What does this Christian adage mean What Satan meant for bad God uses for your good?

Answer 1

Adages are like Proverbs; they are mean to guide, renew, comfort, or edify in times of stress or adversity. One adage Christians use is: "What Satan meant for bad, God uses for the good." The adage means that even when something really bad happens, God can turn it around into something good. We can find an example or two from The Bible.

1. Genesis - The son of Jacob, Joseph, who was despised by his older brothers and they sold him into slavery in Egypt, never complained. He went through many trials and tribulations. After 20 long and miserable years, he was appointed by the King of Egypt to have control over the entire land of Egypt and to manage its resources. While being enslaved was horrible thing, ultimately turned out for the good.
2. Book of Job - Job was severely put upon and tested. He couldn't get a break. His friends laughed at him, criticized him, and abandoned him. After a very long, difficult time, Job still remained faithful. God returned to Job all that he had lost.

Modern example

1. Someone runs into a person's car. The person is severely injured. The plans both people had for their lives are changed. The person who caused the accident had been on drugs. He was sent to prison for 10 years. While incarcerated, the woman founded a Prison Ministry and never used drugs again. The man she injured became a paraplegic. He felt his life was over. After several years of rehab, he formed a Community Agency called "Wheels". His group helps over 500,000 new wheelchair bound persons a year.
2. A man was a veteran. He came back home with PTSD. His wife couldn't handle his nightmares. She took the kids, left, and divorced him. He started using drugs to numb his pain. Within 3 months, he was homeless. While on the streets, he was severely beaten. This caused epilepsy. He couldn't hold down a job. One day, a shop put a piano on the sidewalk. He sat down and started playing. A passerby recorded him and put the video on YouTube. Millions of people watched it. News stations showed the clip. A nightclub owner saw it and offered the man a job.