VISION FOR IMPACT (3)

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

The Story of Joseph on destiny’s pathway aptly portrays the Power of Divine VISION for IMPACT: “Now Joseph had a DREAM, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more” (Gen.37:5). Today’s passage depicts Joseph’s prophetic dreams – his life’s Vision. It showcases how God reveals His purposes and plans, and the importance of focusing on His Will even when faced with adversity and challenges. Joseph journeyed through seasons of sibling persecution, silence in the pit, slavery in Potiphar’s house, and sentence in the prison until he attained shining significance in the Palace.

The pit was the place of quiet prayer. Potiphar’s house was the place of preparation through tests of prosperity and seduction. There, he learned holiness, discipline, and the fear of God. His victory over sexual seduction was ironically ‘rewarded’ with a false accusation that landed him in prison, the place of patience where he learned how opportunity comes out of adversity. With accurate interpretation of the butler’s dream, hopes of release rose, only to be dashed: “Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him” (Gen.40:23). For two bitter years, God seemed unsympathetic and aloof: “until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him” (Psa.105:19). Pharaoh’s dream stirred the butler’s sluggish memory.

Joseph was summoned from the dungeon to stand before Pharaoh. Promptly, the prisoner was ushered into the palace with a change of raiment. Prison rags bowed to royal garments at this moment for which thirteen years of deep adversity had been preparing him. He accurately interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. His gift made room for him (Gen.41:38; Pro.18:16). In turn, Joseph was gifted with the king’s signet ring signifying bestowal of legal authority; and linen garments of nobility. He lost his slave-garment to Potiphar’s wife but earned the royal wardrobe. The golden chain indicated investment with dignity and honour!

Joseph’s dreams drove him from the ditch, through dirt and dungeon, to Distinction! He who was SOLD as a slave was SENT by God to preserve a posterity for Israel: “HE SENT a man before them –Joseph – who was sold as a slave…The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free (Psa.105:17, 20). Elevated to the zenith of global leadership, Joseph passed the test of advancement. His moral and spiritual equilibrium remained balanced. The disciplines of the hidden years were not in vain. In the Palace – the place of perfection – he learned the power of forgiveness on seeing the Big Picture.

Unfolding before his amazed eyes was God’s mysterious plan. Through divine providence, Joseph became the saviour of Egypt and a great portion of the then world, and the preserver of the posterity of Israel’s lineage (Gen.45:5-8). God has a purpose, plan, and place for us. Divine Vision drove Joseph to Distinction! The same can be our portion!