I Chronicles 7:20-23 – “The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eladah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. The men of Gath who were born in that land killed them because they came down to take away their cattle. Then Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house.”
This Old Testament passage records the tragic murders of Ephraim’s sons. After mourning and being comforted, he and his wife give birth to another son and they name him Beriah, which means “misfortune.” However, God is able, through misfortune, to bring blessing to us. If you keep reading after verse 23 you will find several generations later, Joshua, the leader of Israel after Moses, the one whom the sixth book of the Bible is named after, is born. The name Joshua means, “Jehovah is salvation.”
Your “misfortune” could be the gateway to your “salvation.” Your Beriah may be the pathway to your Joshua. When you are in the middle of your loss, your tragedy, your “misfortune,” it’s hard to see the salvation and the deliverance. But rest in the fact that God can turn anything around. You may not know when He will do it or how He will do it, but be convinced HE WILL DO IT!
Can you recall a time when your misfortune turned into a blessing? Maybe you’re in the middle of it right now. Don’t lose faith and don’t lose hope. The rest of your story is yet to be written!