Lessons From the Life Of A Dreamer: Introduction

 

Introduction

Four years ago, at a time when I was working through some particularly tough issues, someone recommended that I read Genesis 50 and try to see my circumstances through the eyes of the Biblical Old Testament character Joseph.  The suggestion didn’t sit well with me. However, I began studying the story of the life of Joseph—mostly as a way to find out what led up to the climactic moment when he could declare, You meant harm, but God meant it for good.

I was shocked by what I learned through my studying. I’d never heard most of my discoveries in church. In fact, I was so surprised that I started taking notes of lessons I could relate to from the life of Joseph, the Dreamer. I even considered writing a short book about it, but ultimately put that idea on hold.

Recently, I made a list of all those lessons I learned a few years ago. I’ve decided to share them with you this month while I’m participating in Write 31 Days. Every day, I will post one of the unexpected lessons I learned from studying Joseph’s story. I hope you find them as helpful as I have.

If you’re not familiar with the story, I encourage you to read Genesis chapters 37-50 before diving into this month’s series as I’ll be referring to it each day. If you prefer to read a short synopsis of the story, you can do so at Sparknotes.

A link to each lesson will be available here as the series progresses:

Lesson One: Favoritism

Lesson Two: Dreams

Lesson Three: The Middleman

Lesson Four: Sarcasm

Lesson Five: Deceit

Lesson Six: Rescue

Lesson Seven: Distraction

Lesson Eight: Kindness

Lesson Nine: Favor

Lesson Ten: Preparation

Lesson Eleven: Forgotten

Lesson Twelve: Responsibility

Lesson Thirteen: Remembered

Lesson Fourteen: Rising

Lesson Fifteen: Deny

Lesson Sixteen: Doubt

Lesson Seventeen: Influence

Lesson Eighteen: Parenting

Lesson Nineteen: Fear

Lesson Twenty: Anger

Lesson Twenty-one: Conflict

Lesson Twenty-two: Victim

Lesson Twenty-three: Unexpected

Lesson Twenty-four: Guilty

Lesson Twenty-five: Deliverance

Lesson Twenty-six: Weeping

Lesson Twenty-seven: Acceptance

Lesson Twenty-eight: Change

Lesson Twenty-nine: Dying

Lesson Thirty: Grace

Lesson Thirty-one: Endings