Curse or Blessing?

Everything in God's kingdom is topsy-turvy.  He says  that the first will be last. To be great, you must be the least. You must die to live. Jesus the master acting as servant.  Sinless, perfect  God dying instead of sinful, imperfect people.  The absolute antithesis of common sense. Yet it makes sense to God. And when you follow His way of thinking and doing for a while, it begins to make sense to you too. Perhaps not immediately but you start to get the hang of it as you go along.

In Deuteronomy 23:5, we have this affirmation : “But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam.  He turned the intended curse into a blessing because the Lord your God loves you”. It refers back to the story of Balaam who was sent out to curse the Israelites but ended up blessing them instead. Joseph said a similar thing to his brothers in Genesis 50:20  “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good”. Or take the story of Job who had everything taken from him, though his life (such as it was) was spared  and through the process was blessed to see, know and understand His Redeemer in vibrant colour.  It seems to us so nonsensical, sometimes diabolical but in actual fact, it is often God's way. Have you not experienced this in your life in tough times?  Perhaps initially you cried out saying “Why me?” or “It isn't fair!” But somewhere down the road in the trial, you began to view things from a different angle using a different lens.  Perhaps what came in wearing the clothes of hardship was in reality a display of God's great love.  The assumed curse turned out to be an unmerited blessing in disguise.  It's happened to me - the topsy-turviness of God working out His kingdom in me.  A baby almost dying.  The loss of parents-in-law.  Depression of loved ones.  A broken neck.  A grandbaby with life threatening issues.  Each could appear to be such a mistake.  Unnecessary.  Curses.  But God has walked me through these and other situations and in the process I don't see curse.  I see blessing.  I see Him.  The Lord my God who loves me.