Diamond From the Dust

Genesis 37:23-26 New International Version (NIV)

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

Genesis 50:20 New English Translation (NET Bible)

20 As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

It's late on a Sunday for me.  I've been working on a video for Youtube, "Diamonds" by Hawk Nelson.  It's had me thinking of Joseph, a hero of the Old Testament.  His life was a good example of how God can make a diamond out of dust.  So cruelly treated by his brothers, he still was able to accept God's purpose in it all.  I don't gratefully, gracefully receive suffering from my Lord.  I fight it instead, wasting much effort in the process.  Thankfully, God still works in my life, bringing beauty from the ashes, a diamond from the dust.