But God Meant It for Good
October 11, 2026
After Jacob dies, Joseph’s brothers fear that his forgiveness was only temporary and that revenge has merely been postponed. But Joseph refuses to perpetuate his family’s destructive patterns. In the conclusion of But God, we will discover that God’s providence enables us to tell the truth about the past without being defined by it, to break destructive cycles in the present, and to trust God with the future we may not live to see. The cross ultimately assures us that evil is real, but it will never have the final word.
Passage
Genesis 50:15-26
Principle
God’s providence is ##greater## than your ##pain##, ##longer## than your ##lifetime## and always moving His ##promises## forward.
Practice
Trust God with your ##past##, your need for ##justice##, and your ##unfinished## ##future##.
Small Group Questions
Use this outline for personal reflection, as a couple or family, or with a small group.
HANGOUT
Have you ever finished something someone else started — or started something that someone else eventually completed? What was the experience like?
Genesis ends with Joseph’s family reunited, but God’s promises remain unfinished. Joseph dies in Egypt without seeing the exodus or the Promised Land, yet he remains confident that God will continue working after his death. In this final discussion from But God, we will consider how faith enables us to live faithfully now while entrusting unfinished stories to God.
HEAR
Read Genesis 50:22-26 & Hebrews 11:21-22
- Which parts of Joseph’s story were fulfilled by the end of his life? Which of God’s promises remained unfulfilled at the time of Joseph’s death?
- Why do you think Joseph gave instructions about his bones?
- What does Hebrews identify as the defining expression of Joseph’s faith?
- What is the difference between believing that God has been faithful and believing that God will remain faithful?
- How can the pressure to see everything completed in our lifetime affect the way we live?
Read Exodus 13:17-19
- How much time elapsed between Joseph’s death and Israel’s departure from Egypt?
- What does Moses’ decision to carry Joseph’s bones reveal about the enduring influence of Joseph’s faith?
- How did Joseph’s act of faith give a later generation something to remember and carry forward?
- What beliefs, practices, or examples of faith have you inherited from earlier generations?
- What are you doing now that could help someone remain faithful after you are gone?
- Why is faithfulness more important than receiving personal recognition for the final outcome?
Read Joshua 24:29-32
- What three burials are recorded at the end of Joshua? Why is the burial of Joseph’s bones in Canaan an important moment in the biblical story?
- What does this passage teach us about the relationship between God’s promises and His timing?
- How does Joseph’s journey — from Canaan to Egypt and eventually back to Canaan — illustrate God’s providence?
- Where are you tempted to see delay as evidence that God has forgotten?
- How does the death and resurrection of Jesus assure us that suffering, evil, and death will not have the last word?
HUDDLE
What unfinished story, unfulfilled hope, or uncertain future do you need to entrust to God? Identify one faithful step you can take without knowing how or when the story will be completed.
As this series concludes, share one truth from Joseph’s story that you want to carry with you. Pray for one another, asking God to help you live faithfully now and trust Him with everything you may not live to see completed.
Daily Reading
As you finish reading about the life of Joseph, invite the Holy Spirit to give you faith in God’s faithfulness.
- Day 1: Genesis 47:27-31
- Day 2: Genesis 48
- Day 3: Genesis 49
- Day 4: Genesis 50
- Day 5: Exodus 13:17-19
- Day 6: Joshua 24:29-32
- Day 7: Hebrews 11:21-22
Think Deeper
- Are you letting your life be defined by the worst thing that happened to you?
- Is there someone you are harboring resentment toward? Why?
- Are you content to accept the fact that you will die with an “unfinished symphony”?
Suggested Reading
God Meant It for Good, by R.T. Kendall
Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors, by Voddie Baucham Jr.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero
Check out these and other books from our suggested reading list at https://bit.ly/AspireSMB.