Title The Dreamer/Genesis 37:1-11
Contents “The Blessings of the Blessing” Series I: The Dreamer/Genesis 37:1-11
1. The story of a person that begins with dreaming
The story of Joseph stretches from Genesis 37 to the last chapter, chapter 50. In Genesis 37, where Joseph's story begins, a brief introduction to verse 4 of Joseph's relationship with his father Jacob and his brothers continues. And from verse 5, the full-fledged story of Joseph begins, and the first thing that is mentioned is the story of a dream Joseph had. The story of Joseph's life begins with the dream, because a man named Joseph becomes a special person with a special story by having a dream. In this way, we too begin a special life with a special story through the dream God has given us.
The Triune God is the One who gives us dreams. First, God the Father blessed Joseph's life by giving him a dream. The Saint Jesus also came to the disciples, who were living as fishermen in Galilee without a dream, saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19) and made them dream. He also came to the disciples who were staying in Jerusalem in fear after the crucifixion and said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). You gave me a dream. The Holy Spirit gives God's dreams to people who cannot dream, and allows them to see the vision God gives them. Acts 2:17 says, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your children will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will see dreams. By saying “your old men will dream dreams,” we are saying that the Holy Spirit is the dream-making Spirit.
In this way, God comes to our lives who cannot dream and makes them dream. God comes to our lives, which we could not have dreamed of, and transforms them into the lives of dreams. A dream that God has given us begins a special story in our lives.
2. The importance of dreams
God-given dreams are very precious to us because: First, it is very important to have the dream that God has given, because God will surely make the dream come true. Joseph was hated by his brothers and misunderstood by his father because of the dream God had given him. And because of that dream, he was sold to Midianite merchants by his brothers and became a slave in Egypt. I went through many ups and downs in my life because of my dream, but in the end I became the prime minister of Egypt according to the dream God gave me. In this way, God-given dreams are precious.
Second, the dream God has given us is precious because it gives us the strength to live diligently today. Because of the very dream that God has given us, we are not wasting the time given to us, and we live diligently. Also, when you have the dream God has given you, you will have the strength to endure to the end without giving up in the face of difficulties. If Joseph had not had the dream God had given him, he would not have been able to overcome the difficult time and would have given up quickly. However, because I had the dream God gave me, I was able to overcome the difficulties without giving up on life. As we can see from Joseph's life, God-given dreams give us strength to overcome difficulties and suffering.
Third, dreams are precious because they put us on God's side. Dreams that God has given us are God's will for us. Therefore, to have a dream that God has given means to have the will of heaven that God has given you. Furthermore, it means that fulfilling the will of God has become our earnest desire. That is why we become a person who strives to fulfill God's will in a concrete way.
3. Dreams from God
question and share
◎ Joseph received the God-given dream and became a special life that God uses. Let's share with each of us what dreams God has given us.
◎ Dreams given by God are important because they are the source of strength in our lives, and when we do not have those dreams, we will live a life without will. Let's pray together that we and all of us will be filled with God-given dreams.
◎ Through prayer, you will have a dream of a life that is worthy of God's will. Let's pray together so that we can have a dream that pleases God, not our greed.