Daily Devotional

“Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more” (Genesis 37:5). 

A dream is a series of thoughts, emotions, ideas, and images that happen in the mind while we are asleep. Often these occur during the rapid-eye movement stage of sleep and are involuntary. Sometimes dreams are lucid, in which the dreamer is aware he or she is dreaming. The average person has three to five dreams each night. Most of these are completely forgotten when the person awakens. 

People in ancient times placed high worth on dreams. It was believed only gifted interpreters could explain them. Bible stories illustrate how the Egyptians (Genesis 41), Midianites (Judges 7), and Babylonians (Daniel 2) believed in the power of dreams. 

While God spoke with different humans through dreams, the Scriptures carefully explain that not every nocturnal thought comes from heaven. False dreams and deceitful dreamers were to be scrutinized
(see Deuteronomy 13:1–5). Many times, these sleep thoughts are fleeting, meaningless experiences of the mind that “will fly away like a dream, and not be found” (Job 20:8). 

A true dream from God considers the individual, the circumstances, and the message within the dream. Does it contradict the Word of God? If the dream predicts an event, does that event take place? In the case of Joseph, the Lord revealed the future to him in a way that irked his older brothers. You can sympathize with these angry siblings who balked at someday bowing down to their younger brother. Yet that’s exactly what happened. 

God honoured the pure and holy life of young Joseph. Though his effort to discourage evil behaviour in his older brothers was rebuffed, he continued to do God’s will, even when it nearly cost him his life. Christ also followed His Father’s will and it cost Him His life. Evil men murdered the innocent Son of God. Someday these wicked “brothers” will bow the knee to the King. 

Father in heaven, I freely bow before You as my Maker and my King. Rule over my life today.