God spoke to Joseph through dreams, and Joseph believed God and saw the Lord’s promises come through for him.
Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. Genesis 37:5-11
Joseph had two dreams about his future that showed him in a high leadership role. He excitedly shared the dreams with his brothers and his father. The problem was that none of them received the dreams well. His father was offended and his brothers were jealous of him.
The truth is that God’s promises are not always received or understood by those around us. It takes wisdom to know who to share them with and who is going to support God’s purpose in your life. In Joseph’s case, it worked against him. His brothers’ jealousy led them to throw him into a pit and eventually sell him to Ishmaelites.
God’s promises can be exciting at first, but when one has to wait for years for their fruition, it is tempting to get discouraged and stop believing that the promise is for you. The good news is that Joseph did not get discouraged or disillusioned in his waiting season while a slave in Egypt. He continued to believe God, be his best, and serve God as he served those in authority over him. It was the Lord that spared his life, gave him favor, and then promoted him to the second in command in Egypt.
Have you had dreams that still have not come to fruition? Have you been discouraged or disillusioned? Do you continue to give your best in the season of waiting or have you given up on those dreams that the Lord gave you?
It’s important to remind ourselves that our significance is linked to our relationship to Him; We believe God because of His character. His promises are an extension of His character but we don’t chase them. God knows how to bless His children, and we don’t have to look over His shoulder to ensure He stays on task with blessing us.
Contributed by Sue Bentley