The Ripple of One Life, the Glory of One God

Scripture (Genesis 50:20, NIV):

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

Devotional:

I can't stop crying. I didn't know I would grieve so deeply for someone I never even met. But the more I sit with the Lord, the more He keeps showing me that this is about more than one life — it's about truth. Charlie's story reminds me that the enemy may think he's won, but God always has the final word.

Genesis 50:20 says it best: what the enemy meant for harm, God uses for good. That's the beauty of truth. It outlives lies. It outlasts hate. It carries on through generations. And that's why I send out daily verses — not because I have it all together, but because God's Word always overrules the flesh and God puts it in my heart and talks with me about it all.

Think about Joseph's life in Genesis: betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, wrongly accused, locked in prison. It all looked hopeless. But in the end, God flipped the story — Joseph became the very one who saved his family and a whole nation. What man meant for harm, God used as His platform.

That's what I see happening now. One life stolen too soon is shaking the world awake to truth. And maybe that's why the grief runs so deep — because it's not just about Charlie. It's about the reminder that truth always wins, and God always works in ways we could never imagine.

This is about God showing us that no matter how much anger or hate someone carries, revenge is NEVER the answer. An "eye for an eye" doesn't even fit here - Charlie never tried to harm anyone. At first I did say that I thought Charlie wasn't showing God's love sometimes, but I was looking at clips - not the whole picture. This shows how we need to see all before we speak on something. Charlie wasn't being cocky - he was trying to speak truth and getting ready to flip tables like Jesus did in the synagogue. I owe an apology for that being said on my part - as I still do not believe someone should ever be assassinated.

What happened wasn't justice; it was sin from the enemy. The enemy lied to that twenty-two year old and made him believe that he would be a hero to people, but see the thing he didn't know is... GOD ALWAYS WINS!! This is to remind us that vengeance has never been ours to take. That belongs to God alone. Our place is to love, to stand in truth, and to trust that He will always bring justice in His way and His time.

Questions to Consider:

1. Where in your life have you seen God turn something painful into something purposeful?

2. Do you truly believe that truth always wins, even when it doesn't look like it in the moment?

3. What story in your past could God use to encourage someone else right now?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for being bigger than the enemy's plans. Thank You for turning pain into purpose and grief into glory. Help me remember that my tears are not wasted - they are seeds You water with truth. Use my story, my voice, and my life to shine light where darkness tries to take over. Amen.