The lad who had a dream…

The life of Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, could be defined by Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” In Genesis, we learn about young Joseph, whose dreams angered his ten older brothers. As his nightly visions spoke of his supremacy over them, they jealously plotted to do away with him.

In Egypt, Joseph became the servant of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, and when falsely accused of misdeeds with Potiphar’s wife, he was thrown into prison. Slavery… jail time… What’s next for poor Joseph?

While locked up, Joseph interpreted dreams for his cell mates and, years later, drew the attention of Pharaoh, who summoned him to interpret his own dreams. Impressed by the interpretation of seven years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine, Pharaoh promoted Joseph to the highest office in the land directly under him.

Further in the Genesis story, we learn how Joseph eventually came face-to-face with his brothers, who came to Egypt during the famine seeking grain. They didn’t recognize him all those years later, but he knew them. Joseph’s heart seized with inward grief and he vacillated on what to do, even so much as secretly planting a silver cup in the youngest brother Benjamin’s grain sack to implicate him in stealing—as well as imprisoning the others for three days for being spies. All the while, he struggled with his emotions. When his grief waxed and eventually waned, he was convinced that his love for them would overcome all they’d done. He told them that what they had meant for evil, God had meant for good.

In the story of Joseph, we learn that we are destined for good no matter the course as we keep the love of our Lord at the forefront of our hearts and yield to him as the ultimate ruler of our lives. We’re instructed in James 1:2 to “Count it all joy…” and in 1 Thess. 5:18, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.