Thursday, September 18, 2008

Five Lessons for Dreamers (Part 5)

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"Now Joseph had a dream." (Genesis 37:5)

Looking back upon the story of Joseph the dreamer, and seeing how God exalted him in the land of Egypt and blessed him with favor and great success -- a pattern emerges, providing us today with guidelines we may follow into our own place of blessing and honor.

Here are five lessons for Dreamers from the life of Joseph:

Lesson #5 -- See everything in life from God’s perspective (see Genesis 45:7, and 50:20). After all the years had passed between when the dreams were first given to a young boy, and when a grown man now stood in the midst of the dreams coming true -- one thing towers above all others: Joseph had learned to see things from God's perspective.

On two occasions he reassured his brothers of this fact. First he said, "God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way." (Gen 45:7). What a remarkable view he possessed of the dreadful night when his brothers had beaten him, thrown him in a pit, and then sold him as a slave to an Egyptian caravan. "God sent me on ahead of you...." -- that's how he saw it.

And then once more, bringing even greater clarity to his words, Joseph said it best when he spoke thus: "As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." (Gen 50:20).

Yes, his brothers had done a very evil thing -- but Joseph saw how God used it to work things out in so extraordinary a manner as to bring about the salvation of two Nations: Egypt, and Israel.

Learn to see everything in life from God's perspective, my wistful friend, and your dreams will take on epic value.

Have a good night.
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