So often, as we wait for the dreams God has planted in our hearts to bear fruit and come to pass, we have to hold on to the words God has spoken to our hearts. Our attitude in the waiting period, when we are called to live by faith and walk with the unseen more real to us than the visible world around us, often determines whether these dreams come to pass or wither away.

In Genesis 39, Joseph is shamefully treated, imprisoned unjustly and cast aside by the one who had placed such trust in him. If I had written Genesis 39, this is how it would have read:

‘It’s not fair, God! Why should I be in this hell-hole of a prison? What are You playing at?! I survived my brothers selling me into slavery for this?!

How could Potiphar believe I’d do something like that? Doesn’t he even know me? After all I’ve done for him, why can’t he even trust me?! He knows by now I’m not like the rest of his slaves! That’s why he promoted me, after all, because he could see that I was different! Why should he believe his wife when he knows me? Or I thought he knew me. I can’t believe he’s so gullible. I can’t believe he’s done this. What happened to “innocent until proven guilty”?! There’s no evidence whatsoever except for the schemes that conniving woman came up with in her demented jealousy!

Doesn’t he know what she’s like?! Doesn’t he realise she’s got the hots for me, but that’s not my fault?! Have I ever done anything to encourage her, to make her think I was interested in her? Never! But that’s not enough for some women, is it? Oh no. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” Too right. But I don’t see why I should be here in this prison because of her. It’s not right.’

This alternate reality, however, where self-justification, self-pity and sheer outrage (at other people and, at times, at God) rage, does not achieve the righteous purposes of God. Self-justification and complaint – although natural reactions and mentioned frequently enough in the Psalms – cannot bring about the righteous results God longs for.

Instead, we have to reflect Christ’s submission to the Father’s will, saying, in effect:

‘God, I don’t understand what’s going on here. You know I didn’t do anything inappropriate. Please help me to serve You even in this prison. Thank You that You never leave me or forsake me. Thank You that You will work it all out. You’ve still got great plans for my life. Help me to wait patiently for You and in the meantime, to make the most of every opportunity You give me, even in prison!’

Mark’s series on Joseph’s dreams have been focussing on how the dreams God gives us sometimes seem to take strange paths towards fulfilment. Joseph ended up sold as a slave… working in Egypt… thrown into prison. All these things must have seemed utterly confusing to him (especially considering he had not encouraged Potiphar’s wife at all!), but in actual fact, God was still on the throne and was, even in these dark moments (which lasted considerably longer than moments!), working all things out according to His perfect plans. Casting Crowns’ song ‘Just Be Held‘ takes up this theme:

‘Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on/

And when you’re tired of fighting,
Chained by your control
There’s freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go.

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place.
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm,
You’ll wonder if I love you still,
But if your eyes are on the cross
You’ll know I always have and I always will.

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you’ll understand
I’m painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

Lift your hands, lift your eyes:
In the storm is where you’ll find Me
And where you are, I’ll hold your heart
I’ll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who won’t let go.’ (‘Just Be Held’, Casting Crowns)

The other aspect of dreams which we often fail to understand is how God actually plants these dreams within our hearts. He sows the seeds for these dreams and waters these over the years. Another song on the ‘Thrive’ album which looks at this idea is called ‘Dream For You.’ This looks at the stories of David and Mary and shows how the dreams either of these characters might have had were as nothing compared to the dreams God had for them. We need to understand that God can do so much more than all we ask or imagine!

‘Hey, David, I hear you’ve been dreaming
About being a big time shepherd some day.
You’re gonna prove your brothers wrong;
You’re gonna sing your shepherd song
To the cattle on a thousand hills
But I’ve been thinking

I’m having trouble with a giant down the road
You’re the one who’s going to face him toe to toe.
Wipe that grin right off his face
And whip this army into shape
I’m going to turn the nation back to Me
And David, you’re right about one thing
Your little shepherd songs are going to make the whole world sing
And I’m gonna make you king.

So come on, let Me dream, let Me dream for you
I am strong when you’re weak and I’ll carry you
So let go of your plan, be caught by My hand
I’ll show you what I can do
When I dream for you
I have a dream for you.

Hey Mary, I’ve heard you’ve been dreaming
Making plans for your big wedding day
You and Joseph are gonna be
The picture perfect family,
Maybe a couple of kids down the road
But I’ve been thinking.

Even before time began
I had a picture perfect plan
Of how to save this broken world
Through the life of just one man
I’m gonna send my only Son
And Mary, you’re the one
You were right about one thing
You’re gonna have that family
And you’re gonna raise a King

I’m stronger than you think I am
I’ll take you farther than you think you can
You sing and call me Great I Am
So take your stand
My child, if you only knew
All the plans that I have for you
Just trust me, I will follow through
You can follow Me.’ (‘Dream For You,’ Casting Crowns)

Dave spoke tonight about Enoch, a man who walked with God. Enoch is first mentioned in Genesis 5:18-24 and is one of only two people mentioned in the Bible who did not die (the other being Elijah.) In the previous verses, the genealogies list Enoch’s ancestors, repeating the phrase ‘and then he died’, but Enoch ‘was no more, because God took him away.’ The reason for this is that he pleased God (Heb 11:5).

We may think it was easier for Enoch to walk with God and please Him because he lived so long ago and therefore had less to contend with than we do, but the world he lived in was corrupt and sinful, just as it is today. Jude v14-15 tells us that Enoch prophesied about God’s judgment because of the sinfulness of mankind, so clearly it was no easier for him to walk with God than it is for us today. Nonetheless, he walked with God for 300 years and clearly learnt how to please Him, and we can too.

What does it mean, then, to ‘walk with God’?

1) We are only able to do this because we are reconciled to God. Amos 3:3 says two do not walk together unless they are in agreement with each other. God has made it possible for us to be reconciled to Him.

2) We become friends of God and also become His children, knowing Him as our Father.

3) We are at peace with God, no longer hiding from Him as Adam did in the Garden of Eden after the Fall.

4) Walking with God means we share His nature, shunning darkness to walk in the light. Holiness is required in us and is imparted to us through the righteousness of God.

5) We walk with God by surrendering our wills to His. Enoch chose to walk with God. We walk in fellowship, knowing constant communion with Him.

6) We walk by faith. This is how we please God. (Heb 11:6)

When we walk with God, we will be further on than before. We will make progress in our knowledge of God and will be guided by Him, witnessing for Him (Enoch was a prophet who spoke out God’s truths.) We cannot serve God unless first we walk with Him.

Enoch’s name means ‘dedicated’. He was an ordinary man whose walk with God continued into heaven. Faith is the only way we can please God and walk with Him; it is the seed which produces a godly life.

Stephen’s sermon this morning looked at ‘an exploration of our diet’ – not so much focussing on the food we eat but on the life-changing and lifelong diet which God provides for us! This diet is free (Is 55:1) and, unlike many of the faddy food diets on offer, allows us to partake freely of all that God has to offer! (Rom 14:14 reminds us that no food is unclean in itself, reminding us that God only wants to give us good things.)

Col 3:16-17 reminds us that everything which is done and said needs to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and 2 Tim 3:16 reminds us that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful to us. We need to understand, however, that love must be the motivator in all we do, for Rom 14:15 reminds us that our actions can cause distress to others if we are not acting out of love. All our behaviour and activities must be filtered through love. Jesus was tender and gentle with those who were weak and in need but opposed the legalistic hypocrisy of the Pharisees with force. We have to understand that the freedom Christ brings is not to be abused, and we must live our lives conscious that our diet will not only affect our own spiritual growth but will affect others who can either be strengthened or weakened by our actions. A personal application of this diet – what Christ means to us in our own personal lives and how we live before others – is important for us.

Last night’s Bible study looked at 1 John 2:7-11, where John continues developing the idea that love is the ultimate identifying mark of the Christian. This commandment to love God and to love each other (Matt 22:36-40) is hardly new, since it is found in Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18, and has always been God’s intention for mankind. However, in other respects, it is new (a fact recognised by Jesus in John 13:34-35 and reiterated in James 2:8), simply because Jesus is the embodiment of love and demonstrated for us what this love actually looks like. It is new, because, in the unfolding of Christian experience, it has developed new power, meaning, and obligation, and closer correspondence “with the facts of Christ’s life, with the crowning mystery of His passion, and with the facts of the Christian life.”

When following a recipe or understanding a technical engineering drawing, the facts are laid out for us to follow and there should, in theory, be no variation in the end product! But, of course, following a recipe or understanding a drawing depends on personal interpretation and there will sometimes be great variation in the end product. The command ‘love God and others’ can be interpreted in so many different ways by people of different upbringings and personalities that we needed some more objective way to assess this; we also needed to see the utter selflessness of God’s love demonstrated for us (see John 15:9-13).

John continues to reflect on light and darkness, going on to say that if we claim to be in the light but hate our brother or sister, we are actually still in darkness. The ‘true light’ is already shining (see John 1:1-5, John 8:12) – Jesus is the ‘real thing’, not simply a shadow! By His Holy Spirit, He seeks to convict us of our sin and lead us into light. ‘Hate’ here means more than simply ‘not getting along with’ or ‘not liking’: it denotes a deadly intent to harm. (Acts 8:1-3) We should always remember, also, that ‘love’ is a choice, a verb, not a feeling. Love is the identifying mark of the Christian and will be how others will know that we belong to Christ. (John 13:35)

The song ‘Never Too Late’ on the new album by Kutless is a powerful reminder that ‘as long as there’s a breath left to take, it’s never too late.’ So often, our lives are filled with regret which holds us back and keeps us ashamed. Our Bible studies (next one scheduled for this evening at 7.30 p.m.) on 1 John are reminding us, though, that there is a difference between remorse and repentance and that the answer to shame is to confess our sins to One who is faithful and just not only to forgive us but to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

The enemy would have us believe that we are ‘too far gone’, that we have sinned beyond forgiveness, that we are wretched and miserable and undeserving of grace. We may well be wretched and miserable and are all definitely undeserving of grace, but the amazing, wonderful, liberating and soul-freeing fact remains that all our mistakes are covered by grace and it is not too late. Jean Valjean, the hero of Hugo’s ‘Les Misérables’, discovers this when the bishop refuses to press charges against him for stealing and allows him to go free, giving him the silver he has stolen (‘use this precious silver to become an honest man’.) We too can discover it is never too late if we simply come to the Cross, for peace, freedom and forgiveness are indeed waiting for us there.

‘I see you staring at the sky,
All of your regrets just running down your face,
You think you finally crossed the line,
Feel you sealed your fate…

It’s never too late to call on Him
Whatever you’ve done, wherever you’ve been,
All your mistakes are covered by grace,
And as long as there’s a breath left to take
It’s never too late…

It’s hard to hide the pain of life,
It’s a losing game that you have played too long,
You’ve listened to the voice of pride,
It says you’re too far gone, but believe me you’re wrong…

It’s never too late, to cry out to Him,
Whatever you’ve done, wherever you’ve been,
All your mistakes are covered by grace,
And as long as there’s a breath left to take
It’s never too late…

To all who may be listening, it’s never too late,
To all who may be lost, there is peace, there is freedom and forgiveness,
Waiting at the cross, waiting at the cross.’ (‘Never Too Late’, Kutless)