Do you have any crazy dreams about what life could be? Are
you willing to let yourself think about change? Some of our dreams are naïve,
some nothing more than fantasy. A few are downright wrong and deserve no more
thought. There are nightmares- dreams that terrify. Then, there are those
dreams that turn into vision which, when matched with action and resources,
create a new reality! Most of us cannot imagine a world without a smartphone in
our pocket, but a little more than a decade ago, they were just an idea.
In his most famous speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of
a dream about something far more important than a tech device. He ‘saw’ a new
kind of world. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day
live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but
by the content of their character. I have a dream today. … I have a dream that
one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made
low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made
straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see
it together.” His dream, though partially fulfilled, is still yet to
be fully realized in our nation.
On this final day of 2019, let me ask you again – Do you
allow yourself to dream? I say that we must dream or die.
Consider this word of God, spoken by Jeremiah to the Jews at
one of the lowest points in their history. He was inspired to remind them that
God calls us to hope. They are words for us! “This is what the Lord says, he
who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his
name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable
things you do not know.’" (Jeremiah 33:2-3, NIV) The Message says it
like this: "Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous
and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own."
Are you dreams God-sized? Are they God-honoring?
Are they worthy of prayer and investment of your precious time?
Are they worthy of prayer and investment of your precious time?
Too often our dreams are exclusively about a life of greater
comfort, more money, or increased influence. We turn our dreams turn into
schemes about how we can use God’s power to further our agenda.
“God give me the money I think I need for that new project.”
“God, make my spouse love me in a way that makes me a
happier person.”
“Lord, make sure my job remains secure this year.”
“Heal me… comfort me… give me more…” are common lines in our
prayers.
It is not wrong to ask God for our needs, to share our
heart’s desire with Him. He invites us to do that with confidence. James
teaches us to “Tell God what you need.” We balance
that with the fact that He is a Good Father, and He knows our need better than
we do. By faith, we surrender to His will trusting that what He allows us
to experience are ‘good and perfect’ gifts that shape us for His glory, which
is our ultimate purpose for existence.
From personal experience I will tell you that your dreams
and God’s plans do not always follow the same path. The decade that is closing
today has brought me grief I could not have imagined as it began. My father, my
mother, my wife, my brother, many friends – have died in this time. Ah, yes,
death is a part of the life-cycle and I recognize that reality. Then, too, in
my pastoral work, I have experienced some wonderful moments with the people in
my care, and I have known the worst disappointments of my entire ministry. Through
it all, God has taught me to love Him and others more humbly and hopefully,
with deeper faith.
The path I walked has been so far outside of my plans, I can
say without exaggeration that it is beyond my wildest imagination. Most of us
read that passage I quoted and we naturally think of “wondrous things” as fun,
happy, and comfortable development. Disciple, God does have a plan for you and
me! Our greatest joy is found in letting Him set the pace. He is a good God;
not tame, not predictable, not bound to our limited perspective; but amazingly
wonderful. So, "since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step
with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25, NIV) When we invite the
Spirit to take the reins, we begin to see the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy – “I
will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”
(2:28)
May our most compelling dreams be about knowing Him, loving
Him, and making a difference for His kingdom as long we enjoy life on this
earth.
Here’s a New Year’s blessing. Receive it as you pray for the
faith to let God be God!
"I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in
your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of
God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s
people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never
fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and
power that comes from God. Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work
within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to
ask or hope. May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever
and ever through endless ages. Amen." (Ephesians 3:17-21, NLT)
“Joy unspeakable!
Faith unsinkable!
Love unstoppable!
Anything is possible, we were made to thrive!”
_____________
(Casting Crowns reminds us that
God has good things prepared for us!)
God has good things prepared for us!)
Here in this worn and weary land
Where many a dream has died
Like a tree planted by the water
We will never run dry
So living water flowing through
God we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls
With one desire
Just to know You and to make You known
We lift Your name on high
Shine like the sun make darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more
Than ordinary lives
It's time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive
Into Your Word we're digging deep
To know our Father's heart
Into the world we're reaching out
To show them who You are
Joy unspeakable
Faith unsinkable
Love unstoppable
Anything is possible
We were made to thrive
Mark Hall | Matthew West
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Highly Combustible Music (Admin. by Atlas Music Publishing)
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Publishing)
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