DREAM ON
What is wrong with dreaming? Aren't dreams supposed to give you something to hope for? Something to look forward to! Joseph must have wondered to no end. He did not ask for the dreams. They came during his sleep. What was he to do? He chose to tell the family. Most were older, so they would have some insight. After all, everyone was supposed to be dreaming like him.
He hoped to compare notes, but instead, he got a reprimand. He must have believed that his dreams were kindergarten, so he dreamt some more. Surely there must be something that would impress his brothers. His motive was not to show off. They were covenant people, so why not flaunt it? It was in their genes to be great. They were possessors by nature. So, what is wrong with dreaming?
Joseph was soon to find out – not everyone was like him. They did not all have images of a preferable future. Most were content to live for the day. Keeping the status quo was dream enough. Their father was rich, and they had an inheritance, so why dream?
Joseph discovered:
* • Being preferred came with its downside.
* • Not everyone dreamed.
* • A man’s dreams could earn him some enemies.
* • Dreams could make one the butt of evil schemes.
* • The Family is preparation ground for our mission in life.
* • A man's enemies were those of his household.
* • Everyone may not be not on the same page. Do not expect them to understand.
* • Your dream can land you in trouble, big trouble.
The process may be complicated; the journey may be prolonged. The time may seem like forever; God has it all under control. No matter what happens, good would always triumph over evil. It is possible to prosper even in the difficult seasons of life. There is always a day of reward. There is always a day of reckoning.
Genesis 37 gives an account of Joseph from his father's house to the household of Potiphar. The rest of the chapters in Genesis tell us about the life journey of Joseph. Of what relevance is this story to us? We can either be Joseph's in our time or the brothers. One was a dreamer, and the other was just coasters. The dreamer kept moving on the inside and, as a result, had to move on the outside. In the dreamer's life, something is always happening. Progress is inevitable even during the challenging seasons.
Wherever Joseph found himself, he prospered, he was on top. The word concerning us is that we would be above only. It is only a matter of time before the dreamer realized his dream had come true. The coasters, on the other hand, were stagnant. They were ok running the family business. They needed to be prodded before they could move. Did Joseph's brothers need to be asked before they would go and look for food supplies in the time of famine? Weren't they grown men? Need their father have to tell them what to do?
On which side of the scale are you: Coaster or dreamer? It is your choice to make. Please note however, that God's provision for us is:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9, 10 NLT)
The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:13)
Where has your dreams brought you? Are you even dreaming?
