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She was perfect. She had the beauty, the brains, and all the friends. It seemed like everything she did and everything she touched turned to gold. Or at least it looked that way from outside looking in. She was full of herself, the teacher’s pet, the tattletale and still the most popular girl in school. She was the cheerleader, the class president, the homecoming queen and I did not like her.
I know it seems petty, shallow and immature but it’s the truth. When you are in high school, you want to belong, to fit in, to be accepted and liked for who you are, or at least I did. I was young and dumb and didn’t realize that things were not always what they seemed. The perfect girl? Well, she wasn’t so perfect. Sure, she put on a great show and everyone thought the same things I did about her until our class reunions. Her life was a mess, in shambles and falling apart. That was when we all realized she had been living behind a façade, but then again, so had we all.
Joseph’s life was much like that popular girl in high school. Joseph was the favored son. He was spoiled and could do no wrong in the eyes of his father, Jacob. He was also young, immature, prideful and a tattletale which made his brothers hate him.
Here now is the story of Jacob and his family:
Joseph, when he was a young man of 17, often shepherded the flocks along with his brothers. One day as he was with Bilhah’s and Zilpah’s sons (his half-brothers), he decided to report back to their father about things they were doing wrong. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other children because he came along when he was an old man. So Israel presented Joseph with a special[a] robe he had made for him—a spectacularly colorful robe with long sleeves in it. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than the rest, they grew to hate him and couldn’t find it in themselves to speak to him without resentment or argument.
5 One day Joseph had a dream. When he told the dream to his brothers, they hated him even more.
Joseph: 6 Please listen to this dream I had … (Genesis 37:2-6a The Voice)
Jacob’s action of giving Joseph a beautifully colored robe, reinforced his favoritism and added to the brother’s hatred. Joseph was spoiled and was clearly his father’s favorite, but he was still a servant to his brothers and his father. He was a shepherd boy serving in the fields and working like everyone else, but when he turned 17 and Jacob gifted him this coat, everything changed.
In Biblical times, the robe, coat, or mantle you wore, signified your position. This I knew, but I truthfully had never thought about it in light of Joseph’s coat until recently. I was reading a book about Joseph called, The Dreamer by Brian Simmons, you know, the translator for The Passion Translation Bible. This is what he said:
“This was more than a pretty coat; it was the robe of a priest. Jacob was designated Joseph as the priest of his family. Before the law of Moses each family worshipped God with a chosen family as priest (i.e. Eleazar – I Sam. 7:1)”[1]
This coat would be worn by a prince or a priest and if there had been any doubt in the brothers minds as to Joseph’s position in the family, and their father’s favoritism of him, this put an end to it.
“Jacob was showing to his sons that Joseph was the mantle-bearer of the inheritance, the favored son.”[2]
I am not sure how Joseph felt with living in his father’s house with the tension of his father’s love and favor and yet having his brothers all hate him. I am sure it wasn’t easy, but he also didn’t make things better after he had two dreams and insisted on sharing them both with his family.
In Genesis 37:5 Joseph shares the dream with his brothers and Scripture says: “They hated him even more.”
Joseph had to know they were angry because of the questions they asked (vs 8), but it didn’t stop him from sharing the second dream. This time he shared the dream with his father and brothers which in turned caused not only hatred but jealousy to rise up.
As a young kid and teenager reading this story, I used to think to myself, “Joseph, just how stupid can you be?” I wondered why Joseph continued to tattletale, flaunt his favoritism and rub the brothers nose in his promotion and position in the household when it only caused the brothers feelings to intensify. I used to think Joseph was just cocky, prideful and arrogant.
However, I now wonder if maybe Joseph was trying to diffuse their anger and hatred by getting them to acknowledge he was in his rightful place. After all, God had revealed it to be so in the dreams He had given Joseph. The dreams confirmed Joseph was in his rightful place as the favored son and in the position of family priest which Jacob had bestowed upon him. I wonder if he was eagerly sharing these dreams to not rub it in their faces, but to prove to them, that he was destined to be more than a shepherd boy.
Sure, Joseph was arrogant, cocky and had a pride issue, but maybe he also felt unworthy and insecure in his position thereby he was trying to prove himself worthy. Maybe he was trying to justify himself and his immature behaviors and actions. Maybe he was trying to prove he didn’t deserve the hatred or jealousy his brothers had towards him.
Don't look to others for approval & validation. #God 's approval and validation is the only one that will fill the void. Click To Tweet
I’ve been there, and maybe you have too. God drops a big dream, something so huge in your heart and you long to share it with others so they can see it too. Yet, you feel unworthy of the call or insecure about your identity so instead of looking to God for validation and confirmation you look towards others. Instead of believing God and trusting what He has shown you, you make excuses and walk in doubt. Instead of going to God, you turn to others, hoping and praying they will tell you what to do. You want them to acknowledge the call on your life. You want their approval and validation because you feel unqualified.
Sometimes when God speaks or reveals things to us, others can’t see it or don’t handle it properly and they become jealous, angry or upset.
The truth is, God wants us to trust Him and turn to Him. He wants us to believe Him and what He puts in our heart. He wants us to look to Him for our identity, our validation and our qualification.
#God wants us to believe Him and in the #dreams He placed in our hearts Click To Tweet
This is where the journey begins for all of us.
God wants us to walk in humility and not allow pride or arrogance in our life. He wants us to lean on Him and turn to Him. He doesn’t want us to get ahead of Him, but instead wants to grow and teach us. He wants us to work through what needs to be worked through, so we fully embrace the calling He has for us.
Slow down and don't get ahead of #God Click To TweetPrayer
Father God help me to trust you and teach me to hear your voice when you speak. Show me if I have pride or arrogance in my life and help me to remove it. Show me if we have been jealous of others, and if so please forgive me of this sin. Fill me with your humility and teach me who I am in You. Show me the way to walk and lead me in the direction You have for me. Amen
[1] The Dreamer by Brian Simmons ©2004 page 4
[2] The Dreamer by Brian Simmons ©2004 page 5
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Debbie Kitterman is a natural born encourager who is on fire for God. She is passionate about equipping individuals, so they can go deeper in the relationship with God, reach their God-potential and claim their Kingdom inheritance. Debbie is a wife, mother, author, pastor, speaker and the founder of “Dare 2 Hear,” a ministry that trains individuals to hear the voice of God. She travels to churches internationally and is the founder and teacher of d2htraining.com, an online course designed to equip the believer in releasing God’s heart. Her writing and teachings inspire faith and build bridges for people to believe and expect the impossible. She is also an ordained Foursquare pastor, currently serving with her husband, John, as senior pastor of Restoration Church in Lacey, Washington. Learn more at: www.debbiekitterman.com
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YouVersion 7-Day Devotional
I am blessed and honored to have a 7-day devotional on the YouVersion Bible App. YAY!!! It is a great way to kick start the 7- days before my on-line Bible Study starts next week. I would be so blessed if you would check it out and share it with your friends. You can find it here: Be The Gift Someone Needs Today!
Have you had the opportunity to read my new book “The Gift of Prophetic Encouragement: Hearing the Words of God for others.” ? This book is about learning to hear the voice of God in our own life so we can respond to those God bumps and little nudges He gives us on a daily basis. God is calling us to be agents of encouragement and to be the gift the worlds needs today.
We live in a time, where those around us are in desperate need of a real encounter with Jesus and in need of encouragement. We are called to encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:13), and to build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). My book will teach you how to step out and do just that.
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Debbie, this is the best I’ve read all week long. I’ve always liked Joseph and today I think I found out why. I may have shared this last week but it bears repeating: “You may not be able to give up your day job – but never give up your day dream.” xo
THANK YOU Susan! It means a lot to me to have you say that, because I know you read a lot each and every week. 🙂 Yep, never give up on your day dreams!!! Such a powerful lesson in those words too. thanks for sharing and just being you!
So much food for thought here, Debbie. What a wonderful reminder that the people in Bible stories are just that – people. We all come with baggage, sins, and a past. Joseph was a real person, a young guy who had his issues.
I could identify with turning to others for human validation of our dreams rather than turning to God. I have to admit I am guilty of that. I will be reading your series on dreams and dreamers with great interest!
Thank you Laurie! Yes, they are just people, even though they are in the Bible it doesn’t mean they weren’t real people, with real issues just like us. I too turned to many other things for validation and approval, when God was the only place I needed to go. I have come a long way in that department. Thanks for committing to read along with me on the journey through Jospeh’s life.
I love how God will stop at NOTHING to bring his plans to fruition. Even our dysfunction and our brokenness do not stand in the way of His dreams for us.
Yes Michele! God stops at nothing to bring about His plans… even our brokenness and dysfunction isn’t too much for him. Blessings
“Yet, you feel unworthy of the call or insecure about your identity so instead of looking to God for validation and confirmation you look towards others.” Ugh. I think many of us will relate to this, Debbie. Praying for more faith and more humility.
Lisa, I have been guilty of it way more than I care to admit and I think many others have been too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and commenting. 🙂
I think that prayer was handwritten for me to pray today. laurensparks.net
Oh Lauren, I am so glad the prayer ministered to you right where you were at when you read it. Blessings
This is the third message on dreams and Joseph that I have heard in less than two months. What is God trying to tell me? I want to dream and write for the Lord too. Thank you so much for the encouraging message.
Oh WOW Mary, 3 messages in less than 2 months- God must be nudging you about something. I love it. He will be faithful to show you what he is trying to tell you, of that I am certain. I am praying for you right now that He reveals exactly what that is to you — Blessings 🙂
Debbie, this is so good! We need to remember that when God tells us to do something we don’t need the approval of others, only God. We don’t even need to try to convince ourselves, because God is One who will make sure it comes to pass. We need only listen and obey. Blessings to you!
Thank you so much Gayl! Yes we do need to remember all of the above. If God asked us to do it, our job is to say Yes and be obedient, His is to do the rest. May we all listen and then obey. Blessings to you as well.
Hi Debbie, I love the story of Joseph, I like the fact his coat was a robe of a priest, he was very much a type of Jesus. I never thought of him as a tattletale, he was just young, the problem was with his brothers. He probably had no idea of what he was being called to like most of us. Be sure and watch the Joseph movie with Paul Mercurio.
Hi Rebecca! Jospeh is such a good story and so many lessons to be learned.. even when I thought I had learned or gleaned it all, God shows me more. I will have to check out the Joseph movie, thanks for the recommendation. 🙂
This week I am sharing my Espresso Cheesecake with Raspberries, Watercress Soup and Sweet Potato Bisque. Have a lovely evening! Thanks for hosting.
yummy options for this week. Looking forward to next weeks too. Thanks Marilyn
That I may say Yes Lord, Yes. Not sure why but I heard this phrase pop in my mind right before I started to comment. I literally scrolled back up to see if it was in your prayer at the end. I’ll definitely be praying about this phrase asking Him to show me if there is a Yes that I’m needing to respond with in something. I really enjoyed reading the encouragement in this as I know there are many times I’ll still question my abilities in being able to do certain things. I need reminding that ultimately He gives what’s needed if He’s the one calling.
April, I like the phrase that popped into your head, it’s a good one – a God phrase. That we may all say Yes Lord! Thank you for typing it even though you weren’t sure why. I like those kind of God nudges. 🙂 Just so you know, I too need reminding from time to time that it’s not me and my abilities, but Gods. Blessings and thanks for sharing.
I love Joseph’s story, Debbie. I’m always encouraged knowing God can transform the work of the enemy and use it for our good as well as the good of others.
Peace and grace,
Tammy
Tammy, I am so encouraged too when I am constantly reminded that God can transform us and work with anything to accomplish His plans and His purposes… the Bible is full of stories just like that. Blessings
The story of Joseph is a favorite. Thank you for these thoughts that I hadn’t considered before.
You are most welcome Elizabeth. I have always enjoyed Jospeh too, but lately God is showing me new things I hadn’t seen before. Blessings
Very nice and a lot to ponder here. We all need to remember that everyone has baggage and we need to take that in account. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
thank you Patrick. You are so right, we do need to remember that everyone has baggage and because of that give them lots of grace and space as I like to say.
Beautiful!!! I love Joseph (and Brian Simmons… now I have to add this book to my wishlist! He is speaking at a conference in July and I am SO THERE for it!)
Karrilee, thank you and yes, if you love Brian Simmons & Joseph, it’s a must read. I heard him speak at a conference in January and picked up several of his books including the dreamer book. You will have so much fun in July hearing him share! Blessings
I love your exhortation to slow down and not get ahead of God. Tweeted one of your quotes and followed you on Twitter. Great to find you.
Thank you so much Amy! I appreciate you stopping by and tweeting too. YEs, it is sooooo important to not get ahead of God! A lesson I have had to learn many times over.