Daring to Dream
Scripture Reading — Genesis 37
Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.
Great outcomes often begin with dreams. Immigrants dream of a better life in another country. Martin Luther King, Jr., dreamed of a world without racial discrimination. Joseph had dreams that suggested he would be a powerful leader.
But dreams can be dangerous. Joseph’s dreams stirred the hatred of his brothers. They did not like the idea of bowing down to Joseph. His dreams resulted in the brothers saying, “Here comes that dreamer! . . . Come now, let’s kill him. . . .” Joseph’s dreams brought him to a pit and then into slavery. Later he was put in prison on false charges (Genesis 39).
Sometimes our dreams too may be crushed. When that happens, we have a choice. We can become bitter and angry about being treated unjustly, or we can forgive those who hurt us.
Joseph saw God’s hand at work in his life. After many years, when he was reunited with his brothers, he said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish . . . the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). Even in the midst of evil, God worked behind the scenes to protect Joseph and make him into a great leader.
Joseph’s dreams brought deliverance for many lives.
His life pointed to the great deliverer who was to come, Jesus Christ. God is at work in our dreams also. Do you trust him to see you through?
Father, thank you for the dreams you give. And when we cannot make sense out of our lives, help us to trust that you are working all things for good. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — John Kuperus
Since he was young, John Kuperus has had a passion that everyone would know Jesus. Spreading the good news that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15) is very important to him. To be better equipped for missions, John attended Reformed Bible College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He applied these skills with marketplace evangelism in a business he started in Sussex, New Jersey. This calling continued to follow him, so John attended seminary and became a minister in the Christian Reformed Church, serving a church in Ontario for eight years. Currently he serves as a missionary for Youth with a Mission (YWAM). He witnesses Jesus changing lives as people walk out of the darkness into the light. John is married to Helen, and they have seven children.
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