Pastor Pushie reminds us that even in our darkest moments we should cling to the promise of God and have hope in the dreams He has given us.
Joseph had a dream. He had a vision. He told his brothers, “We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine.” His brothers replied, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers again. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me and his brothers hated him because of his dream.’
Anytime you have a dream, it will be challenged. After Joseph dreamt, his brothers planned his death. They said, “Let’s kill him and see what comes of his dreams.”
Sometimes after you dream, all hell breaks loose. The devil doesn’t role out the red carpet to your dream. There is always opposition to the vision. That’s why you have to dream again; and I dare say, dream even bigger. Because initially what you see in the vision and what you see in the natural will not look the same. So God will tell you twice in case you think you heard wrong the first time. He will always give you a confirmation.
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Initially, Joseph’s brothers threw him into a pit, then sold him to the Ishmaelites who sold him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials. The bible says the Lord blessed the household of Potiphar because of Joseph, and yet they were treating him like a slave. Sometimes before you ever see your vision come to pass, it can seem like others are profiting at your expense. But don’t give up, God has not forgotten you.
One day Potiphar’s wife tried to sleep with Joseph, but he refused and ran out of the room. Your gift will open the door and get you in the room. Your loyalty will keep you in the room. Your integrity will cause you to walk out the room.
When he left she got his coat, but she didn’t get him. What you’re willing to walk away from will determine what God can bring you to. You might lose a coat or two, but your destiny is not for sale. Potiphar threw Joseph into prison. When you have a dream of your future you can withstand great pressure of the present. Your dream is the thing that helps you to endure the pain.
It helps you to hold on in tough times because you have something better to hope for. God will give you a dream of your future that defies the painful circumstances of your present. Your promise will see you through the pit, the prison and the pandemic to the purpose. Joseph held on to his vision. He did not allow the current situation to dictate his destination. While his brothers were hating him, he had a dream. While his mother was dead, he had a dream. In the midst of isolation, he had a dream.
The bible says the Lord was with Joseph. I want to tell you that, in every season, God is with you. Goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life. There’s nowhere you can go from the presence of God. Even in the prison, God gave Jospeh favour. Because it was in the same prison that the king’s baker and the cupbearer had a dream, and Joseph interpreted their dreams. You have to be willing to operate your gift even in dark times. If you wait only until you get out of prison to use your gift, you may never get out. Work where you are!
Just as Joseph interpreted, they got out of prison. The baker was executed and the cupbearer was restored to the king ’s service. Two years later Pharaoh had two dreams that woke him up and troubled him.
He sent for all the wise men of Egypt but no one could interpret the dreams. Eventually the cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh that there was a man in prison who could interpret dreams.
So Pharaoh sent for Joseph. The bible says Joseph quickly shaved and changed his clothes. When God sends for you, leave the past where it belongs. Change your clothes, take off your prison attire, change your attitude, don’t carry your old ways into your new place, leave the mess in the prison and bring the message to the palace. Don’t bring your pain into your palace.
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Pharaoh told Joseph his two dreams. Joseph said the two dreams were one and the same. “The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh twice, is because the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.”
The bible says that Pharaoh promoted Joseph from prisoner to ruler, second in command to himself. No one else had more authority in Egypt. When famine hit the whole region, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to come and buy grain. They did not recognise Joseph and bowed down to him. It took 13 years from the dream to the palace.
Joseph was 17 when he had the dream, but only 30 when it came to pass. Delay is not denial. Don’t give up because of your current challenges. When God gets ready to bless you; no past, no plot, no pit, no Potiphar, no prison, no pandemic will be able to stop you. Fix your focus on your promise, not your problem. Dry your eyes. Your crying season is over. It’s time for you to Dream Again.
God bless, Pastor P
