Genesis 37:5-9
“One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he said. ‘We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!’ His brothers responded, ‘So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?’ And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. ‘Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. 'The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!’”
Joseph fed his brother’s hatred for him by unwisely sharing with them his dreams in which they all bowed down to him. The dreams eventually prove to be accurate, but Joseph displays a lack of wisdom by vocalizing them. God will use Joseph in profound ways, but Joseph still needs some work on his character.
Respond in Prayer Ask
God for wisdom today in how to best use your words. Ask Him to show you when to speak, when not to speak, and for wisdom to know what to speak at just the right time. For further reading, see this wise advice from the book of Proverbs on using words.
For Families with Kids at Home
Sometimes our role as parents involves telling our kids the right way to go, and sometimes it involves showing them or guiding them in ways that don’t involve any words at all. Ask God to give you the wisdom today to know the difference: when to tell your kids which way to go, and when to patiently and quietly show them.