Starting with this post, I’m going to stop sharing the Facts found in each scripture passage. I’m sure you probably come up with the same Facts that I do . . . except yours are probably a lot less wordy than mine!
So I’ll just share the Truths that I learn and the Application Questions I come up with. And then if I have any personal commentary on what I learn, I’ll share that, too.
If you discover different Truths than I do, I’d love for you to share them with me in the Comments. I’ve learned a lot when I’ve done this type of Bible study with a group. There’s always someone at a different point in life than me and God speaks to them about where they are. But He’s also used what they learned in my own life, too. So please share!
Today we’re going to cover a couple of paragraphs–about the same topic. Here’s Genesis 37:5-11:
New English Translation (NET)
5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down to it!” 8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” They hated him even more because of his dream and because of what he said.
9 Then he had another dream, and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said.
TRUTHS:
God sometimes uses dreams or visions to speak to us about His plans for our lives.
All dreams don’t need to be shared with everyone.
Continually sharing the dreams God gives us with people can cause or magnify relationship problems.
Even our biggest fans aren’t always supportive of our God-given dreams.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
What dreams has God given me about my future?
Who have I shared them with? How often?
What relationships have I damaged by sharing too much?
Who’s my biggest fan? How do they feel about my dreams?
PERSONAL COMMENTARY:
Just because someone mocks you for your dreams, or makes fun of your dreams, doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t BELIEVE your dreams. If they really didn’t believe, they would probably just smile and nod and move on.
But if someone gets real emotional, like Joseph’s brothers did, it possibly means they’re threatened by your dreams. They potentially see their position being endangered if your dreams actually happen.
So it’s important to be careful who we share our dreams with and how much and how often we share.