FROM TRAGEDY TO TESTIMONY

"And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;  And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it". Genesis  37:23 -24

Few days ago, I overheard someone narrating the plight of some of his friends who were recently laid off by their employer after serving the organisation for more than a decade. I understand many of the people affected by the downsizing exercise had threatened to do everything possible including seeking legal redress against their employer for their reinstatement. While the fellow was still speaking the Holy Spirit flashed these two stories into my mind: the Joseph's (Genesis 37) and the cotton farmers stories. Below is the cotton farmers story:

Several years ago, every farmer in a particular community cultivate cotton. But as the years rolled by, a serious pestilence infested the area in the form of a small beetle that punctured the boll of the plant. As a result, it became almost impossible to bring the plants' growth to maturity. Then, a young scientist who was deeply concerned about the situation began intensive research to see if there is any substitute crop that could be grown in that part of the country. He eventually discovered that planting peanuts would be a more profitable alternative as the crop can be planted and harvested with very little loss. Everyone in the community embraced the idea and few years thereafter, cotton plantation business was forgotten in that community and the community became an outstanding peanut centre of the world. Soon the farmers' profits far exceeded what they had earned from their best cotton yield. Eventually, they discovered that the destructive insect they had feared had actually triggered the research that brought them prosperity. The cotton farmers eventually succeeded in turning around what appears like a tragedy to a testimony.

At times, God often send some destructive beetle into our farms, lives, business, home just to remind us that our season of cotton plantation business is permanently over. That was exactly what God did to Joseph in Genesis 37:23. When the season of his cotton plantation business in his father's compound was over, God arranged for some wicked beetles to puncture the boll of his highly cherished coat of many colours. To everyone in Israel, that was a great tragedy but It was after those wicked beetles had invaded the life of Joseph and stripped him of his much desired coat of many colours that heaven gave him a royal garment (Genesis  41:42-43). Yes, our God is capable of turning what we felt was a tragedy to a blessing. Several years later, everyone understood that God deliberately sent those wicked beetles to push Joseph out of his most cherished cotton plantation business in order to position him for the fulfilment of his God ordained dream/destiny as the paramount ruler (Prime Minister) in a foreign country.

"And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt". Genesis  45:7-8 

Beloved, many people are still planning to continue their old cotton plantation business even when God had informed them that their days in the cotton plantation business is permanently over. Instead of responding positively to the beetle's invasion like Joseph, many people are crying, complaining, fighting, cursing and playing the blame game. They don't seem to understand that those "beetles" were sent by God to redirect their path towards discovering the "peanut" that will produce the award winning harvest that God had destined for them.

My prayer for everyone that is still struggling with their cotton plantation business even when it is obvious that their season of cotton farming has ended, is that God will release some destructive beetles into their farmland before this month is over. God will trigger an unusual event that will help them discover and cultivate the "peanut" that will bring about their much awaited testimonies and breakthroughs. And for anyone who has become a victim of satanic beetle invasion, before this week is over, the east wind will blow upon their farmland and every destructive beetles sent from the pit of hell to waste their harvest shall be destroyed in Jesus mighty name.

This morning, may I urge you to please join me to prayerfully confess and meditate on lyrics of the song below as we trust God to turn what appears like tragedy to testimony. The song which is titled "Turning Around For Me" was composed by VaShawn Mitchell.

TURNING AROUND FOR ME

Sometimes discouraged, but not defeated
Cast down, but not destroyed
There are times I don't understand,
But I believe it's turning around for me

I've had struggles and disappointments,
There are times I felt so alone
Some of my friends, they let me down
But I still believe it's turning around for me

Around for me around for me
Around for me it's turning around for me

Around for me around for me
Around for me it's turning around for me

I can see the breaking of day,
God is making a way
A change is coming for me
If I stand strong and believe
There's no reason to doubt,
I know He's working it out
It's turning around for me

And it won't always be like this
He will perfect that concern in me
And sooner or later, it'll turn in my favor
(Sooner or later, turn in my favor)

It's turning around for me
It's turning around for me

As the Lord God of Heavens lives,  there shall be a major turnaround for you even before this month is over in Jesus name. Amen. But you must surrender your life to Jesus if you sincerely desire this great transformation or turnaround.

Good morning. Trust you will have a great day and a blessed weekend.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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