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

You have probably heard of the story of Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, one of the patriarchs of the people of Israel.

Joseph’s older brothers hated him deeply because their father loved him “more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age” (Genesis 37:3b). So clearly, when he told them about his dream in which they (represented by sheaves of grain) bowed down to him, they weren’t happy about it.

In fact, they “hated him even more” because of it.

Remember this: the fact that a dream or aspiration comes from God doesn’t mean that others will accept it as such or like it.

The good news is that the fulfillment of dreams doesn’t depend on other people but on God, and we can confidently declare with the psalmist: “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.” (Psalm 138:8a ESV).

Here is a simple prayer to carry with you today:

Breathe in: Lord,
Breathe out: Fulfill your purpose for me.