“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me,
and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13
We all have dreams; some even go back as far as our childhood. If you think back, perhaps yours were to be a fireman, doctor, nurse, lawyer, astronaut, entertainer, musician, teacher, or something else. Those dreams often change as we mature, and are often influenced by others, or our own circumstances and can include marriage, children, and other life choices.
Our culture can color our values and our dreams, causing us place too much importance on affluence, fame, influence, power, or popularity, and that can leave us feeling very dissatisfied.
Some dreams are fulfilled, others not, and occasionally they take a long time to be realized. After many years of not always aligning my hopes to God’s plans, I discovered that when my dreams and God’s plans were in agreement, the results were blessings.
“Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4
One example from my own life occurred in the mid 90’s when, after sixteen years of being a stay at home mom, I needed to return to work. My previous career in the banking and mortgage lending arena was not one I wished resume. My new dream, when the time came for me to again seek employment, was to serve in ministry. I had been involved in Community Bible Study (CBS) classes for about ten years. CBS is a national ministry with hundreds of classes throughout the US, and an international ministry with classes in many nations. In 1995, when the time came for me to re-enter the workforce, I was able to get a job at their national/international office ― their only office ― 10 miles from my home. My dream and God’s plans were in agreement, the result brought numerous blessings.
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act
in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
Philippians 2:13
I have shared previously my appreciation for the way Roy Lessin expresses timeless truths. Here are some of his gems from his online devotional Meet Me In The Meadow Our Dreams or God’s Desires:
“It is important for all of us, as followers of Jesus Christ, not to confuse human dreams with God’s desires, direction, and will for our lives. Our dreams, compared to God’s desires and purposes, can be very different and we need to understand those differences:
~ Human dreams can be based upon fantasies;
God’s desires for us are based upon reality and truth.
~ Human dreams can be born out of self-interests;
God’s desires for us are based upon His will.
~ Human dreams can focus on what is pleasing to us;
God’s desires for us will focus on what is pleasing to Him.
~ Human dreams can become the most important thing to us;
God’s desires for us make Him and His ways the most important things to us.
~ Human dreams can focus on our self-significance;
God’s desires for us focus on His glory.
~ Human dreams can place us at the center of our thoughts;
God’s desires for us place Him at the center of our hearts.
~ Human dreams can be looked upon as the key to our happiness;
God’s desires for us cause us to look to Him as the source of our joy.
~ Human dreams can bring discontentment when they are not fulfilled;
God’s desires and will for us do not disappoint.
As we delight ourselves in the Lord, His desires will become our desires, and we can trust in Him to fulfill them in His time and in His perfect way.”
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,”
Ephesians 3:20 NIV
I have some dreams I am still waiting to be fulfilled. What big dream are you waiting for?
Used with Roy Lessin’s permission from:
Meet Me In The Meadow Devotional Online, “Our Dreams or God’s Desires – Part 1 and 2.” http://www.meetmeinthemeadow.com/2013/07/our-dreams-or-gods-desires-part-1-of-2/
http://www.meetmeinthemeadow.com/2013/07/our-dreams-or-gods-desires-part-2-of-2/