Our Dreams
November 16th, 2008
What questions do we ask ourselves regarding the ability and desire of God to work in our lives? Jesus left no room for such questioning:(Mark 9:22-23 NIV) “…But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” {23} “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
If you can??? What do you mean if you can? Is there any doubt? There was no doubt in Jesus, only complete faith and He is the model for our lives.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb 11:1 KJV)
Dream great things, dare great things. To dream is to see the picture of the desires God puts in your heart. It is hope of Him and in Him. To dare is to advance toward achievement of the dream of our heart. We must see ourselves through God’s dreams. His dreams for us are limitless. His dreams for us are so wonderful that as they unfold they will move others to aspire to Him. Our lives will become a “living epistle” written in love by His hand.
Do not deny what He has put in you. If it seems impossible don’t turn away. The only check is the word of God Himself. He said, “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” And He said, “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.” These words and your conscience for He has also said, “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.” These are the reality checks of our hearts desire. If it’s big and it’s right, it’s God.
God dares us to dream, he dares us to start out towards that dream. Faith in Him is moving toward that dream knowing that He is backing us all the way. He is with us and in us and expects us to march confidently toward these dreams. His dare to us, a dare to be great, a dare that if taken will allow Him to exalt us, is a dare that when the world sees the result, they will see the handwriting of God in your life. When God dares us, He challenges us to do something requiring boldness and courage. When we accept His dare we step out in courage knowing that He has made a way and we can do, achieve, and face whatever lies ahead.
When the Israelites were led out of slavery and first came to the promised land they would not enter. It grieved God greatly and that generation wondered in the wilderness getting by — and never achieving the promise that was in their hearts of a land of milk and honey. They didn’t dare when God challenged them, they said we are like grasshoppers, we cannot take the land. Speaking about that, God said to us, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”
The word did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith. The dream God put into their hearts died and was buried in the wilderness for that generation. It is sad the dreams, desires that lie buried in graveyards because the dare was not accepted. A life that doesn’t accept God’s dare will die one day and be forgotten. A life that accepts God’s dare will be remembered, Joshua and Caleb will not be forgotten. They were the only two from the generation that fell in the wilderness who had the dream so alive in them that they led the next generation into the promised land. God’s dream alive in you will keep you alive and keep you young enough to see it’s completion.
Caleb was kept alive and strong because he believed and acted on the word of God to him. At 85 years old he saw his dream come true and then lived long enough to enjoy it, “And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive…I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
The Israelites had stopped in the desert and died. But those few who kept the dream alive marched forth into the promised land. Are you dying in the wilderness, if so what is the dream that you laid down? Is it buried under so much sand that it is hard to remember. Dig it out and lay it on the solid Rock and build it there. There is a loving Father in whom all things are possible. Make that Rock your alter with your life and dreams spread before him. In Isaiah 37:14 The most powerful army in the world was coming to take Jerusalem. The enemy commander sent a letter to king Hezekiah demanding surrender. Hezekiah spread his problems before the Lord and the Lord delivered him, killing the enemy army. Hezekiah had no reason to believe for deliverance except the Word of God. It is what we must always do, seek the Lord and open our lives to Him so that we may hear His Word, so that He may work. And we must never, never, never give up, never quit, never faint, and always rejoice and delight ourselves in the Lord no matter how the situation may appear.
(Hab 3:17-19 KJV) Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: {18} Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. {19} The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
(Psa 37:4-10 KJV) Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. {5} Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. {6} And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. {7} Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. {8} Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. {9} For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. {10} For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
The word desire, in it’s Latin root means, “Of the Father.” Our desires, our dreams, are they not given to us by the Father. As he gave the Israelites a desire, a dream, for the promised land, the “land flowing with milk and honey,” has He not given us desires? As He empowered them to go into it, has He not empowered us to go into ours? What will we choose? To be deceived by the world or listen to God? He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. Dream great dreams. God can.
So what is the word of God to you? What speaks loudly from your heart? What is the dare from God that is challenging you today? What desire is calling you? Have you let it wither? Have you buried it already and yourself with it? Whenever the word of God is given the scriptures say that Satan comes immediately to take it from you, but the scriptures also say to resist him and he will flee. Advance steadily toward that dream. A poet once said, “dream great dreams and say, God can. With God nothing is impossible. Only believe, all things are possible to he that believes. Accept the dare, turn belief into action, move towards the dream.