SEE NO EVIL

As for you, you meant evil against me,

but God meant it for good in order to do

what has happened on this day,

to keep many people alive. 

Genesis 50:20

I have been fired from two teaching jobs. The first was a public school. Two years of favorable evaluations changed when the department had to let one teacher go due to cutbacks. I was next to last in seniority and the good friend of the department head was last. But that was a good thing as it moved our family to Ohio and led us to discover and join a Grace Brethren Church.

The next was a Christian school. 13 years of favorable evaluations changed when I was being considered for an associate pastor position at our church. I was found guilty of disloyalty to the school. Though I was eventually not offered the church position my contract with the school was not renewed. But that was a good thing as I got a teaching position at a vocational school with a 50% raise. That allowed us to make needed repairs to our house after 13 years of austerity budgets so that, after five years, we were able to sell the house and use the equity to begin church planting in Newark.

In each case, those in charge did evil, but God always used it for good. At Newark GBC there were salvations, baptisms, and people who grew in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

During his life Joseph surely wondered why evil was happening to him, but he did not abandon his faith in God. Neither can we when others do wrong to us. God will likewise use it for good. Do not lose faith in Him!

Jeffrey Eno