“‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” — Genesis 50:20-22
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Mike Downey was an incredible sportswriter in Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles. His ability to adapt to different surroundings and promote and analyze several sports in different cities was outstanding. Bill Simmons is another great storyteller who manages to wear many hats by writing columns, doing podcasts and keeping a strong internet presence. Though athletes obviously get more attention than the people who write and analyze them, the writers and commentators certainly help pique interest in sports and encourage people to think about various sports during their offseason. We need good storytelling and performance analysis to make our sports experience complete.
Reading is essential for learning and growing, and even in many places of employment. If we don’t read something besides a menu every week, our minds can get stale like moldy bread. While some books and articles entertain, and others give us new information, the most helpful book is by far the Christian Bible. In the Scriptures, we find God-breathed stories, history and encouragement. As we read the Bible, we understand God better and we see Him bringing many people from tragedy to triumph in some surprising and supernatural ways. One of the most powerful testimonies is that of Joseph.
When Joseph was 17 years old, he was thrown in a pit by his jealous brothers and it looked like he would die before sunset. Instead of killing Joseph, they sold their own brother as a slave and lied to their father about it. They put animal blood on Joseph’s “coat of many colors” to show their father the “proof” of his death. While Joseph was a slave, Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of attacking her, and Joseph was put in prison. Nevertheless, God didn’t forget Joseph. “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden” (Genesis 39:20-21).
In a stunning turn of events, Joseph ended up being summoned to explain Pharaoh’s dreams about seven years of abundant harvests and then seven years of scarcity and famine. Suddenly, Joseph was free and ruled the land as Pharaoh’s right-hand man. During his conversation with Pharaoh, Joseph was humble and gave all the credit to God for his wisdom. And Pharaoh richly rewarded Joseph. “So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt'” (Genesis 41:41).
Joseph’s brothers ended up crawling back to Egypt in search of food due to the famine, unaware that the brother they intended to harm was now helping run the country. Joseph chose forgiveness over resentment, saying, “‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them” (Genesis 50:20-22). When Joseph’s father, Jacob, finally saw him again, it was as if he came back from the dead. Their reconciliation was healing to the whole family, and they lived in peace for many years.
Our writers today may do well in capturing our modern-day accounts of tragedy to triumph in sports and elsewhere, but nothing quite compares to the original stories captured in God-given Scripture. The Bible is the holy and unfailing account of a saving message from Heaven. It shows us who God is, who we are, and what He has done through history for us and for our salvation. His storytelling is the most important thing we can read, so don’t put it down! He has something in there for you and your life.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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