Have you ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle and wondered how all those weird-shaped pieces could possibly fit together to make a beautiful picture? Sometimes life feels like that too—we go through experiences that don’t seem to make sense or fit together, but God is putting together a beautiful picture with all the pieces of our lives.

Joseph sure must have felt that way too! Being sold as a slave, working in Potiphar’s house, being thrown in prison—none of these things seemed like they would lead to anything good. But God was using every single experience to prepare Joseph to become the prime minister of Egypt and save thousands of people from starving.

Even Joseph’s brother Judah had experiences that seemed terrible at first. Judah was the one who suggested selling Joseph as a slave! But years later, Judah’s heart had changed so much that he was willing to become a slave himself to protect his youngest brother Benjamin. God used even Judah’s mistakes to change his heart and help unite the family.

Take Action: Think about some experiences in your life that seemed bad or confusing at the time. Maybe your family moved and you had to leave your friends. Maybe you didn’t make a team you tried out for. Maybe you had to deal with a difficult situation at school. Ask God to help you see how He might be using those experiences to prepare you for something good in the future. Remember, God wastes nothing—He can use every experience to make you more like Jesus!