Devotional: Joseph and His Dreams

Genesis 37:18-33

19 They said to each other, “Look, here comes that master dreamer! 20 Let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and say that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we’ll see what happens to his dreams.”

Joseph had dreams that showed others bowing down to him, which made his brothers jealous. They didn’t like the fact that the dreams showed Joseph greater than they were. Aren’t we the same way? We don’t want to feel someone is above us. But isn’t that what submission is all about? The brothers didn’t want to be in submission to Joseph. They were older, wiser, knew more.
Joseph’s brothers are tending sheep away from home. His father sends Joseph to check on his brothers. His brothers see him coming, so they plot among themselves to kill him. His brother, Rueben, doesn’t want to go along with them. He plans to rescue Joseph without his brothers knowing. Unknown to him, the other brothers sell Joseph into slavery before he can rescue him. Joseph is gone.
The brothers dipped Joseph’s robe in animal blood to fool their father into thinking Joseph was dead. Have you ever tried to cover up something you did that was wrong? How did that work out? Here, not so well.

A few years go by and Egypt is in a drought. There is no food, but because of Joseph’s dreams, he convinced Pharaoh to store food and prepare. Joseph is in bondage, but God is still near. He still has dreams. Isn’t it good to know when things aren’t going as we think they should, that God is still near? We can still call on Him and He will answer.

Joseph recognized his brothers when they came to Egypt for food. Joseph gave orders to bring his youngest brother to Egypt. Instead of telling them right off who he was, he sets them up, demands they bring his youngest brother. He has the Pharaoh’s ear at this time. He could have retaliated against them for what they had done to him. But he didn’t.

They enjoyed a feast together where Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers. But you know what his brothers didn’t realize? God used them to make Joseph’s dreams come true. If he hadn’t had the dreams that made them jealous to begin with, if they hadn’t seen him coming, if they hadn’t plotted to kill him, if they hadn’t sold him into slavery, Egypt wouldn’t have been prepared for the famine, and Joseph wouldn’t have had the position he held. Isn’t it great the way God works?

Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God-those whom he has called according to his plan.

Even when it seems everything is against you, God is still on your side. He uses situations and circumstances for your good. Even when others do things against you, talk about you, they can’t stop the good God has planned for your life. Just like Joseph.