A Goody From Woody

One of my favorite verses in all the Bible is Genesis 50:20. Joseph tells his brother, who had sold him into Egyptian slavery, “You meant this for evil, God meant it for good, for the saving of many souls.

“Good coming out of bad.”

That thought, “good coming out of bad,” was the message of the first Christmas.

Since the introduction of sin into the human race in Genesis 3, with Adam and Eve humanity has been in a “bad” straight. The first people on earth had sinned—and they needed to be rescued. God did just that.

He sent His Son on a mission of mercy to earth. He is the transcendent “Good.” He lived, died and rose from the dead, and now offers the ultimate “good” to any who will choose Him and His salvation—from “bad” to “good.”

I was reminded of another good that came from bad in the life of the great poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He had a son wounded in the civil war, lost his first wife Mary after only four years of marriage.

Twelve years after Mary’s death he married Frances (Fanny) Appleton. They had six children, including the son wounded in the civil war.

In 1861 Fanny was in the family library and caught fire from a match that dropped onto her dress. She died the next day.

From this bad and sad incident came the normal and expected grief.

But on December 25, 1864 Longfellow brought the “good” out of the “bad.” He wrote the world-famous poem, “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.”

I’ll print the poem, but please read the fourth stanza. This is great theology. This truth is for today. This is for you and me.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play.
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of Peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how as the day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of Peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair, I bowed my head:
'There is no peace on earth,' I said,
'For hate is strong and mocks the song,
Of Peace on earth, good will to men.'
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep;
'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With Peace on earth, good will to men.’

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Let God bring “good” out of your “bad.” He is in the business of Change.