Our dreams seem so out of reach…
Sometimes it feels as though the only way we can see the dream coming to pass, is through some kind of connection.
If we believe that our connections come from people in higher positions, we strive for those connections, in order to get closer to the dream.
What if we knew the truth?
The truth is…
ALL connections come from God!
Don’t believe me?
Let’s go to a story in the Bible where God provided connections, in a place where connections were impossible!
Go to Genesis 40.
This story occurred during the time after Joseph was thrown in prison for a terrible crime, that he did not commit.
We shift from Joseph’s story for a moment and transport to another location in Egypt, where we meet two chiefs, in their field of service in Pharaoh’s home.
The head of the bakery and the head of household services; both in high positions serving Pharaoh, himself!
Like, the pharaoh … king of all Egypt.
How do these chiefs connect to Joseph’s story?
Both are in different locations in Egypt.
They shouldn’t connect, but they do!
In verses 1-3 we learn that they offended Pharaoh and therefore, are sent to jail…
Not just any jail…
Pharaoh, coincidently chose to send his chiefs to the prison located in the house of Potiphar.
Pharaoh could have sent them to the prison in his home or the prison of any official under him!
Potiphar was not the only official under pharaoh.
Pharaoh chose the one prison in Egypt that held Joseph!
That is not a coincidence!
It’s a connection!
God is higher than pharaoh, so when pharaoh made this decision to send these chiefs to a prison, we know that God was actually the One who led him to that decision!
Let’s try and put ourselves in Joseph’s shoes for a moment.
Joseph had a dream in chapter 37, that he would be bowed down to.
After everything he had been through, it finally seemed like he was getting closer to the dream, that God gave him, coming to pass.
He was in Potiphar’s house!
Potiphar trusted him with everything he owned and put him in charge of all of it. If I was Joseph, I would feel like I could finally see the dream God gave me, closer than ever before!
It seemed more possible than it ever had before!
He could see that he was truly on the road to the dream!
Then suddenly…
The steps forward he thought he was making became 100 miles worth of steps back.
He was now in a prison when all he ever did was be trustworthy.
He was lower than the pit he was thrown in by his brothers! Genesis 37:23-28
How could he get to the dream now?
Joseph knew that his brothers hated him, so why would they ever bow to him?
It was highly unlikely before but now it became impossible!
Who would bow to the man known for trying to rape Potiphar’s wife?
Who would ever bow to a man in a dungeon?
It’s not even his fault!
How could God let this happen?
Joseph was doing right and he saw the dream getting closer and then it was ripped out of view!
If I was Joseph, I would start to question what I dreamt years ago.
I would think to myself,
“I had it all wrong. That dream didn’t mean what I always thought it meant!”
In chapter 40, we have a Joseph that just saw the impossible dream look a little more possible and then it suddenly became more impossible than it ever was.
Joseph saw a glimmer of hope, that the dream that God gave him, could actually come to pass. Then he saw it suddenly crash to the ground and shatter into a million pieces.
Also, keep in mind…
Joseph had nobody to encourage him.
His parents were far away and they thought he was dead, he had no friends and again, his brothers hated him.
He didn’t have compassion or sympathy from anyone!
He was a good guy and he had absolutely no one to care for him or support him in this moment…
Except for God!
This was enough for Joseph!
However, if I’m honest… This isn’t always enough for me…
Can you see from Joseph’s point of view, now?
Does any of this relate to how you might have felt at some point in your life?
Okay, so let’s keep this in mind as we continue to evaluate his story!
Now, comes two new prisoners, who Joseph actually serves in the prison… for a long time.
We can know confidently that Joseph still trusted that God put that dream in his heart and he trusted how God translated it to him!
If he didn’t, he wouldn’t bother listening to the dreams of the chiefs. He would have just kept quiet and silently doubted that he could even hear God accurately, after everything that has happened in his life.
Joseph was confident that God was interpreting these dreams because he asked the butler to remember him when the dream came to pass.
Here would be the final nail in the coffin, if I was Joseph…
When the dream came to pass just as Joseph explained and the butler was freed from the prison, he forgot about Joseph.
It couldn’t get any worse, yet Joseph keeps serving faithfully!
Nothing looks like Joseph’s dream is coming to pass, yet Joseph still trusts that God gave him that dream!
If we peak into the next chapter, we see that after two years of being forgotten, Pharaoh needs his dream interpreted and Joseph is finally remembered by that butler.
The butler’s status was high enough to be close to Pharaoh in his time of distress. He was connected to Pharaoh just enough to be able to tell him about that prisoner who interpreted his dream, two years prior.
Joseph didn’t see it then but God delivered a connection right to the top, while he was at the very bottom.
At the very lowest place, where the dream looked most impossible, God sent a connection directly to the top of the land!
Sure, getting to the top, looked possible while Joseph was in Potiphar’s house, but God brought Joseph to a place of the impossible, so there would be no mistake…
God made this dream come to pass!
When understanding and logic was completely dead, God’s hand is the only explanation.
God sent connections to the least likely place!
Connections that took Joseph instantly from the lowest valley to the summit of a dream come true!
The dream was bigger than even Joseph could contemplate!
God didn’t just want Joseph to lead in Egypt or be bowed down to by his family.
God was not just trying to show Joseph to trust only in Him and not what he could understand, but God was showing this to His people!
We today are still deepening our faith and trust in God because of this story!
Joseph faced a lot back then…
Consider that perhaps God, in that moment, wasn’t just growing Joseph’s faith and dependency on Him…
He was thinking about you!
Photo by fauxels
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
