The
more often I read it, the more I fall in love with the Old Testament story of
Joseph. What a heart he had, to endure all he did without a single gripe or complaint.
And what triumph he had after remaining faithful to God even in the worst of
times. In Genesis 37, we see the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his
brothers. In my most recent reading, one verse stood out to me like never
before.
Joseph’s
brothers had grown upset by all of Joseph’s dreams, and behind his back, they
called him a dreamer. In their minds, it was a derogatory name, a slur. The
word “dreamer” there can also be translated as “master of dreams.” That struck
me as interesting. God gave Joseph dreams when he was but a teenager, and those
dreams didn’t come to fruition until many years later. Yet the very dreams that
caused Joseph’s brothers to grow weary of him and sell him into slavery were
the same ones that carried him through slavery, imprisonment, and ultimately a
promotion to the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. Dreams can be powerful
enough to give us direction and guide our lives.
As I
considered the words “master of dreams,” something resonated within me. I want
to be a master of dreams on par with Joseph. God has placed things within me—thoughts,
ideas, hopes. Some are in relation to goals I hope to accomplish in and through
my writing career. Others are story ideas that I one day hope to birth into
full-fledged novels. Most feel much bigger than me, far beyond my reach. But
just like Joseph, those dreams can act as guideposts as I progress through my
life, things to hold onto when moments grow dark and I fear I’m losing my way. And
so what if they are too big for me to achieve on my own? I’m never on my own.
God promises in His word that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will
accomplish the dreams He plants within me in His time, just as He did with
Joseph. And He will do so in a fashion that leaves no question that He
orchestrated the whole plan, from dream inception to completion. I will rely on
Jesus Christ to help me reach the “master of dreams” level in my writing and my
life.
What
dreams has God put in your heart? Are they easily attainable, or seemingly
insurmountable?
God has given me dreams and goals that only HE can perform through me. He allowed me the opportunity to see goals He and I established last February come to fruition throughout 2012 and he stopped me when I'd taken a wider path from the one He'd already set up for me. I learned, grew and hopefully will remember - His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. . .but HIS WAY IS PERFECT and the dreams and goals I have for 2013 are grounded in HIM.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder from Genesis, Jen. PERFECT TIMING, GIRLFRIEND