But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. (Genesis 37:18–19)
Martin Luther King once said prophetically, “You can kill the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream.” I’m not sure I buy that 100%.
Life’s full of dreams that die or never materialize: a failed marriage, death of a loved one, abusive relationships, accidents, or unreached career goals. The storms in life often push our ships into the dangerous, rocky shoals.
Sometimes the storms are of our own making. Sometimes they are the result of others harming us. Sometimes, like in the story of Joseph, it’s a little of both.
Joseph had a dream of leading his family. That dream died when his brothers almost murdered him and sold him as a slave.
But God is the God of life, of resurrection. Since God is the dream-giver, He had no trouble bringing Joseph’s dream back to life. God brought fulfillment in a way only He could do.
Maybe, sometimes, our dreams need to die, so they can be replaced by something better and purer.
Here’s the good news for you and me when we’re in the storms of life, and our dreams seem shattered: We can let Joseph’s experience speak to us. We know what God did for Joseph. God told us. He left it for us right here in this book. It all works out in the end.
Join us this week for my sermon, “When Dreams Become Nightmares.”
