“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Genesis 50:20
Using the language of dreams, God revealed to Joseph the course his life would take and the great purposes He had for him. However, while God showed Joseph a future blessing, the enemy was engineering a plan that would try to stop Joseph from realizing God’s dream for his life. In the same way when God reveals a dream to a person, it is probable that they will have to face different obstacles along the way in order to possess it.
Envy is the feeling of sadness or grief because of what another person has. It is an instrument the enemy uses to try and make the people of God grow faint. Solomon said, “Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?” (Proverbs 27:4). When Joseph told his brothers the dream God had given him, he had to face many obstacles because they gave in to envy in their hearts (Genesis 37:5-11). Even the Lord Jesus had to face the envy of the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 27:17-18). Nevertheless, His firm belief in doing the will of the Father gave Him the ability to endure and complete His work of redemption.
Once Joseph’s brothers let envy into their hearts, they started to plot his destruction (Genesis 37:18-20). The enemy planted evil thoughts in the minds of these men that caused them to reject him and throw him into a pit where Joseph experienced darkness, depression, and deep loneliness. Finally, he was sold as a slave to some Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:23-28). The fact that you experienced rejection because of obedience to God should not be the cause for discouragement. On the contrary, it is an opportunity to measure the strength of your faith.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
The life of cyclist Lance Armstrong is a great example for each of us. He faced and overcame the obstacle of cancer in his body. He is famous for being the cyclist who has won the most stages in the Tour De France, (the most important cycling race in the World). Just like it was for Lance Armstrong, certain obstacles also exist for us. They need to be faced and overcome by those who wish to achieve the dream of God. A dreamer maintains firmness in their faith because they know it does not matter how difficult the situation is. It can be transformed with the help of God and persistence.
TODAY’S DECLARATION
“I will finish the race triumphantly because I work within the dream of God.”
Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Two.
TODAY’S BIBLE READING
Our Bible Reading Plan gives 25 daily readings per month. There is no scheduled reading for today. You can use this time to catch up on any readings you may have missed, or read through previous passages again.
