Text: Genesis 50:15-21
“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.” —Genesis 50:20 BSB
In a return to Daytona International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 2001 Pepsi 400 at the same racetrack where he had just lost his father a few months prior on the final lap of the Daytona 500. It was an electrifying win and a cathartic moment for many—one I personally got to see live as my family was in the grandstands that night, including my wife who was 8-months pregnant with our first child. What we didn’t see from the grandstands is what had happened one week before that epic win by Earnhardt, Jr.
As “Junior” was pulling into Daytona for the first time since losing his dad, the first thing he wanted to do was visit Turn 4 on the track, where “Senior” had that fatal collision with the wall. He wasn’t sure what he would feel when he got there. But as he returned to the accident spot, he remembered how much his father loved Daytona, and how he cherished winning races there. It was in that epiphanic moment Junior determined he would not remain bitter or angry with the racetrack. In a sense, he had made peace with the track, the tragedy, and the past. As he shared that account, it seemed as if he was giving himself permission to heal… and permission to start winning races again.
In Genesis 50, Joseph also had to make peace with the past. His father had just passed away, and with his brothers fearing vindication, Joseph had a “Turn 4” moment.
Instead of being bitter about the hurtful past, he gave it to God. This wasn’t easy. His jealous brothers had caused the most pain in his life. They wanted to kill him but instead sold him into slavery. He ended up in Egypt where he was later imprisoned on false charges and forgotten about for years. But God had never left Joseph. A divine appointment brought him out of the prison cell and promoted him to second in command over all of Egypt.
Joseph’s calling led him to become the wise leader who saved countless lives during a severe famine throughout the land. But he wouldn’t have gotten to that point without first making peace with his past. Now with the power, authority, and opportunity to pay his brothers back, he chose a different perspective:
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. (Genesis 50:20 BSB)
Joseph had become the man of God he was made to be. This “Turn 4” moment for him was a culmination of giving those hurts to God over and over again throughout the years and consistently trusting in God’s redemptive purposes through the pain.
We all have “Turn 4” wounds in our lives. Our losses, regrets, struggles, betrayals, brokenness, and failures don’t have to end in bitterness, resentment, or anger. There is mercy for the memories, grace for the grief, and healing for the hurts. We can make peace with the past. We can rise again. We can win again. How about you? What Turn 4 experience in your life might you need to revisit to find healing and restoration, or even to give yourself permission to live again? Think about that as you seek to abide in Jesus.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, You are so good to me. Thank You for offering grace, mercy, and healing in those Turn 4 areas of life. Help me to continually make peace with the regrets, the hurts, and the losses in life. Help me to see your redemption in making all things new. I can do this holistically through the resurrection power of Jesus at work in my life. Thank You for that victory. Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:
- Have you ever seen a situation where something painful or unfair turned out for good?
- How does Genesis 50:20 challenge or encourage your view of suffering, hurt, or injustice in your life?
- What does this passage teach us about God’s role in our story—even when others intend to harm us or just the stuff of life brings pain?
- How can that truth impact how you face current challenges?
- What is a “Turn 4” thing in your life that you can revisit and give to God this week?
