Dare To Dream
By: Kristen L. McNulty
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Everyone has a dream. We may not all admit it, but we all have dreams. I truly believe that these dreams are not only God inspired, but also God given. I think that God places the seeds in our hearts and as we become closer to Christ and become more and more attuned to His heart, these seeds flourish into dreams. Psalm 139:16 states: "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed (NLT)." The truth that applied to the Psalmist in this verse applies to you and I today. If God knows our futures and created every part of our being, then I believe God created the dreams and desires that lie within our hearts. I also believe that the closer we grow to God and the more we become more like Christ, the more the dreams of our heart can be trusted on to reflect the dreams God has for us.
Now while everyone has dreams, it's unfortunate that many Christians are not living out their dreams. I don't know why but it almost seems like many Christians scoff at dreams. We think 'God would never ask me to do that' or 'it's just so big it's not possible' or 'that's just me thinking.' God doesn't give us dreams only to have us feel discontented for the rest of our lives because we are not living them. God gives us dreams to turn into reality. Considering this, why is it then; that most dreams never occur? I believe it is because too many of us are waiting for God to perform our dreams, instead of taking the step of faith that is required.
Let's use an example. Personally, I have a dream. For many years now, I've had the dream to work in Christian radio and eventually to run my own station. Knowing that it requires lots of money to open a Christian radio station, I reserved this dream as my million-dollar dream. Meaning I'd get a job in another field and when I win the lottery (which is hard to do when you don't purchase tickets), then I'd do what God wanted me to.
Fortunately, as I've matured as a Christian, I've come to realize that this line of thinking is not the same line of thinking God had when He gave me this dream. Yes, it's a big dream. Yes, it will require a lot of money to do. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't pursue the dream or wait until there is no risk or fear before I pursue it. If I did that, it would never happen! It means that I should take a step of faith and allow God to move in ways that only He can.
The Israelites had a dream of the Promised Land. After wandering in the desert for forty years, they finally were within view of their dream, but there was one problem to cross: a river. In order to enter the Promised Land, the Israelites would have to cross water and this was in the days before bridges. They knew God promised them this land, thus the name "Promised Land", but they also knew that there was no way they could ever cross the river without God's help. Aren't our dreams also like this? God usually doesn't give us dreams that we can do on our own. His dreams for our lives are always God-Sized so that there is no way we can ever do them on our own. All God asks us to do is take a step of faith. For the Israelites, it literally meant getting their feet wet. For you and I, it may be something different. For some that may mean going back to school, for others it may be pursuing a relationship, for others it may be applying for a job, for others it may mean quitting a job. It doesn't matter what the step of faith is, what is important is that you take that step.
When we take a step of faith, God honors it. In Joshua 3, it says as soon as the priests feet touched the water's edge, the water stopped flowing and the Israelites were able to walk across into the Promised Land on dry land. Let me ask you then, what river is God asking you to get your feet wet in? If you know God's given you a dream and you know that God is calling you, don't be afraid to take that step of faith. That's the only way your dream is ever going to happen. Think of it as your down payment before God gives the mortgage.
Don't be afraid to dream, and don't be afraid to pursue your dream when God opens that door, even if it requires taking a big step of faith. As the Michelle Tumes song "Dream" says:
"There's a dream in your heart
And His heart is your prayer
You can move mountains with your life in His hands
He'll tear down the walls and He'll walk where you can't
Have faith in the power to believe
He has given you a dream"
This devotional was aired as a part of the Making A Difference Christian Radio Show.