"Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee."

                            -Deuteronomy 23:5

Many times in my life, I have found myself in situations where it seemed that nothing good could ever come out of what I was going through. To my left was heartache, to my right was suffering. Behind me was pain, and before me was uncertainty. The sun showed no sign of ever rising again, and I felt as if a heart full of grief was the only thing I would benefit from the entire experience. 

I wonder if Joseph felt the same way when his brothers sold him to the Ishmeelites in Genesis 37? Or if Mary and Martha still had any hope left after Lazarus had been in the grave for four days? Though both or these situations seemed hopeless, God used Joseph to save the entire land of Egypt in time of famine, and he used the death of Lazarus to show forth His awesome power as well as give us one of the most encouraging stories in the Bible.

Just as Christ turned to water into wine (i.e. grape juice), the Lord can take a curse and turn it into a blessing, as it says in today's verse. God's greatness is not limited by our circumstance, and oftentimes our darkest nights simply give Him the opportunity to shine a little bit brighter.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

                            -Romans 8:28