Daily Devo
Knowing How it Ends
By: John Carrigan
Thursday, September 11, 2025
We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9
Joseph's life sounds discouraging if we didn’t know how it ended. But God... Spoiler Alert: God prevails, so Joseph prevails! God wins, so we win! Whenever I read Genesis, I am comforted by reading ahead to one of my favorite verses, Genesis 50:20. When Joseph finally confronts his brothers, they feel guilty for betraying him. He consoles them by reminding them of God's great sovereignty.
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good... Genesis 50:20
God is sovereign, which means He controls the outcome of every situation. No matter what anyone says or does, they cannot thwart God's plans for us. His plans for us are always good, even when we can’t see it at the time. We may not be able to see it, but we can know it, because it's a promise found in His Word (Romans 8:28).
My hometown team of Philadelphia won the Superbowl last season, and I’ve rewatched that game's highlights many times. I can watch the bad plays and the mistakes from that game without getting upset because I already know how it ends. Close games are thrilling to watch, and everyone loves a come from behind victory. I love close, exciting games, but they would be easier to watch if I knew my team would win. Better than knowing the outcome of a game, God's Word says we can know the outcome of our soul. To guarantee victory, all we have to do is align ourselves with our Creator! God promises that whoever joins "Team Jesus" wins!
Fair-weather fans usually give up on their team when things get tough. It’s human nature to have doubts, but we can never give up on God. After all, Christianity is more meaningful than sports, and our God is more important than a game. In life, if you end up in a pit like Joseph, don't ever doubt who God is and don't ever doubt what He can do for you!
Looking back, we can usually see how God wove the tapestry of our lives. We can't always see everything, but we can trust it was all done for our good! Looking back at how good God was to us gives us hope for the future. Appreciating what He already did for us helps us look forward to what He is still going to do!
Remember, God is sovereign, so He is beyond whatever circumstance we might be in. He is always good, so His plans are always good too!