In more recent times there was one who had a dream. Like Joseph it was a divinely given vision. He traveled the USA passionately proclaiming: "I have a dream..." He spoke about how God's grace could so transform willing obedient individuals to radically change segregation and racism. But like Joseph's brothers there were those that didn't see it that way and Martin Luther King Jr. was killed by sniper's bullet.
We really don't know how to deal with dreams or dreamers. We are skeptical of those who speak of visions and dreams. How often we have shrugged them off glibly noting, "oh you just a dreamer." Dreams disrupt the status quo and challenge us to change, making us very uncomfortable. At times we become so angry with the dreamers that we like Joseph’s brothers say: "Here comes that dreamer!" Come now, let's kill him…" Oh we may not really want to kill them, but we are rather adept in killing the dream.
We surely don't want to be dreamers. Dreamers are idealists and optimists. We face reality. We are too busy with the everyday. We don't have the time or energy to dream. We are comfortable with way things are and dreaming is risky. So we shut down our imaginations and discount dreams and dreamers.
The prophet Joel told us that in the later days God would pour out His Spirit upon His people resulting in old men having dreams and young men seeing visions. These dreams and visions are to be translated into prophetic anointed messages that call God's people to action. It is a well known fact that a people without a vision perish. (Proverbs 29.18) Though this speaks first and foremost about a proper vision of God, it also speaks of a divine revelation of direction, purpose, and will.
We need to clean out the cobwebs in our imaginations and release them to God allowing Him to pour out His Spirit afresh so we again dream dreams and see visions. We need to arise out of lethargic comfort and destroy the neat little boxes we have placed God in and open ourselves to new divine revelation. This is not frivolous fantasizing or a grasping at every dream that comes along. Rather it is a Spirit given and Spirit affirmed vision of God and what He would have us be and do.
Beloved, let us offer ourselves to God that He may pour out His Spirit upon us so that we will dream dreams and see visions. Let us embrace the dreams and vision He gives and move forward in His name that His Kingdom be established.
Keep Close to Jesus
Pastor Gerry