Proverbs 16:4
The Lord works out everything for His own ends – even the wicked for a day of disaster.
This verse does not mean that God created some people to be wicked, but rather that God uses even the activities of wicked people to fulfill His good purposes. God is infinite and we are finite. No matter how great our intellects, we will never be able to fully understand God completely. But we can accept by faith that He is all-powerful, all-loving, and perfectly good. We can believe that He is not the cause of evil (James 1:13, 17); and we can trust that there will be no loose ends in His system of judgment.
Evil is a temporary condition in the universe and one day God will destroy it. In the meantime, He uses even the evil intentions of people for His good purpose. Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Joseph faced many trials during his life. His brothers sold him into slavery, Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him which landed him in prison. But God took the evil intent of others and turned it to good. Joseph became the second highest in Egypt. Joseph learned that God brings good from evil for those who trust Him.
Perhaps you are experiencing some bad times in your life. Do you trust God enough to wait patiently for Him to bring good out of bad situations? You can trust God because, as Joseph learned, God can overrule people’s evil intentions to bring about His intended results.
