Good From Evil!

The human tragedy of September 11, 2001 was despicably evil. Can any good emerge from such evil deeds? Yes, we know that it can, but some of the good that will result may take years to bear fruit.

For Joseph, who uttered the words in the verse above, it was approximately 39 years after he was sold into slavery that he spoke those words of kindness to his brothers. His brothers had covered up their evil deed by presenting false evidence to their father of Joseph's death and omitting to tell him they had sold Joseph into slavery. They continued their conspiracy of silence even until their father died.

After burying their father, Joseph's brothers approached him in fear and begged him to forgive them. Joseph responded by saying, "Don't be aftraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you? As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil." (Genesis 50:19, 20 (NLT)

Let us continue to pray that God will bring good out of this present evil, but do not be surprised if it takes the prespective of time to sort it all out.

A Prayer begins . . .

Heavenly Father, you are a loving and just God. We continue to pray for all of those victimized by the heinous deeds of September 11th, and, we also pray that you will turn this present evil into an instument of good. Help us remain faithful and true during the time it takes to sort it all out.

Read every verse in the left column and on the banner! Clickle one or all and see a beautiful color graphic of each!

Two selected book quotations begin . . .

June Cerza Kolf, When Will I Stop Hurting? Dealing With A Recent Death, Baker Book House, 1987, p. 33.    SoAmazing.com

Category: Christian Living
Keywords: crying, essential, Bible, God, Valley of the Weeping, blessing, cleansing, tears, Baker Book House, Kolf, June Cerza Kolf

"Crying is essential. The deep sobbing previously mentioned is usually followed by many months of crying floods of tears. It would be close to impossible and unnatural to not release tears after experiencing the loss of a loved one. The Bible describes tears often. We are told that God collects our tears in a bottle and keeps track of every one of them. (Psalm 56:8)

A Valley of the Weeping is mentioned in Psalm 84:6. 'When they walk through the Valley of the Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessings and refreshment collect after rains.' If all the tears a grieving person shed could be saved, they would indeed make pools--pools that will quite likely bring about blessing someday. These tears are cleansing a deep wound."

SoAmazing Review: When Will I Stop Hurting? in its sixteenth printing, takes you through the grieving process and lets you know that you are not alone.

Buy When Will I Stop Hurting? Now!   Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Christianbook.

It Was All Grace, And Grace Alone

Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills, Penguin Books, 1996, p. 13. This is the third book in the best-selling Mitford series.    SoAmazing.com

Category: Fiction
Keywords: divinity, diabetes, church, sermon, love, grace, Host, Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, God's, Penguin Books, Karon, Jan Karon

" 'Take them,' he said one Sunday morning, lifting the cup and the Host toward the people, 'in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on Him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.'

Giving his own wife the Host was an act that might never cease to move and amaze him. More than sixty years a bachelor, and now this--seeing her face looking up expectantly, and feeling the warmth of her hand as he placed the bread in her palm, 'The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you, Cynthia.'

He couldn't help but see the patch of colored light that fell on her hair through the stained-glass window by the rail, as if she were being appointed to something divine. Surely there could be no divinity in having to live the rest of her life with him, with his set-in-concrete ways and infernal diabetes.

They walked home together after church, hand in hand, his sermon notebook tucked under his arm. He felt as free as a schoolboy, as light as air. How could he ever have earned God's love, and hers into the bargain?

The point was, he couldn't. It was all grace, and grace alone."

SoAmazing Review: Jan Karon has a knack for creating endearing characters that tug on your heartstrings, including Barnabas, the dog, and Violet, the cat.

Buy These High, Green Hills, Now!   Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Christianbook.

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