YOU HAVE A DREAM
Jenna Worsham
Today’s Scripture: “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7, NIV
Theme: When you’re trying to understand or find your dream, persevere and obey through the process.
DRAWING A BLANK
If you don’t have a prominent dream identified, it may be hard to understand someone like Daniel or Joseph (both Josephs, actually! – the one with the colorful coat and the protector of Mary and Jesus). Just like many college freshmen who struggle to select a major, we can be tempted to label our dreams “undecided.” We might tell ourselves, “I’m not a dreamer. I’ll leave the dreams to someone else.”
EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T SEE IT
Each of us has God-ordained purposes, whether or not we recognize them. God whispers encouragement as we move forward through dreams and visions. Yet, if I remain stagnant or ignore God’s voice, it’s hard to identify God-given dreams. What if, for example, God created your shoulders and lungs in a way that is optimized for swimming great distances at astounding speed, but you never learned to swim, or ever jumped into a body of water? Great potential would remain unidentified. What if your particular leadership style or listening abilities would create a dynamic Life Group, but you have yet to prioritize attending a Life Group? Great potential would remain unidentified.
MAKING SOMETHING OF THE DREAM
Dreams can be confusing. God often gives us some sort of information in a dream. Yet in the examples recorded for us in the Bible, the dream isn’t a clear description of the whole picture. Joseph dreamed that his brothers and parents would bow down to him years before he was in any kind of position of authority. “Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, ‘Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me’” (Genesis 37:9, ESV). What he did with that dream was tell everyone, sound crazy, and turn his brothers against him (Genesis 37:10-11). Sometimes a dream is a clear instruction like when God instructed Joseph to take Mary and baby Jesus to Egypt (Matthew 2:13). When we dream dreams, we can rest assured that obeying God is our first priority; understanding is not always immediate, and God will only tell us to do things consistent with His character, His Word, and His example.
CONTINUE AND OBEY
Often, we find ourselves in a position or place where it seems impossible to accomplish what we dreamed. Joseph was sold into slavery, went to prison as an accused rapist, then remained in prison for some time before he made it into Pharaoh’s service. God doesn’t make mistakes. If He asks us to go or stay, we obey. If we continue where we are, spend time in prayer, in reading the Bible, in community with other believers, serving, and in giving generously, God will direct us and guide us. You can’t miss the dream if you’re staying close to God. If you feel lost or off course, seek God. He is the way.
Make It Personal: Is there anything you are doing that makes you sense God’s encouragement or approval? What dreams have you given up on? How can the Five Habits we practice at The Cove Church help you to identify and follow the dreams God has revealed to you? Is there any area you might develop in pursuit of a closer connection with God?
Five Habits
Pray: Dear Father, Thank You for Your power, creation, and the order around me. I’m thankful for Your presence and plan – so much bigger than me and yet You involve me. Thank You for helping me to dream and for gifting, encouraging, and strengthening me as I follow You. Help me to seek You with all of my heart. Help me to create habits that lead me in the right way, Your way. I trust You with the dreams I know and the ones I haven’t yet identified. I want to be available and useful to accomplish Your will. Thank You, Lord, for Jesus and that that He made a way so that I don’t have to accomplish anything, great or small, to earn Your love. It takes away my anxiety about performance and my pride over accomplishments. You are enough, without anything I could do, yet You want me to participate. I rest in Your competence and understanding. Amen.
Read: Genesis 37:5-11; John 14:4-6
Weekly Memory Verse: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3, ESV