Joseph’s life is an amazing narrative described in a few chapters in Genesis.
As a young 17 year old, he was favored by Jacob his father, who gave him a coat of many colors, yet hated by his brothers. It was that very coat handed back to Jacob with the presumed blood of some beast Jacob would believe took Joseph’s life.
But not before Joseph told his brothers of dreams he had:
Joseph’s brothers allowed jealousy to cause them to throw Joseph into a pit and sold into slavery.
“for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.” -Genesis 37:7-8.
Yet, it’s this very dream that Joseph remembers as his brothers travel to Egypt seeking food amidst the famine that affected all.
Do you see it? Joseph had a dream at 17 that he may not have fully understood its meaning.
Or maybe he did, but not the suffering it entailed, for had he known the full plans God had for him…. Maybe Joseph would have prayed, “Do not let me fall into the hands of Pharaoh” had he interpreted his own dream. Then his whole family lineage may have perished in the famine.
Yet, Joseph was able to interpret the dreams of the butler and baker, as well as Pharaoh himself.
Each hardship Joseph faced: the betrayal by his brothers, the false accusation of Pharaoh’s wife landing him in prison, the butler who forgot him for two years while Joseph sat in prison, all led up to the day he was back in the palace and leading all out of famine.
Why?
Because God’s plans unfold in ways unknown and not understood to us. God may not be the cause of these events, but perhaps He allows them. Because God truly does work out all things, both good and bad, for the good, to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. In Joseph’s case, he shares:
“Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good…” — Genesis 50:20
God’s ways are higher than ours. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
Joseph was able to interpret the dreams of those around him to bring about a purpose greater than himself, yet he did not understand his own dream until his own brothers bowed before him…it was then that Joseph remembered his dream. (Genesis 42:9)
That coat of many colors his father gave him was replaced with Pharaoh’s ring upon his hand, as Joseph was also arrayed in vestures of fine linen, along with a gold chain around his neck and made Governor. (Genesis 41:42)
What God allows to be removed from our lives, if we surrender, is replaced by something far greater than we can imagine. The Bible declares, “God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to His power that works within us.” (Ephesians 3:20).
What Joseph thought was his destruction, became not only the place of his victory, but the salvation of not only his family, but all those that would have suffered mightily through seven years of famine.
What is it you and I cannot let go of today? What is it we do not understand now that will be the very victory we receive, not just for us, but for our loved ones and all those in our paths, if we will only trust God and surrender our lives to His will.
Trust Him in adversity and forgive those who are the cause of your betrayal…because perhaps like Joseph, it is these very events that will be for the greater purpose God has for you and all those in your path.
You can stand in faith that God has never lost a battle and never will. His purposes and plans do prevail.
Do not grow weary in well doing.
Trust Him to bring about His will for your life if you will only surrender.
I’m going to share a dream my own son Nathan had while sitting in jail… God has brought him a long way. Even through trauma and tragedy I have witness God turn the events of our lives into . blessings, and even moments that look like miracles that only God can do. While our lives will never be the same after losing our mom our beautiful, precious, sweet mom …we will always remember her, but I will never take for granted the miracle work he is doing in Nathan.
Here’s Nathan’s stream he shares in writing:
I was sitting in my single man county jail cell after they locked me in for the night. I was troubled about this hate I was receiving and the wicked attacks from old friends that were no longer friends. Real chemical warfare is big in the county and prison. I was attacked with ammonia and pine Sol many times. Over the time it causes medical issues and then death. This is done to people that are snitches, and people that leave their gangs to live a better lifestyle.
Anyway, I was in my cell feeling terrible about the symptoms of this warfare. There were snakes all around me and I only showed love the whole time.
I needed to shave so without razors we use Magic shave in jail which is like naire hair removal. Its a white cream. I placed it on my face and while I waited for 10 minutes I prayed to God telling him to please help. I'm trapped in jail and I can't leave and walk away. I'm at the Red Sea and people want me dead now. I can't go anywhere and I need you to give me a real sign that I'll be okay. I begged like a wimp and pleaded hard for help.... No sign... I felt alone in my cell, waiting to die, hopeless... I finished my shave. The lights went out and I hit my knees for one more goodnight prayer. Got into bed and fell asleep.
I had a super vivid dream. I was in the bed of a truck facing the tailgate. The back window of the truck was behind me. Someone's driving reckless. I sliding from left to right in the truck with nothing to hold on to. Terrified! They slammed on the brakes and I knew it was over... We are about to slam into the back of another vehicle. Its over. I braced for impact and then we swerved... No wreck! I now proceeded to try to pry the back window open, get in the truck and take control. I was successful in entering the truck. I was in the back seat now. Staring at the back of the drivers head. I slowly crept forward to attack the man and take over the driver seat. Right when I went to attack he stopped fast, turned around with a huge grin and shook his head and laughed at me in a good way. Not a mean laugh. It was Jesus!!! Not only was it Jesus but it was Jesus AND He had Magic shave cream residue on His face like He had just used it on his beard! I screamed His name JESUS!!!! And I dove into His lap with great joy! He moved over and let me sit with Him in the front of he truck and then He began to speed off in the truck again fast and wreckless! Handling the wheel with such profession we made it to the destination in the dream safely.
I prayed that desperate prayer with Magic shave on my face that very night! I begged for a sign that I would be okay and make it away from the enemy and Jesus was driving and the Magic shave residue on His face was the confirming sign that the dream was no ordinary dream but a divine, Heaven sent dream.
Nathan is seeking God, doing news with Nathan and attending church!
His message:
It would be cool to go back to jails and stuff to speak to people.
Also, I went to church today and I ran into that guy that I told you about that I met at the lunch room. The 2 guys that said I didn't sit there for no reason... and that Nathan was a mighty man of God in the Bible. Anyway I went to church and ran into him and before the service started he came up behind me and anointed my head with oil.
Church was a little different than I expected here. A whole lot better than thought. I had been avoiding it due to the environment I'm in but I finally went today when someone that I've been talking about the Bible with asked me if I wanted to go. It was the Hispanic guy that said he saw a light behind me. The pastor told it how it was a didn't sugar coat it. I'm glad he set it straight with these guys. You want to come to church when your in prison and then go home and live how you want. So it was cool to see the pastor making these people understand that. You don't go back to your dorm and smoke with your homies and then come to church. You can't live two lives basically. He spoke on some stuff that I had just watched last night on prophecy. He was saying some points that I was just making to someone in here and they tapped me and looked over at me in shock about the pastor saying it too. Cool to see that maybe just maybe God can wake some up in here too.
Only God can do the stuff he’s doing in our lives. He has brought us a long Way, Tanner, my son and Abby youth pastors at our church Nathan doing Bible studies and he leads something called news with Nathan… God truly does turn the events of our lives around for the good of those that love him and are called according to his purpose.
He can truly take the mess turn it into a message, the trial into triumph, and the test into a testimony. But we must surrender we must not grow bitter. We must continue to do well and we must fall in love with Jesus Christ.