Joseph in his youthful excitement shared his God-given dream that one day his parents and older brothers would bow before him in respect. The response from the older brothers was not of jubilation rather of jealousy and a plot was hatched to get rid of the dreamer so that the dream would meet a tragic end. Joseph first heard from God before he discovered his brothers’ plot to kill him. Did Joseph’s faith waver?
The treacherous scheme of the brothers was thwarted when one brother said, ‘let’s not kill him but sell him into slavery.’ God the giver of the dream would bring it to fruition. Joseph’s faith did not plummet despite his brothers’ betrayal.
Joseph’s dream was not for self-exaltation or dominion over his family. It was to save the life of his family and a large section of humanity that reeled under a severe famine.
God gives us the dream to fill us with hope for the future. Joseph’s dreams sustained him during extremely difficult circumstances. Our God-given dreams will sustain us too, no matter what the future holds. How can we stay devoted to God the giver of the dream and the ensuing challenges as in the case of Joseph? He never doubted God’s goodness even when forgotten in a prison cell.
In our journey of faith when the road is bumpy and the weather stormy, our intimate relationship with the God of holy love provides the needed anchor. The Bible teaches us to look unto Jesus and not heed to bad news that has become the order of the day. We reach our dreams by an active faith in a living God whose presence power and provision are freely given by His grace.
We must deal with thoughts that are contrary to what we know to be true about God and His plan for our life. Joseph knew that even if God didn’t answer the way he wanted, God was and is still good and on His throne. Our responsibility lies in living out our faith in Christ Jesus.