Discovering the Divine Pattern That Changes Everything
Does God have a specific dream for your life? What if I told you that every great thing that ever happened began with a dream, a vision, a visualization of a future where God's kingdom would flourish on earth as it is in heaven? That's exactly what we discover when we look through scripture. There's a beautiful pattern that emerges, one that reveals how God works in the lives of God’s people, including you.
How God Speaks His Dreams to You
You might be wondering, "How do I hear from God?" The beautiful truth is that God speaks to us in multiple ways. Sometimes God opens your eyes to a dream while you're reading the scripture. This book is God's love letter to his children. And so as you read it, sometimes God just speaks to you in that.
Sometimes God speaks to us through other people. Maybe you're in a group Bible study, or maybe you're reading a book. Other times, God gives you a nudge, or maybe a shove when you see a wrong that needs righting or a broken place in our world that needs fixing.
God created you with abilities and gifts. And God created those things so that they could ultimately be used for good in the world. You can just look in your own heart and you can see all the things that God made you to be. That's part God’s dream for you.
The Heart Connection
Psalm 37:4 gives us this incredible promise: "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." But what does this really mean? As you grow closer to the Lord and become more like Christ, then the things that you want, the things that you want to do for the kingdom are the things that God had already planned for you in the first place.
It doesn't mean that God will just give you whatever you want. It means that as your wants become more like God's wants, then he will provide those things for you. Because it was God’s plan all along.
Remember, God loves his children. As Psalm 149 reminds us, "The Lord delights in his people, crowns the humble with victory." You delight in the Lord, and at the same time, God is delighting in you.
Biblical Dreams in Action
Abraham: Take a Step of Faith
Abraham's story is remarkable because in his time there was no Bible, there was no temple, there were no writings about God. He just heard a little voice in his head that said, “I want you to move to a new place." Yet he was willing to travel a thousand miles to an unknown land.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us, "Without faith, it's impossible to please God. Does anyone who comes to him believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him?" When you follow God's dream, it causes you to put things at risk. You put your time at risk, you put your money at risk, you put relationships at risk, you put your comfort zone at risk.
Joseph: Hold On to Your Dream
Joseph's story from Genesis is one of the craziest stories in the Bible. He had a literal dream that he would be a great leader, but it seems like he was born into the world's most dysfunctional family because his brothers decided to kill him. Instead, they sold him into slavery, he was falsely accused and imprisoned, yet years went by, and finally God exalted him to the right hand of the king of Egypt.
Joseph's famous words to his brothers in Genesis 50 capture the heart of God's faithfulness: "As far as I'm concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. For he brought me to this high position I have today so that I could save the lives of many people."
Moses: Follow God's Path, Not Your Own
Moses knew he was special, growing up in Pharaoh's palace, but here's a story about a guy who decided to make the dream come true his own way, rather than God's way. In Exodus 2, we see Moses trying to help the Israelites by killing an Egyptian, but that didn't go so well. And so Moses’ dream, it seemed like, ended right there. For he had to run away and live in the desert for decades until he was finally ready to be God's man.
David: Prepare Your Heart
David was anointed as a child to be the next king, but he might have seen that more as a curse than a blessing because claiming to be the next king when you weren't the king's son usually meant death. And David had a long wait because he knew he was not going to become king until this king died.
During this waiting period, he spent his days falling in love with the dream giver rather than with the dream. In Psalm 63, David wrote, "Your constant love is better than life itself. And so I will praise you."
God Speaks Differently Now
Here's something crucial to understand about how God communicates today versus Old Testament times. In the Old Testament, it's actually kind of rare where God speaks. You see this phrase show up time and time where it says, “the spirit of the Lord came upon them." It seemed like God had sort of picked out one person to be the spokesman for that generation. So that's how it was in the Old Testament. One generation, one message from God.
But Jesus changed all that. When Jesus came, he brought to us his spirit, the spirit of Jesus to live in us, to live in our hearts. Be with us every day so God can speak to us every single day. We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. We don't have to go to a temple somewhere. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Putting It Into Practice
As we look at these Biblical examples and God's heart for people, how can we apply these truths to our lives today?
Listen for God's Voice Daily: Since God's Spirit lives in you, expect God to speak through the scriptures, through other believers, through circumstances, and through the desires God places in your heart.
Take Steps of Faith: Like Abraham, be willing to step out of your comfort zone when God calls. Do you believe that when you put your world at risk that God is delighted to reward you and bless you for being willing to follow the plan that he set out for you?
Hold On During Difficulties: Remember Joseph's story when delays and difficulties come. God can turn into good what others meant for evil.
Follow God's Timing, Not Your Own: Learn from Moses that trying to fulfill God's dream in your own strength and timing rarely works. Wait for God's perfect timing.
Fall in Love with the Dream Giver: Like David, focus more on your relationship with God than on the dream itself. Let “your constant love is better than life itself" become your heart's cry.
Overcome Evil with Good: This is God's ultimate dream for all of us, to overcome evil with good. That's his challenge for us. And then we need to take it and run with it.
God has great dreams for us, and God has great dreams for you. As 1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds us, "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived, the things God has prepared for those who love him." Your dream journey with God is just beginning.
Reflection
What dream or vision has God been stirring in your heart? Think about the nudges you've felt while reading Scripture, the wrongs you've seen that need righting, or the broken places in our world that need fixing.
Do you believe that God is a rewarder? When you follow God's dream, it causes you to put things at risk, your time, money, relationships, and comfort zone. Do you believe that when you put your world at risk, God is delighted to reward and bless you for following God’s plan?
Are you more in love with the dream or the dream giver? Like David, who said "Your constant love is better than life itself," how can you fall more deeply in love with God rather than just what God might do for you?
What step of faith is God asking you to take? Remember Abraham, who heard God's voice and was willing to move a thousand miles to a new land with no Bible, no temple, just faith in God's promise.
Application
This week, take the challenge to:
Listen for God's voice through Scripture reading, prayer, and the stillness of waiting on God
Identify one specific dream God has placed in your heart and write it down
Take one concrete step toward that dream, even if it feels risky or uncomfortable
Remember that you are one of God's favorites; God delights in you just as you delight in God
Don't forget: God created you with specific abilities and gifts so they could be used for good in the world. As you grow closer to the Lord and become more like Christ, the things you want for God’s kingdom are the very things God had already planned for you in the first place!
Prayer
Great God, we thank you Lord for the stories in your Word that show us your pattern for dreams and life change. We thank you that you are in the business of bringing love into our hearts and transformation into our lives. Open our eyes to see how we can be part of overcoming evil with good in this world. Help us to take steps of faith, hold onto your dreams even through difficulties, and follow your path rather than our own. Give us courage to lay it all on the line for you, knowing that if we give up our lives for you, we will surely find true life. In Jesus' name, Amen
