I was watching Lord of the Rings, the two towers for the umpteenth time and something caught my attention. Actually I'm still watching, just paused it to write this. So something caught my attention. When Gandalf was leading the fellowship, going through the mines of Moria was a reluctant decision, one he placed in the hands of Frodo who didn't know better. Their path had been orchestrated by Saruman who made sure they will all be destroyed in the mines. But something unexpected happened.
Gandalf fell into deep darkness and was forced to engage the Balrog. A foe of which he had not been tested yet. And this what made it click for me. Saruman purposed to stop the fellowship, even his long time friend Gandalf by leading him into the mines, making their lives more difficult, among other things but what happened was that they triumphed and became stronger by facing those challenges. It was meant to destroy them but something better happened. It strengthened them, it made them stronger. Gandalf the grey became Gandalf the white, or what Saruman should have been, as he says.
Automatically I remember Joseph, the annoying dreamer who though he was last wanted to be first. And his brothers sought to kill him and opted to sell him instead. They tried to destroy him and his dreams but what happened? Joseph became stronger and more powerful. More than even he ever dreamt was possible.
You can see the same theme over and over again. In the life of David, of Abraham, even of Jesus. The devil sought to end him but that just made him more powerful. He broke the power sin and death has over those who will believe in him.
You can look at this anyway you like but I see courage, I see hope. It ends well, when God is on your side.
-ONWARD!