In the middle of an ordinary day, have you ever had your whole world turned upside down?

Today on Truth for Life, Alistair Begg points out how God often utilizes routine instructions,

along with the emotions and reactions of others, in the process of shaping

and preparing us to be used for his purposes. Here's Alistair. Genesis 37, and we pick up the

story of Joseph. This story of Joseph is quite wonderful. And at the moment

is my favorite story. We have said on each occasion that there is probably no greater illustration

in Holy Scripture of the truth of God's providential care than that which we find in the life of Joseph. Joseph was not

at the mercy of fate or chance. He's not driven along by some blind and impersonal force,

and nor are we. The pagans run after all these things. They believe that if there ever was a creator, and they're questionable about that, since

he finished creation, he's had his hands off it.

And the whole matter and all of the ups and downs and ebb and flow of human history

is churning along somehow helplessly and hopelessly in space.

And we, these poor peons, are caught up in the midst of this mechanism.

But no, no, says Jesus, to the disciples in Matthew 6.

Why would you be worrying about this and worrying about that and worrying about the next thing?

Leave the pagans, he says, to worry about all of that. You just keep your eyes on me, and I'll take care

of you, for there's not a sparrow falls to the ground, but I know it, and the very grass of the

field is clothed by my mighty power, and I'm going to look after you too.

So, in other words, it is a wonderful picture as well of the truth of Romans 828, that we know

that in all things, says Paul, God works for the good of those who love him and who have been

called according to his purpose. All of our days and our desires,

our hopes and our heartaches, our fears and our failures are being worked out as a child of God

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