I have a recurring dream. I am in a familiar house, not my current home, but I feel I belong there. Walking through the hallways, I notice a few rooms I don’t remember seeing before. I am so excited; I can really use the extra space! Looking around, I notice…
“But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses.” Exodus 4:13–14, NIV. Can you identify with Moses’ feelings of reluctance and inadequacy? “No God, not me, please choose someone else. Don’t you know my weaknesses and limitations?” Personally, I have been…
Trust is something we put into action every day. I trust that other commuters driving on the highway will obey the rules and stay in their lanes. I trust that my internet or Wi-Fi connection will work, allowing me to access Google or Instagram. We trust man-made laws and technology,…
[do_widget id=polylang-2] “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” (Psalm 127:1 KJV) God used visions and dreams in the Bible to reveal His plan, to further His plan, to put His people in places of influence, and to provide information that was unavailable elsewhere.…
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably…
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. (Genesis 37:3-4, NKJV)…
“And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. Genesis 37:5
No doubt when Joseph dreamed about the stars and moon bowing down to him, the Lord was showing him something about his future. It probably wasn’t the best thing for him to share it with his brothers. He had no idea what their hatred would cause them to do, or of the difficult circumstances he would face before the dream became a reality. Many years later, his brothers would bow to him in Egypt.
God may give us a dream of something He has in store or us, or of something He wants us to do, but it doesn’t always come to pass right away. One of our teachers in Bible College often quoted something from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all.”
We need to hold on to our dream, and wait for the Lord to bring it to pass, no matter how long it takes. His timing is always perfect.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the story of Joseph, and showing us that you have a plan and you will always bring it to pass in your time.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible).
Our society places great importance on self-reliance. We are encouraged to dream, scheme and plot our strategy for success. The truth is, no matter how independent I think I am, and despite my best laid plans, none of them will come to fruition without God’s approval. My ideas may sound good to me, but if they are not part of God’s will, they are flawed.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know where You want me to be today and tomorrow. Thank You, Lord, for Your guidance as I plan for the future. Amen.
Devotion by Julie Long