like a king of his family group. Jacob's children and grand children, great grand children, etc. where under his authority. When Jacob died, the role of family or clan ruler would go to the first born son. Jacob had sons from four women (big mistake). Which first born would be the next ruler?

Jacob's first born son of the first woman he married was Rueben. Joseph was the first born of his second, but favorite wife. I didn't say these people were perfect. If being perfect were a requirement for God's service, then nothing would happen. That's why we need God.

So, Jacob wasn't real smart when it came to marital stuff.

God gave Joseph these mysterious dreams that made the rest of them wonder if he was destined to be their ruler, so his brothers got rid of him. What happened next is that Joseph went through years of disappointment and suffering only to later rise to a position of great power in the nation of Egypt. A position which enabled Joseph to offer protection to his family from a worldwide famine.

So, here's the weird part. Joseph's brothers had every intention of doing him harm. They mean it for evil. God had planned for Joseph to go through what he did in order to make him ready for a position of leadership and a great work of salvation. God fully intended for what happened to take place. God planned it for good.

So, it wasn't as if something bad happened to Joseph, and God said, 'oops!" I’d better fix it. Can you imagine God saying, 'Man, that's not good, I'll just shift this so that it works out well in the end.' What John Piper pointed out is that it would be hard to trust that God is able to fix things, if He couldn't see the bad stuff coming in the first place. Who’s to say that when He tries to turn our bad times for the good, that his good intentions won't go just as badly.

Romans 8:28 is does not make that a possibility, it is an absolute assurance. It leaves no room for doubt. God works all things for good, because he has been involved in our circumstances from the beginning, and we have never been outside or absent from His special work in our lives.

Of course, this promise is only to his children. Those who have a true and intimate relationship with Jesus.  Christians.

Maybe I can talk more about that tomorrow.

It's starting to lightening out. That means no biking to work. I'll have to get my wife out of bed so that she can drive me in.

Later.

Adam