Week 2, Day 2
Little Joseph and His Big Dreams
Childhood dreams....we all have them. Ask a child about their dreams and you will get a myriad of answers. Some dream they are pop stars, and some dream they are in a land filled with toys. Some dream of candy or unicorns or Barbie. There is no limit to what children dream. I love how they view the world through an unblemished filter. However, some childhood dreams can be prophetically sent by God. Such was the case with Joseph.
In Genesis 37 we read about two specific dreams given to Joseph. In the first one, he saw his brothers’ sheaves of grain all bowing down to his. In his second dream, he saw the sun and moon and eleven stars all bowing down to him. When he reveals the dreams to his family, one thing is obvious. Joseph would one day rule over them. How and when this would transpire was not revealed. I doubt very seriously that his family even believed that these were dreams from God. But Joseph did!
When I was a child, I had a prophetic dream. Jesus came to me. He said, “I am coming soon. Go tell them.” Although I was a child, I knew Jesus had visited me. I can still see and hear Him now, just as clearly as I did then. It stirred up the desire in me to tell others about Jesus. The next day I went to elementary school and began “preaching” to all the kids on the playground. The fervor I had to see others believe in Jesus had me fired up. The other kids at school thought I had lost my mind.
One of my husband’s favorite books is titled, Between the Dreaming and the Coming True. It’s the story of a man’s lifelong journey from childhood through adulthood and finding his way back to God. I love the title because it reminds me of the in between time of our lives...between the childhood dreams and the adulthood fulfillment of them.
When you read about the life of Joseph from the time of his dreams to their fulfillment, you see a life filled with pain, separation from his family, imprisonment, and many other trials and tests. Little Joseph could not conceive how his big dreams would one day be fulfilled. They were much bigger than he could have predicted. In the end, God used Joseph in a mighty way to save not only his family but entire nations.
In my lifetime, I have also experienced trials and tests, pain, and suffering. So will you. However, 50 years later (from the time I had my dream), I am telling others about Jesus in places and in ways that “little” Chrissie couldn’t comprehend.
So why does God send us prophetic dreams as children if we cannot understand them? I believe they are lifelines that connect us directly to God and help us see His purpose for us. As we face difficult circumstances in our lives, we remember God’s promises to us and the dreams He sent to us. It encourages us to keep on keeping on. For He is faithful, and His promises are true.
As you journey between the dreaming and the coming true, remember this statement from Joseph in Genesis 50: 19-20, “Don’t be afraid. What you (or the enemy) intended for harm, God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
In Genesis 37 we read about two specific dreams given to Joseph. In the first one, he saw his brothers’ sheaves of grain all bowing down to his. In his second dream, he saw the sun and moon and eleven stars all bowing down to him. When he reveals the dreams to his family, one thing is obvious. Joseph would one day rule over them. How and when this would transpire was not revealed. I doubt very seriously that his family even believed that these were dreams from God. But Joseph did!
When I was a child, I had a prophetic dream. Jesus came to me. He said, “I am coming soon. Go tell them.” Although I was a child, I knew Jesus had visited me. I can still see and hear Him now, just as clearly as I did then. It stirred up the desire in me to tell others about Jesus. The next day I went to elementary school and began “preaching” to all the kids on the playground. The fervor I had to see others believe in Jesus had me fired up. The other kids at school thought I had lost my mind.
One of my husband’s favorite books is titled, Between the Dreaming and the Coming True. It’s the story of a man’s lifelong journey from childhood through adulthood and finding his way back to God. I love the title because it reminds me of the in between time of our lives...between the childhood dreams and the adulthood fulfillment of them.
When you read about the life of Joseph from the time of his dreams to their fulfillment, you see a life filled with pain, separation from his family, imprisonment, and many other trials and tests. Little Joseph could not conceive how his big dreams would one day be fulfilled. They were much bigger than he could have predicted. In the end, God used Joseph in a mighty way to save not only his family but entire nations.
In my lifetime, I have also experienced trials and tests, pain, and suffering. So will you. However, 50 years later (from the time I had my dream), I am telling others about Jesus in places and in ways that “little” Chrissie couldn’t comprehend.
So why does God send us prophetic dreams as children if we cannot understand them? I believe they are lifelines that connect us directly to God and help us see His purpose for us. As we face difficult circumstances in our lives, we remember God’s promises to us and the dreams He sent to us. It encourages us to keep on keeping on. For He is faithful, and His promises are true.
As you journey between the dreaming and the coming true, remember this statement from Joseph in Genesis 50: 19-20, “Don’t be afraid. What you (or the enemy) intended for harm, God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Reflection Questions
• Have you ever felt like God gave you a dream and you have yet to see it fulfilled? How does the story of Joseph encourage you with this?
• Read Galatians 6:9. How does this verse relate to today’s story? How does it relate to you?
• Read Galatians 6:9. How does this verse relate to today’s story? How does it relate to you?
Chrissie is an ordained pastor through Heritage Church, a Bible Study leader, an author, and the Women’s Pastor of Crossroads for Her, a transition home for women. She is the wife of Jon Forehand, and the mother of three children: Chason, David, & Jordan.
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