The Dream

Joseph was a dreamer.

He had odd dreams . . .,

dreams that he would lead those who led him.

And, to make matters really awkward, he shared those dreams.  Perhaps in innocence, or maybe ignorance, 

neveretheless, it made a bad situation worse.  

His brothers were already jealous of Joseph's relationship with his dad, and now Joseph's having dreams that his brothers will 

bow down to - h-i-m? 

Really.

Not only was that offensive, it was downright disrespectful!

So, they did what non-dreamers do, get rid of the dreamer.  

Who wants to hear that nonsense day in and day out anyway? 

Joseph knew God had something big for his life.

What he didn't know was the trek needed to see it come true.

When God gave him the dream, he saw just a glimpse of an idea. Faith, perseverance, courage, forgiveness, maturity and hard work would be keys to unravel the whole picture.

Just like Joseph, many of us had childhood dreams.  Some of us with vivid imaginations could actually see the details in our mind's eye.  Like his, our hope was simple and our expectations were innocent.  We  tasted and envisioned tomorrow as if it were as real as today.  

As we become older, time isn't as friendly as it used to be.  We wonder, what happened to those dreams?  What we once believed with certainty no longer matches our reality.

As a child, Joseph dreamt he was leading others.
Then, why was he thrown inside a pit, left to die,
by his own brothers, no less?
Then, why was he sold to slavery?
Then, why was he falsely accused of a crime he did not commit?
Then, why was he in jail, in a foreign land, alone?
Hello?

His reality was far from the hues of his childhood imaginations.
Had God let him down?
Had God abandoned him when He needed Him the most?
Why would God allow this?

At some point we must resolve to either accept our dream's prescription, or settle that it was just a wish.

Lessons I've Learned from Joseph's Story
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1. Trust God, for real.
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I admire Joseph's attitude throughout his experiences.
He could have plotted revenge against his brothers.
He could have blamed God for not intervening.
His pain could have brewed and cooked inside his soul to the point where he could have manifested in anger
and let everyone know, they did him wrong.

He could have wallowed in pity and depression,
thinking,
 "Everyone is always hurting me",
"Everyone accuses me of things I didn't do",
"Why do bad things always happen to me?"

He certainly had reasons to justify these reactions.

Interestingly, there is no evidence to show he reacted in any of these ways. As a matter of fact, in jail, he ministered,
counseled and helped others.
In his grief, he gave.
In his heartache, he helped.
In his misery, he was moved with compassion.

Joseph's relationship with God was real.
He lived what he believed.

It was his faith in the end that held him securely throughout his ordeal.  He had no reason to doubt God.  Even in his darkest moments, He knew God had not abandoned him.
In the end he told his brothers,
"It was not you who sent me here, but God."

This is a jaw-dropping, eye brow twisting,
uh, wait a second response. What?

Joseph trusted the sovereignty and goodness of God.
The dream was much bigger than he had envisioned so many years before. Not only would it make use of his talents and giftings, but it would save lives, including his own family.

Joseph did not allow his circumstances to intoxicate his attitude.
He did not allow his suffering to interfere with his faith.
He also did not allow his memories to keep him from
moving forward.

Had he, we'd be telling a completely different story.

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2. God is first concerned with the development of my
character and my relationship with Him.
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I used to read Psalm 37:4 like this:  

"Delight YOURSELF in the Lord,
and He shall give YOU the DESIRES OF YOUR HEART."

Now, I read it this way:

"DELIGHT yourself IN THE LORD,
and HE shall GIVE you the desires of your heart"

He has always held the blueprints of my life to bring about what is in my best interest.  This is why there have been times His answer has been "no" when I was hoping for a "yes" or he's closed a door when I was waiting for it to open.

If I delight in Him, He's not going to give me everything I want,
rather everything He's purposed for me.

Psalm 103:6
"The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed."

God was in the pit with Joseph.
The pit was sculpted into a beautiful dream which included redemption, forgiveness and salvation. 
Without the pit, Joseph would have stayed in Canaan,
the pit positioned him in Egypt.
And, the rest is history.  

Sometimes the journey will take us through some tough times.
Like Joseph, if we could hold on to what we know about God,
His love, His sovereignty and His goodness,
then the suffering will not be in vain,
God will use it to bring about the dream.

Now, my prayer is, "Father, give me the desires of Your heart.

Help me to release my ideas to you.  Ignite a passion in me for Your desires, so that both my successes and pit experiences,
may bring about Your dream for my life.

Romans 8:28
"And we know that all things work for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose."

Joseph's Story 

Thank you for visiting with me.
My prayer today is that God would strengthen our resolve to remain in Him as we move through the process of attaining our God given dreams.  May we not lose heart or grow weary,
but continue to move forward, for and in His name's sake.

I'm linking this post with Holly Gerth:  Coffee For Your Heart