Although The Lake Arrowhead Arrow is not a real newspaper, Lake Arrowhead is a real place. We rented a cabin there to celebrate our fiftieth wedding anniversary with our children and grandchildren. Each morning, The Arrow introduced our theme for the day with an interview and some discussion questions. Over the next three days, I will be sharing our morning devotions with you.
Joseph is a man known for his coat of many colors, his interpretation of dreams, and as the one who saved the world from starvation. When The Lake Arrowhead Arrow was offered an exclusive interview with this long-dead world leader, we jumped at the chance. On our first visit, we talked with him about his dreams and his blessings.
Arrow: Joseph, you have often been described as a dreamer. Can you tell us how you got that reputation?
Joseph: Well, I have always had very vivid dreams, even when I was very young, and I always believed that those dreams would someday come true.
Arrow: So, would your message to our readers be that they should never give up on their dreams?
Joseph: No. Not at all. I had to give up on my dreams, at least the ones that were my dreams. As a young man, I hurt many people by claiming that I was going to be in power over them. I did a lot of bragging about what I was going to do. I had to let those dreams die.
Arrow: But didn’t those dreams come true? Aren’t you a very powerful man, who rules over everyone who doubted you?
Joseph: Yes, that’s true, but it’s no longer my dream. You see, I did attain power and authority, but only after I had given up my desire for it.
Arrow: I think you’ll have to explain that one.
Joseph: Let me try to do that. When I was seventeen, I had these dreams that my brothers and parents were going to bow down to me. I thought that this was how God was going to bless my life by making everyone give honor to me.
Arrow: Are you saying that God didn’t bless you in that way?
Joseph: I’m saying that that was not the blessing. After bragging about that dream, I was sold into slavery, and when I thought that things couldn’t get any worse, they did. I was falsely accused, thrown into prison, and forgotten. Talk about a wake-up call.
Arrow: How was that a wake-up call?
Joseph: I very quickly learned that I wasn’t in charge of anything. I could dream all I wanted, but I could control nothing. My dreams meant nothing. God’s plan is what counts. It was while I was working for Potiphar that I had this realization. I worked very hard for that man, and while I was there, his home and business were blessed. I had always believed that blessings were God’s special gifts to me for my hard work and devotion to him. Now I understand that blessing is something God does through me.
Arrow: That kind of gives a whole new interpretation to “count your blessings,” doesn’t it?
Joseph: Exactly, now when I count my blessings, I look at what God does through me instead of just what he does for me.
Questions for Thought and Discussion
Genesis 37 and 39-41
- In Genesis 37, what were Joseph’s expectations concerning his future?
How did God’s plans differ from Joseph’s dreams? - Read Genesis 39:2-6. What do these verses teach you about the nature of blessings?
- In what ways was Joseph blessed by his hardships?
- How did Joseph’s presence change life in the prison (chapter 40)?
How can you be a blessing in difficult circumstances? - In Genesis 41:15-16, Joseph has the opportunity to take credit for interpreting dreams. What does his response to Pharoah reveal about his spiritual journey?