Church Family,
We all have dreams, whether dreams when we are asleep or dreams and hopes for our lives. This week, we are introduced to someone who was quite the dreamer.
This week, we learn about Joseph. Talk about dreams! He had some big ones. At 17, he dreamed his 10 older brothers would bow down to him. It’s enough he dreamed that dream. This might have been one of those times to keep a dream to yourself, but he shared it with his brothers.
The older brothers already had issues with the younger son. Their father favored Joseph. He had even given him a valuable, multi-colored coat. That’s the modern-day equivalent of a parent of four teenagers giving one an iPhone and the other three a stack of quarters each for a pay phone (assuming they could find one on their travels). The brothers banded together and tossed the dreamer in a ditch, eventually selling him into slavery at the first opportunity. The next thing Joseph knew, he was waking up in Egypt.
From there, his life was a rollercoaster thrill ride. One minute a slave. The next, in charge of an Egyptian official’s house. The next, in prison. The next, in charge of the prison. Then he found himself in front of Pharaoh, called upon to interpret the leader’s dreams. With God’s help, he was able to warn Pharaoh that he would have seven years of abundant crops, which that he should be put in storehouses in anticipation of seven years of famine. Recognizing his wisdom, Pharaoh put Joseph second in command of all of Egypt.
And because of God’s personal involvement in his life, he was able to save his family. The same family that God was building into a nation. Joseph was in a position to bring his family to Egypt and give them the most fertile land to work. And it was definitely fertile. In the time they were there, they were “fruitful and increased greatly” (Exodus 1:7).
Joseph could have lost his life getting caught up in the details of his life, chasing his own dreams and desires. Instead, he chose a better story. God’s story.
We can do the same. If your life’s dream has stalled, look to God. If your dream now realized is not all you thought it would be, look to God. He can give you another dream. A better one, not according to the world’s standard but God’s criterion. Just like Joseph’s. Then you’ll have a story to tell.
I hope to see you all in worship this week. Who are you bringing with you?
Pastor Hayley