Following The Dream
Mark 9:23 “All things are possible to those who believe
Matthew 1:18-25 NIV
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
The Escape to Egypt
Matthew 2:13 NIV
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
The Return to Nazareth
Matthew 2:19-20 NIV
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
John 6:42 NIV
They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
Joseph’s life shows us that believing God often looks like listening, obeying, and staying faithful, even when the dream unfolds in unexpected ways.
LESSONS FROM JOSEPH
1. JOSEPH WAS SENSITIVE TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD
Sensitivity to God’s voice isn’t mystical, it’s cultivated through obedience, attentiveness, and trust. Joseph teaches us that God often speaks when we are willing to act.
John 10:27 NKJV “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall [direct your paths.”
James 1:22 NKJV “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
2. JOSEPH WAS TRULY HUMBLE
True humility is defined as following God’s Word even if makes you look foolish. Joseph accepted a role that brought misunderstanding, whispers, and loss of reputation. Joseph shows us that humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking more about obeying God than protecting your image.
Micah 6:8 NKJV “He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,To love mercy,And to walk humbly with your God?”
1 Corinthians 1:27 NKJV “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.”
3. JOSEPH WAS FAITHFUL AND STEADY
Joseph didn’t argue, delay, or partially obey, he stayed faithful through seasons of uncertainty. Faith isn’t proven in big moments; it’s revealed in consistent obedience over time. Joseph’s steadiness made him trustworthy with God’s greatest gift.
Luke 16:10 NKJV “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”
Galatians 6:9 NKJV “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Hebrews 10:36 NKJV “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”
Psalm 37:5 NKJV “Commit your way to the Lord,Trust also in Him,And He shall bring it to pass.”
Closing Thoughts
Joseph believed God:
- When the dream didn’t make sense
- When obedience cost him comfort
- When faith required consistency, not applause
All things are possible to those who believe, and to those willing to follow the dream God gives them.