When the Dream Feels Distant

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

Genesis 37 introduces us to Joseph, and right away we see something significant. God gives him a dream. A glimpse of what is to come. A picture of purpose, influence, and a future marked by God’s hand. But almost immediately, tension follows. Joseph shares the dream, and instead of encouragement, he is met with jealousy. His brothers grow resentful, and before long, that tension escalates. He is betrayed, thrown into a pit, and sold into slavery.

That is a drastic shift. From dream to pit. From promise to pain.

And if we are honest, this is where many of us can relate. There are moments where we feel like God has placed something clearly on our hearts, and we assume that because it is from Him, the path will make sense. But often, the circumstances look completely opposite.

Joseph had a dream of leadership, but he finds himself in a pit. Nothing about his current reality matches what God revealed. But the dream was still true, even when the circumstances didn’t reflect it.

I remember early in our marriage when Erica and I were just getting started. We were living off of one small income while she was in grad school, and resources were very limited. In that season, God made it very clear to us that we were called to be people who tithed. The challenge was that the numbers did not seem to work. On paper, it did not make sense. Everything about our situation said this is not the right time.

But we knew what God had said.

So we chose to obey anyway. Not because it was easy, but because it was clear. And over time, we saw God honor that decision in ways we could not have predicted. What did not make sense in the moment became a testimony of His faithfulness later.

That is how God often works.

There will be moments where what He speaks and what you see do not line up. Where obedience feels costly and the outcome feels uncertain. But those are the moments where faith is formed.

Genesis 37 reminds us that the beginning of the story does not always look like the end. God starts something in us long before we see it come to fruition, and the process in between is where He shapes our trust.

So today, if you find yourself in a place where your circumstances do not match what God has put on your heart, do not lose confidence. Do not assume He has changed His mind.

He is still working.

Even in the gap.

Prayer
Lord, thank You that Your truth does not change based on our circumstances. Help us to trust You when obedience does not make sense and to follow You even when the path feels uncertain. Strengthen our faith and remind us that You are always faithful. In Jesus’ name, amen.