The Lord Will Scatter Judah and Joseph

Today I read Zechariah 10 where the Lord tells Israel that He will scatter Judah and Joseph among the nations of the earth to preserve them.  I'm sure that most of the Israelites of the day and their descendants, did not view being scattered among the nations of the earth as a preserving technique, but it most certainly was.  The other 10 tribes of Israel disappeared from history.  They have not been heard from again.  They are lost.  However, the tribe of Judah was never lost, they have been here since the fall of Jerusalem.  And the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, or the tribe of Joseph, were never lost either but rather were preserved for a special purpose in God.  I am sure that it did not feel like a tender mercy when God scattered them, but the alternative is not very pleasant to think about.  God always does things for a reason, even if we can't understand the reason.  The best thing to do is to trust in Him and believe in Him that it is for our benefit.  If we do that, we will never go astray.  Until tomorrow.