Believing For What Is Possible

God often gives us the dream first to help prepare us with hope for the future.  The dreams are what sustained Joseph during extremely difficult circumstances.    And your God-given dreams will sustain you too, no matter what your future holds. How do we stay devoted to our dreams, our family, and our faith when we are in the midst of our holding cell, like the one Joseph experienced?   First, when we doubt God, we must be honest about our feelings and questions. Being honest lets us move toward our relationship with God. Hiding our doubts and questions will keep us stuck and powerless. We will not reach our dreams by accident. We will not end up with a stronger faith after times of trial by default. This is an active stance—a battle.   Second, identify and deal with thoughts that are contrary to what we know to be true about God and His plan for our life. While Joseph was in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he continued to believe God was in control. When the cupbearer talked about his dream to Joseph, Joseph replied, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Gen. 40:8).  Abandoned by his family, alone in a foreign country, and wrongfully sentenced to prison, Joseph certainly had an excuse to wonder if God was present.   God has every right to remedy our situation or to let our worst fear come to be. Even if He doesn’t answer the way we want, God is still good and on His throne. Our responsibility is with our faith and actions.