Any person who has ever chased after a God-given dream has gone through the pit experience. And anyone who will chase after a God-given dream experiences this.
The pit experience is that stage in life when things seem cloudy, and you seem not to see well anymore. Your vision becomes foggy, and you may be confused about who you are and why the ugly experiences are coming to you.
When we see a vision of what God wants to do through us, we are excited and ready to conquer, thinking it is about our promotion, wealth and happiness. So, we make the vision ours and pride ourselves as dream chasers and vision carriers. We may often take God out of the equation because we have convinced ourselves that we will get there no matter what. Then, we set out to accomplish the dream and discover that we are empty without God.
When the brothers of Joseph saw him coming, they conspired to kill him. However, Reuben suggested that he be put in a pit. He did this to save Joseph from the anger of his other siblings because he had planned to come back to get him out. Joseph was lowered into a pit while his brothers sat down to eat and drink.
I could imagine Joseph wondering what would become of him and his dreams. He must have been scared for his life and probably surrendered his spirit to God’s hands, knowing the hatred of his brothers. I can also hear him saying, “Lord, if you deliver me from the hands of my brothers, I will forever serve you. Remember the dreams you showed me. I am willing to give up my parents and siblings bowing to me; help me get out of here, and I will forever be yours.”
You see, at this point, the only thing that mattered to Joseph was to stay alive. He has realised that only excitement doesn’t achieve a vision, but following God’s instructions does. So, he had to give up his own will to align with God’s will.
The pit experience is a moment of death to self and personal ambition. It is that point when all you have and you are is GOD. He becomes your central point instead of those dreams and visions you saw. You lose physical sight to gain spiritual sight. You leave the big dreams, and focus on God, who gave them. It is where you lose yourself in God and understand that it is not about you but God and His purpose; a moment of complete alignment with God’s will for giving the dreams. Not as I will, but let Your will be done.
Reflection: Maybe you have become over-attached to your dream that they have taken the place of God in your heart. At this stage of pit experience, God strips you of those dreams(gods) so you can focus on Him. In the pit, Joseph lost his dreams and relied then on God. Remember, God is the Beginning and Finisher of our faith – the Originator and Accomplisher of dreams.
