Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth.” And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”
The above verse is just one example in Scripture of this truth: God uses conflict between US to accomplish a plan for HIM!! Note the following three conflicts in God's Word that demonstrate this truth:
1 Kings 12:12-15 (This is the story of the split of the Kingdom after Solomon's death)
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
Acts 15:39-41 (This is the story of the split between Barnabas and Paul)
And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Judges 14:3-4
But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”
His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
God uses conflicts in our life to move us where He wants us to accomplish His will. We don't think of conflicts in that manner. But, our interpretation of our life in such a manner is imperative so that we can put a conflict in context and understand what God is doing with sin, to use it to His advantage. Note how Joseph did just that. Instead of allowing himself to be bitter toward his brothers, not how he framed the conflict he had with them after their father died. Despite the fact that they sold him into slavery and he now had power to inflict them harm, note his perspective ... this is God given grace:
Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
In the story of Jacob and his uncle Laban, we have not reached this level of faith. We don't know how old Jacob's son, Joseph was, when Laban chased Jacob down to retrieve the flocks and Laban's daughters. But, perhaps this moment was rehearsed in Joseph's ears and this story, mixed with his faith, allowed him to say what he said in Genesis 50:20. If we understand the truth that God is using the conflicts of this world to move us to and through His plans, we can better embrace those conflicts as a time to learn and time to glorify Him. Let's not get bitter at these conflicts; let's embrace them as an opportunity to be conformed to the image of Christ.
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