But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you.
– Deuteronomy 23:5
Oh, I love this verse. God reminded his people of a time in which he turned a curse. Or what was intended to curse them, into a blessing for them. “Because the Lord your God loved you,” What a picture of God’s love and his power to turn curses into blessings, to turn that which people intend for evil into good for us.
Deuteronomy 23:5 shows God’s power to bring good from hardship.
Oh, I think about reading this in the Psalms the other day, too. About people attacking the Psalmist and wanting to harm the Psalmist. And the Psalmist says, “I know you are fulfilling a good purpose for me,” even in that. So, I want to encourage you today.
Obviously, I don’t know all that’s going on in your life. But I want to encourage you. Especially if you’re going through a hard time. Maybe it is someone who has done something or is doing something hurtful towards you. Or maybe it’s just well… Any number of different kinds of trials you might be walking through. I want to encourage you with the biblical reality promise that God is not only able to take hard things, even evil things, the curse here, and turn them into good and blessing for you, but he promises. This is Romans 8:28. We cling to this that, in all things. Even the hardest things, even the things that are most hurtful. God is working together those things for the good. For your good, the good of all who love him and are called according to his purpose.
Don’t forget what his purpose is as you read in Romans 8:29–30. His purpose is to draw you closer to himself and conform you more into the image of Jesus, where life, where true life, is found. Which is where we see all these Scriptures all over the place about how God uses suffering in trials for our good, ultimately, for our maturing and completeness, and ultimately, one day, for perfection. Oh, be encouraged today. No matter how hard it gets, God is able to turn the heart into good. And he loves you and is committed to turning the heart into good.
Deuteronomy 23:5 reminds us that God’s plans are always for our good.
Oh God, we praise you for all the ways you have done this in the past that we read in your Word. Including here in Deuteronomy 23:5. We praise you ultimately for the cross of Christ. You have taken the most evil act in all of human history, the crucifixion of your one and only Son, and you’ve turned it into the greatest news in the world, eternal life for any and every sinner who trusts in you.
All glory be to your name for the way you’ve taken the curse of sin and turn it into the gift of salvation for us. We praise you and we say today, we trust you. We trust that you have good plans for us, even in the heart, that you’re accomplishing good purposes in us, so help us, God, I pray, especially for people who are walking through challenges. You would help them to hold fast to you and to trust in your good plans and purposes for them.
I pray that you would draw them into deeper intimacy with you, closer to you and the life that is found in you that far outweighs, supersedes anything and everything this world has to offer us. Oh God, we praise you for this promise in our lives. We pray you help us to spread this promise in the world, the good news of the God who turns curses into blessings, who takes that which others intend for evil and turns it for good ultimately in Jesus.
Prayer for the Sunri People
Oh God, we pray for the Sunri people, this Hindu people group in India and other countries around India, for 1.2 million of them who don’t know your love in Jesus, your good plans and purposes for their salvation. Jesus God, we pray that you would cause the gospel to spread to them. Help us, help believers in India, around India, and other places, to go and spread the gospel to the Sunri people, that they might be saved, that they might experience your blessing for all of eternity. God, we pray this according to your Word in Deuteronomy 23:5. In Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
