Living the Dream
What is your vision of Joseph? Do you see him as a young man full of typical teenage arrogance and pride relishing in the fact that he was his father’s favorite son? Do you visualize him as a dashing adult living in the best of Egypt enjoying great wealth and lofty positions? Do you feel sorry for him as he is sold by his brothers or sent to prison for being falsely accused of making advancements towards Potiphar’s wife?
Joseph’s life took many turns up and down. From the first moment Joseph let his brothers in on his dreams – they hated him and plotted to kill him. Yet God knew in His sovereignty how Joseph’s story would ultimately play out. From the high positions to being imprisoned to planning for the famine, Joseph was walking the plans God had laid before him. Even when Joseph’s life seemed to be spiraling out of control, God was still in control. He taught Joseph to trust Him by allowing him to face trials. God allowed Joseph to be tempted to teach obedience. And all the trials and struggles that Joseph faced helped to teach him to forgive his brothers.
When Joseph’s brothers were before him begging for food and help, Joseph remembered his dreams. Genesis 42:8-9 says:
“Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, ‘You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”
Genesis 37 tells us the details of Joseph’s dreams. They were dreams of his brothers and father bowing down before him. Dreams of Joseph placed in power and position.
The original Hebrew word for “recognized” is Zakar and The Old Testament Lexical Aids gives further insight, “to remember, recollect, reflect upon; to mention, declare, proclaim; to commemorate.” I believe at that moment, Joseph was able to reflect upon his life and those dreams he had as a teenager. He saw the reality of them at that moment. He was living his literal dreams in a foreign land, apart from his family. God, in his sovereign plan, used the brokenness Joseph had faced over the years as the key to the realization of those dreams.
I had a few dreams too as a child and young adult. Granted, they were not visions from God. However, they were dreams and aspirations that I hoped to achieve as an adult, wife, mother, friend and servant of God. God has broken me over and again many times and I’m certain in my continuing walk with him, he will break me again. His breaking me and molding me is key to living the dreams.
I am not a practicing psychologist like I had dreamed to be. Nor am I a Christian singer on a major tour with ten CDs to my name. But when I look around my home and see my children and the relationship with my husband and my decision to be obedient to God’s calling, I can see that I am living the dream. Not exactly the way I had planned, but exactly the way God had planned. When we are walking in God’s will, we are living the dream. Now, on the other hand, when we walk outside of God’s will, we are really walking in the wilderness. Living the dream has to do with obedience – Joseph was obedient and walked in God’s will. It may have at times seemed like he was living in the wilderness but Joseph was exactly where God wanted him to be.
You know what? God never forgot Joseph. He never forgot him in prison, he never forgot him in slavery and he didn’t forget the dreams that He gave Joseph as a young man. God has not forgotten me either. Joseph reminded his brothers in the close of Genesis 50:19;
But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
God walks us through trials to build our faith, to build our trust in Him and to define our obedience. In the midst of all our hurts, when we walk through them allowing God to break us and redefine us, we can learn to see how we are living the dreams He placed before us.
Heavenly and gracious father, Lord, we thank you for how you are molding us and breaking us to be the children You want us to be. We pray for continued wisdom and guidance as we walk through life living out the dreams you have placed before us.”
Amen, this was awesome dear.
Dana,
I am facinated by Joseph. Great post. Living the dream, when it is God’s dream, turns out to be better than anything we could ever think up.
Thank you for sharing form your heart. Loved it!
Amen. I’m just starting to get to the place where I can say, “Lord, Your will be done. I trust You with my heart’s desires.” He knows what He is doing.
Dana,
I was just reading last night in a book that if everything we do is for God’s glory and not ours, then He places new desires in our hearts that He will fulfill. When Jesus walked the earth, His only desire was to do the Father’s Will.
I need more breaking myself!
Dana, He has broken me many times, too, but I know that it is for my own good and the good for His kingdom. Sometimes I do not like to be sifted like wheat, but I know it is necessary.
It is so wonderful a post. when ups, the Lord tells us that it is for his glory. When downs, the Lord tells us that he accompany us and it is for showing his strength and to glory him.
Thank the Lord, he never forget me, even when I have little faith, he still care for me the same as before and as future.
“God walks us through trials to build our faith, to build our trust in Him and to define our obedience.”
This is SO true! Great post!