December 2, Interpreting Dreams by Rev. Dr. Damion Quaye

Genesis 40:5-8
One night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own meaning. When Joseph came to them in the
morning, he saw that they were troubled. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

Theme:
This short passage of scripture comes from the story of Joseph’s life in the book of Genesis. Much of Joseph’s story focuses on dreams. For the Egyptians, dreams were often considered messages from the gods, and dream interpretation was the work of magicians or diviners. Throughout the book of Genesis, God uses dreams to reveal God’s plans to God’s people.

In modern times, some still see dreams as divine messages from God. Some people still seek out those who can interpret or explain the dreams they have at night. However, that is not how we most commonly speak of dreams in the modern age. When we speak of dreams, we are often speaking about our aspirations, hopes, or expectations for the future. We dream of being healthy. We dream of being happy. While this view of dreams might differ from dreams outlined in Genesis, at least one thing remains true; dream
Interpretations belong to God.

It is by God’s grace and mercy that our lives are ordered, and God is uniquely equipped to help us discern how best to move forward.

 Illustration: 
For most of my childhood, I wanted to grow up and become an architect. I chose the college I attended because I was interested in their Landscape Architecture program. I was enrolled in that program for exactly one week.

I attended my first class and was given what I originally viewed as a simple assignment. I began my work by reviewing the assignment requirements. I discovered that the specifics of what was required were much more than I imagined. After a week of working on the assignment, I realized that I didn’t enjoy the work. I
really didn’t enjoy the work. I imagined doing this for the rest of my life on a larger scale. I realized I couldn’t do it and I looked for a program I might transfer into.

What I didn’t realize was that God had plans for my life. I couldn’t have even imagined the path my life would take. I couldn’t foresee the places I’d work, or live, or study. I couldn’t anticipate the road I’d take or the place I’d end up. Today, I work in ministry full-time and that was not what I dreamt of as a kid. Perhaps God saw my dreams differently than I did.

Takeaway:
We long for control of our lives. We like to believe that we are building lives based on what we want for the future. However, we often don’t know ourselves as well as we think we do. Since most of us aren’t
magicians or diviners, we must look outside of ourselves to understand our dreams. If we are smart, perhaps we look to God. 

Prayer:
God teach me to trust you with my life. Teach me to see you at work in my hopes and my dreams. Remind me of your infinite wisdom and give me the courage to walk the path you lay before me. Amen.