Written by Eric R
The distance between these two words ' dream and reality was thirteen years in the life of Joseph and the earthly life to eternal life for a few other champions of faith. (Ref: Gen 37:2, 41:46 / Heb 11:39)
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Great motivational speakers often use 'dream big' to inspire ambitious youngsters. This advice encourages one to daydream; in other words, it makes them live in a dream world of imagination and fantasy. No doubt, in the dream world, you are the king, queen, hero, world champion, legend, etc. In simple, dreaming big makes us greedy, leads to desperation, and eventually to frustration.
The dream of Joseph was the vision given by God. (Ref: Joel 2:28) Of course, God reveals His secret through dreams, but not all are a message from God. Joseph had the wisdom to discern. (Ref: Gen 41:39) We should have the gift of discerning the spirits to ascertain whether the message is from God or evil spirit or a result of our cluster of thoughts. (Ref: Ecclesiastes 5:3)
If God has given us a dream, He'll sustain it. I hope we can consider this as a call given by the Lord.
We can learn God's method of accomplishing His plan in our life if we study the life of Joseph.
God teaches, prepares, equips, and empowers us according to the nature and magnitude of His call. Let's analyze the events that God permitted in the life of Joseph in the larger perspective.
God informed Joseph that He would make him powerful and give him dominion and authority. Joseph needn't have revealed his dream to his family, but he did so; as a result, he had developed enemies around him. He learned to maintain secrets until the appointed time, a ruler's most important quality.
Joseph believed in his heart that God would make him a ruler one day, but look at the sequence of incidents that he had to go through in reality.
He went to see his brothers with good intentions, but they hated him and attacked him. A leader should know that not all understand and appreciate good intentions. A ruler cannot trust his aides and bodyguards too.
He was expecting an elevation, but he experienced a life-threatening pit in reality.
He was waiting to become a ruler, but he was sold as a slave.
He refused to sin against God and ran away from sin. He must have expected a favor and promotion from God and men in power, but he experienced prison because of false accusations.
In prison, he helped the cupbearer and the baker to see their dreams come true despite his dreams having never seen the light of the day. This attitude of Joseph moves our hearts. I feel God expects this one quality from a leader to whom He wants to trust and entrust great responsibility and authority.
Can we help others other than our children, pursue higher education, get a promotion, flourish in business, and gain the fame that was either long-pending or denied to us despite our righteousness and having required qualifications? Let's ponder this thought and pray to God to grant us this quality.
Bible says the ruler with such nature will be concerned about the society, and the subject will rejoice. (Ref: Proverbs 29:2)
God taught Joseph to do the right things and yet be patient. Joseph had learned from God through his experience what Paul wrote to Romans in chapter 5 and verses 2 to 5.
"2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
Shall we aspire to the qualities that God taught Joseph to have in our life? Let's decide to wait for God's appointed time and pray to God to have patience and peace of mind till then.
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May God bless you.
