"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 3:20-21 NIV
Many of us have dreams of being successful or accomplishing something great or succeeding in something specific in life, however some of us may have skipped the dreaming stage. There are so many things that God wants to accomplish in you and through your life. The Bible tells us that "He has plans for you!"
The Process of a Dream: There is a series of actions that lead us to a particular result. We must remember that dreams are a process. There are no instant dreams unless you ate spicy food late at night, and then it is not a dream, it is a nightmare. God will not lift you up out of your dream and set you down in the center of its fulfillment. The Children of Israel dreamed of living in the Promised Land, but the only way to get there was through the wilderness. You see, you will not be able to trust God for the fruition of your dream, until you see His faithfulness in the process. Do not despise the process, for that is where we learn to trust God. The process can be difficult, the road can be rough, the land can be like a wilderness, but you will never taste of the milk and honey without completing the process.
The Progress of a Dream: Your dream will never progress unless it is pursued. Pursue the dream God has given you no matter how far-fetched it may seem. Your dreams are like your children; they are your offspring. Your dreams are the joy of your present and the hope of your future. Protect them, feed them, encourage them to grow, for as long as you have a dream you will never be old. I can hear the voice of Caleb today, "So here I am today, 85 years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."
I love the Caleb spirit. This became possible because of the process. Caleb stayed true to his dream, he stayed focused on his dream, and he pursued after his dream. We are talking about God-given dreams that lead to God-honoring results, not self ambition.
The Promise of a Dream: "And afterward, 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." Joel 2:28 NIV
God has a dream for you, and as you seek Him, He will reveal it to you. When He reveals His dream for you, you must remember three things.
1. Dreams are specific, not general; personal, not public. God will not give someone else your dream, He will give it to you. God can confirm it through others, but He will reveal it to you. When He does, be careful of who you share it with. (Joseph's brothers could not handle his dream, so they tried to abort it.)
2. Dreams are usually outside the realm of the expected. Often your dream will cause others to say, "You've got to be kidding!" Remember, that is their opinion, not God's. With God, all things are possible.
3. Dreams can separate you from others. Dreamers are risk-takers and are always in the minority. Dreams will separate the risk-takers, from the caretakers and the undertakers. Those who walk by sight will always outnumber those who walk by faith.
What do you dream about? What has God enabled you to see that does not exist yet? You will never out dream God! Catch that Caleb spirit, give me that mountain.
Chase after the dream that God has given you!
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Editor's note: David Austin is the pastor of The Ridge Community Church in Pea Ridge. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Religion on 06/11/2014