PAVED WITH GOLD
- UnstoppableRevKev
- Sep 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 18
📖Scripture: “As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20
🔎Reflection: Joseph’s story (Genesis 37-50) illustrates God’s sovereignty: betrayal, slavery, and prison became the path to preservation and blessing. The Apostle Peter applies the same principle—rejoice in sharing Christ’s sufferings so that you may be overjoyed at His glory revealed (1 Pet 4:13). Satan's game plan is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), but our sovereign Lord overrules his schemes for the sanctification of His elect (Rom 8:28-30) in the glory of the Church.
This rebukes the prosperity gospel of selfish gain, comfort, and security. God does not pamper His saints with a vending machine “wish-dispensing” religion; He refines us into holy priests who persevere together (Rev 1:5-6). In the local church, we experience the fellowship of Christ in sufferings (Phil 1:29; 3:10) by bearing one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2) and practicing costly forgiveness, just like Joseph (Matt 18:21-35).
It’s not only true that what Satan intends for evil, God intends for good; it’s also true that what God intends for good, Satan perverts for evil. Intimacy between two people is perverted from God’s ordained plan and design for one man and one woman into polygamy, homosexuality, and all kinds of other hedonistic abominations.
Another form of perversion is that of people posing as servants of righteousness, just as their father, the devil, masquerades as an angel of light. They pretend to be servants, pastors, elders, and ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead, they are liars and hypocrites who have given themselves over to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons. It’s always exposed in their view of God’s WORD and their ultimate rejection of it. In doing so they reveal themselves as those who follow the Serpent rather than the Serpent Crusher.
Romans 7:12–13 — God’s law is holy and good, yet sin “produced death in me through what is good.”
Matthew 4:6 (cf. Ps 91) — The devil quotes Scripture to tempt Jesus—good Word, twisted to evil ends.
2 Corinthians 11:3–4, 13–15 — As the serpent deceived Eve, false apostles preach a different Jesus/gospel; Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Jude 4 — They “turn the grace of our God into licentiousness.” Grace (good) perverted into license.
1 Timothy 4:1–5 — “Teachings of demons” forbid marriage and foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving.
2 Peter 3:16 — The ignorant and unstable twist the Scriptures “to their own destruction.”
Genesis 3:1–6 — God’s good command (and a tree “good for food,” 2:9) is distorted by the serpent, leading to death.
Romans 1:25 (24–27) — They exchange the truth of God for a lie and misuse created gifts (esp. sexuality).
1 Corinthians 7:5 — Neglect of marital intimacy gives Satan an opportunity to tempt—perverting the good gift of marriage.
2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 — With Satan’s power, the lawless one uses “signs and wonders” (a good category) as lying deception.
Like the forbidden fruit of Eden's garden, choices that seem appealing, desirable, and good in the moment are often rooted in selfish, fleshy desires. Wonderful things like family, community, education... even kindness, mercy, and justice... they all become perverted and corrupt when detached from Christ Jesus. Those streets, paths, and ways, seemingly paved with gold, are, in fact, the wide path King Jesus said leading to destruction.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” - Jesus
🤺Action: Identify a hardship or injustice you’ve faced. Bring it under The Joseph Principle: confess your trust that what the enemy intends for evil (to lead you astray down the wrong path), God intends it for your good and for the good of Christ’s Body & Bride. As the Holy Spirit leads, offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged you, not for their benefit, but to glorify Christ Jesus. Holding onto bitterness doesn’t hurt anyone but you; it’s like drinking poison and expecting it to affect the other person.
Ask the LORD to test and examine your life, relationships, hobbies, passions, allegiances, interests, and priorities. Are they seemingly “good” things, which the enemy has perverted for evil by detaching them from a relationship with and thanksgiving to Christ Jesus? Give them over to the LORD and allow Him to take that which the enemy intended for evil and redeem it for the glory of God according to the objective truth of His WORD.
🙏Prayer: Heavenly Father, I adore You for overruling Satan’s lies and malice. Please give me the courage, fortitude, and grace to continue walking with Christ all my days. Help me to forgive those who’ve sinned against me, just as You have forgiven me in Christ for my sins against You. Thank You for Christ’s cross, where the worst evil produced the greatest good. Holy Spirit, please empower me to serve according to the Father’s will in spirit and in truth. Amen.
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Blessings & love,
Kevin M. Kelley
Pastor
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