What The Enemy Meant For Evil

It was nearly 11 p.m. at a rental car place. I’d been standing in line with about 30 other people for over half an hour, and my wife was with the leadership team we’d brought for a conference.

The people next to me grumbled impatiently. Ahead, one customer at the counter shouted curse words into his phone while his company credit card kept declining. No one was having a good time!

Finally, a manager came out of the back room and the line started moving. When it was my turn, all I wanted to do was swipe my card, grab the keys, and get our team to the hotel.

When it was my turn, the manager asked me a few quick questions and then said, “Thanks for waiting. I can do this rental for cheaper…”

It was amazing, because the number he gave me was one-fourth of what I expected to pay. I smiled, swiped my card, and we were off.

…but here’s what that guy left out: the rental car service had already charged my card the full amount, and he was just selling me the daily-rate insurance, making it sound like it was the full transaction amount. And this was after I explicitly declined the insurance in his initial questions.

Sure, I should have slowed down, read the receipts, asked questions, and done my due diligence. So that’s on me. However, the manager was definitely dishonest and took advantage of the situation.

Because my brain works like this, this story reminds me of Joseph from Genesis.

From Prisoner To Prince

Joseph’s brothers had gotten jealous of him and sold him into slavery. The slavers then took him to Egypt where, eventually, he was wrongfully imprisoned.

In time, Joseph became the second most powerful man in all of Egypt, where God used him to save millions of people from a devastating famine.

Joseph went from slave to prisoner to prince. Years later, when his brothers showed up begging for food, they realized they were meeting with that very brother they’d betrayed.

They were terrified, thinking this now-powerful man was going to hurt them. But here’s what Joseph said:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Genesis 50:20 ESV

Through no fault or sin of his own, Joseph had awful experiences in his life. Yet, he could still look back and see God’s hand at work, setting him up for an incredible purpose.

What The Enemy Meant For Evil

Now, the wrong done against me at the rental car place obviously pales in comparison to what happened to Joseph. I’m definitely not claiming that level of suffering!

But guess what happened?

The second night we were there, I backed our rental van into a sign, messing up the rear bumper!

Sure, that manager had taken me advantage of me — but God used it to save us thousands of dollars.

This is a small example. But remember, our great God can turn what the enemy meant for evil into good. And not just for us, but for others, as well.