Behold The Dreamer

We all have dreams and aspirations. When we know God gives us a dream we don't know what road it will take us down. Joseph experienced this dilemma. When he had his dream it made his brothers jealous. At the time he didn't even know how it would happen. But sharing his dream set off a chain of events that wasn't pleasant but necessary for his dream to become reality. When God gives you a dream He knows what he has placed in you to fulfill it. At this stage since it is in raw undeveloped form others can't see it and suggest for you to do things that they think you are good at. Do not fall for this. Even though standing for your dream may get you thrown into a pit it's important that you don't let it go. Don't get discouraged when people ask you to articulate it and they don't understand. It's not for them to understand, yet. The pit is an unpleasant place of uncertainty. Joseph's brothers wanted to murder him but one stood up hoping to return him to his father. Finally the others just sold him into slavery. Joseph eventually was sold to Potiphar. He found favor and prospered and was put in charge. But this was not the dream or the promise. He was still a slave. We having survived the pit might want to get comfortable here because even though we are in a strange land thing are good and pleasant. But before we get too comfortable God will send Potiphar's wife. Our world get turned around because we are not yet where we need to be. We have a choice like Joseph to be faithful to God and the dream He has given us or compromise and sin to maintain our comfort and keep what we have. Many of us sell out the dream for power, prestige and position. We lose sight of who we serve and serve other things for self promotion. We literally sell out to things that are well below what god has planned for us because we get comfortable somewhere. For those who press the next stop is prison even though we are completely innocent. In prison Joseph even had favor and was in authority. His gift for interpreting dreams was working for others but it seemed He was doomed to rot in jail. This is where the temptation to just give up comes into play. It seems to everyone in the world you made the wrong choice. Potiphar has condemned you and it seems nobody can help you. You fell abandoned and deserted. This is a time of humbling to realize that God is in control and not ourselves. It's a hard but necessary step in the process. This is where we learn, humility, compassion and forgiveness. When we are here we are on the brink of blessing and fulfilling what god has purposed us for. Finally God causes something to happen that we are remembered. We prepare ourselves to meet the King. Finally the gift God placed in us is revealed and we are put where God wants us to be to fulfill His purpose and plan. The last step was the dream being fulfilled and everything being restored to it's place. Joseph saved his family going through the entire ordeal and wasn't teased about his dream anymore. He wasn't vengeful but grateful that regardless the circumstances that he had to endure. There was a plan that God had set in motion that was beyond what he and his brothers had even imagined. Be encouraged that your present suffering will not be able to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in you through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let's Just Be Honest

Jesus said His words are spirit. We know words have the power to create and destroy. Even if you don't hear the words from a person when you finally do hear them they still have the effect of a Mike Tyson punch in your gut. That feeling is rejection. I grew up feeling that way. Joseph felt that way from his brothers words and eventually their actions were a culmination of what was in their hearts. Yes this is when then "honeymoon period" is over and the true thoughts of the heart are revealed. These words create distance. I even seen people who have spoken these thing wonder why somebody has distanced themselves. Let's be honest we think because something is said "behind closed doors" or in our inner circle that they will not effect anything. Not true. That's one reason God is going to make us account for every idle word. (I myself being very verbal have a lot to account for.) If we are only as good as our word we are all in trouble. God doesn't edit our conversations for our benefit (though I wished it worked that way). Our private words lead to public action just like Joseph's brothers. A problem with what we speak is how we believe or think. We belittle people and think we are better than them. A true leader know a follower is 50% of what they are so a sense responsibility is in place. A true leader disciples while other so-called leaders use. You can tell the difference once the "honeymoon period" is over. A lack of concern for God's people lets us be flippant with our words. We are truly only concerned with us and ours only. True we can only do so much for others but most of us do nothing. Our contempt will always surface giving what i call a "red flag" of warning. We need not sow it. But also to protect ourselves we must look to God for acceptance and what we need and see people as vessels who can miss it. If we had it all together we wouldn't need Jesus would we?