Scripture:

“One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he said. ‘We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!’

 

His brothers responded, ‘So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?’ And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.

 

Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. ‘Listen, I have had another dream,’ he said. ‘The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!’

 

This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. ‘What kind of dream is that?’ he asked. ‘Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?’ But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.” Genesis 37: 5-11 (NLT)

 

Perspective:

 

Joseph’s father, Jacob, played favorites, and Joseph happened to be the favorite son. As one could imagine, this placed a strain on the family relationships. Jacob had previously given Joseph a beautiful coat that made his brothers even more jealous. On top of all of this, Joseph had two dreams that indicated one day his family would be subject to him. Instead of using wisdom and pondering this possible reality in his heart, Joseph decided to share the information with everyone. The family tension began to escalate as a result. At the time, Joseph probably felt excited about the prospect of his dream being fulfilled. Who wouldn’t want that type of authority? But what God gave him as a promise through a dream took years to come to fruition. Little did Joseph know that he would be thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, be given authority only to be falsely accused, and thrown into prison for years. Even in the midst of sitting in a prison, he probably wondered how it would work out. Had God forgotten him? Were the dreams even real? From that point, he would be forgotten by someone he helped only to be remembered when Pharaoh needed a dream to be interpreted. As he was looking at the dream God had given him, he had no idea the path he would travel. Yet, God gave Joseph a promise in that dream. Though it did not happen as he would have expected, God was aligning the right people at the right time to be able to facilitate the saving of many lives. Joseph had to steward the dream, even though all physical indicators showed that it would not come true. Joseph would have to walk a challenging path, but God would do something significant in Joseph’s heart along the journey. And when he did have the authority and opportunity to help his family, he would have the right heart and mindset to do so.   

 

 

At different times in our lives, we too can receive a promise from the Lord.  We have to be good stewards of the promises God has placed in our hearts. We need the wisdom and discernment to know when to speak and when to remain silent. How we speak about the dreams God has placed inside our hearts will impact those around us. Maybe at some point, God gave you direction regarding your future. Initially, it seemed exciting, but as the months and years wear on, it might seem impossible. We tend to face difficulties that we weren’t expecting; the road is longer and less straight than we had hoped. It can be discouraging, and we might wonder if God has forgotten about us. As Joseph’s life attests, God was working in seemingly impossible circumstances to strategically align Joseph at the right place. He is doing this in your life, as well. Joseph had been given a vague glimpse into what God was going to do in his future. He would need to trust God to be faithful even when it seemed  impossible. What Joseph thought was a dream that elevated himself to power actually turned into an opportunity to save and bless many people. Sometimes we get a glimpse into what God is doing in our lives, but we have to remember that the impact of our God-given dreams are further reaching than just ourselves. Instead of having a short-term perspective of what God has placed in our hearts, let’s dream and pray with a long-term perspective. Don’t just look at the circumstances you can see today. God is more than able to fulfill His word in your life for His glory and your good as you trust Him to do what you could never do on your own. 

 

 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

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