Don't Give Up On Your DreamsSample

Even when we have good reason to believe that a certain dream or vision is from God, we often encounter obstacles along the way. Sometimes the obstacles that hinder us from moving forward in the desired direction are outward circumstances – lack of support, lack of finances, lack of opportunities, etc. At other times it is we who are blocking the way, such as when character weaknesses or unresolved issues from the past are holding us back. 

The good news is that we are not alone in this struggle. Throughout the Bible, we find a wide range of characters who sensed that God was calling them to a particular task but who then had to persevere, often for many years, until they finally experienced a breakthrough. One of these characters in Scripture that can teach us about perseverance and resilience is Joseph. As our text in Genesis tells us, Joseph had a dream. 

Considering that Joseph was just seventeen years old (Genesis 37:2), it was a rather unusual dream. He told his dream to his brothers as follows: “Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf rose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf” (Genesis 37:7, ESV). 

Needless to say, his brothers did not share Joseph’s excitement about his dream – quite the contrary. Family dynamics had already been difficult (Genesis 37:2-4), but at this point, matters became even worse because now his brothers “hated him even more for his dreams and for his words” (Genesis 37:8c). 

As this passage demonstrates, Joseph did not have a great start. The circumstances of his childhood and youth were not ideal. In addition, being a teenager, it is quite possible that Joseph displayed a fair bit of immaturity in the way he told his family about his dreams. Nonetheless, God had great plans for Joseph, and, ultimately, everything he had dreamt about would come to pass. 

•  Reflection: What was your childhood like? How do you feel about the dynamics in your family, and how are these dynamics impacting your relationship with God today?

•  Prayer: Ask God to give you a vision for your life or to remind you of a dream that you once had that God may still want to use.