The Bible is full of what could be described as “impossible dreams.” No matter how small or large, and no matter how far off or big your dreams may seem, God is powerful enough to bring them to pass. Abraham dared to dream that God would give him a son at the age of 100, even though his wife was barren. The people around him undoubtedly laughed when at God’s command he began to call himself the “Father of Many Nations.” But he kept on believing and eventually he found himself standing in his dream. The key is to take “faith steps” toward our dreams, and ensure that they are for His glory.
The Bible is full of what could be described as “impossible dreams.” No matter how small or large, and no matter how far off or big your dreams may seem, God is powerful enough to bring them to pass. Abraham dared to dream that God would give him a son at the age of 100, even though his wife was barren. The people around him undoubtedly laughed when at God’s command he began to call himself the “Father of Many Nations.” But he kept on believing and eventually he found himself standing in his dream. The key is to take “faith steps” toward our dreams, and ensure that they are for His glory.
“But I don’t even know where to start,” we might say. The best place to begin is at the beginning. Start where we are. First start believing for the necessities of life and what we need to begin our journey toward our goal. Start believing God’s Word. We must give it our full attention by reading, studying, attending Bible studies, seminars, prayer meetings – anything we can do to get more of the Word into your life and committed to your memory. Make a commitment to obey God’s word no matter what.
If your dream requires financing (money) – and I don’t know of many that doesn’t, remember that Romans 13:8 says “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.” This is telling us to pay off our debts. Yes, this seems like an impossible task to accomplish in order to reach that impossible dream, but with God’s help, it can be done. The first and foremost course of action to take is to begin (or continue) tithing. The Hebrew word for tithe literally means “a tenth part.” You might be thinking “How in the world am I going to give a TENTH of my income to the work of the Lord when I can’t even pay my bills – that’s like creating another bill to pay.” Consider that the heart of tithing is the fact that God owns everything (Psalms 24:1 - The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.) We must remember that everything we have belongs to the Lord, so that what we do possess is not our own but what God has entrusted to us; we have no rightful ownership of our possessions. We must decide within our hearts to serve God and not money. The Bible makes it plain that any greed is a form of idolatry. Our giving should be in proportion to our income, should come of the “firstfruits” (or before the bills),be voluntary and generous, and be done cheerfully. God has promised to reward us according to how we have given to Him. Do we believe His word? Then we must trust Him.
Throughout the scriptures are what seem to be impossible dreams. They are written and recorded because God intended for us to read and be inspired by these people. All of them were ordinary people like you and me. That’s very hard for us to grasp, but it’s true. They all had faults and weaknesses just like us (James 5:17 - Elijah was a man just like us…..). We tend to think these men and women of the Bible were so great that we can’t compare to them and their dreams, so we give up on our own. But they WERE like us – like ME – like YOU! To think that God might work through us in the same powerful way as He did those back then is inconceivable for some of us. But He can and He will.
We sing “God Still Answers Prayer,” but do we believe it for ourselves? We quote so many times that He’s the “Alpha and Omega – the First and the Last – the Beginning and the End.” But do we also realize that He’s everything in between? We say He’s the “Author and Finisher,” “the same yesterday, today and forever,” but somehow we shun the idea that today he can do what he did yesterday. And we quote “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” yet we hold back our talents. We put too much emphasis on what “so and so” might say or think and not enough about what Jesus thinks.
Many Christian children today are wearing the bracelets and necklaces that read “WWJD.” This stands for “What Would Jesus Do.” That bracelet around their wrist reminds them to think in situations, “What would Jesus do?” And, of course the emphasis is for kids to act according to what He would do. These are great reminders as well as witnessing tools. Every adult Christian needs one. But the bracelet alone won’t do it. We all need the Holy Spirit to lead us and to call scripture to our attention when situations arise that are in what we call that “gray area.” Actually, if we know it’s in the “gray area” the Holy Spirit is already at work, isn’t he? He will remind us of the Word we’ve studied. Repentance, prayer, studying the Word, asking the Spirit for guidance – with these things we’ll be able to “answer in defense of the gospel” and “show ourselves approved” in the Word. Then, if we believe Him and the Word He’s given us, He’ll do what seems to you and me impossible things through us. We will see his perfect will come to pass in our lives – we’ll see a way to reach our goals. And one day, we will be standing in our dreams.
Linda Wilson
written September 3, 1997
“But I don’t even know where to start,” we might say. The best place to begin is at the beginning. Start where we are. First start believing for the necessities of life and what we need to begin our journey toward our goal. Start believing God’s Word. We must give it our full attention by reading, studying, attending Bible studies, seminars, prayer meetings – anything we can do to get more of the Word into your life and committed to your memory. Make a commitment to obey God’s word no matter what.
If your dream requires financing (money) – and I don’t know of many that doesn’t, remember that Romans 13:8 says “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.” This is telling us to pay off our debts. Yes, this seems like an impossible task to accomplish in order to reach that impossible dream, but with God’s help, it can be done. The first and foremost course of action to take is to begin (or continue) tithing. The Hebrew word for tithe literally means “a tenth part.” You might be thinking “How in the world am I going to give a TENTH of my income to the work of the Lord when I can’t even pay my bills – that’s like creating another bill to pay.” Consider that the heart of tithing is the fact that God owns everything (Psalms 24:1 - The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.) We must remember that everything we have belongs to the Lord, so that what we do possess is not our own but what God has entrusted to us; we have no rightful ownership of our possessions. We must decide within our hearts to serve God and not money. The Bible makes it plain that any greed is a form of idolatry. Our giving should be in proportion to our income, should come of the “firstfruits” (or before the bills),be voluntary and generous, and be done cheerfully. God has promised to reward us according to how we have given to Him. Do we believe His word? Then we must trust Him.
Throughout the scriptures are what seem to be impossible dreams. They are written and recorded because God intended for us to read and be inspired by these people. All of them were ordinary people like you and me. That’s very hard for us to grasp, but it’s true. They all had faults and weaknesses just like us (James 5:17 - Elijah was a man just like us…..). We tend to think these men and women of the Bible were so great that we can’t compare to them and their dreams, so we give up on our own. But they WERE like us – like ME – like YOU! To think that God might work through us in the same powerful way as He did those back then is inconceivable for some of us. But He can and He will.
We sing “God Still Answers Prayer,” but do we believe it for ourselves? We quote so many times that He’s the “Alpha and Omega – the First and the Last – the Beginning and the End.” But do we also realize that He’s everything in between? We say He’s the “Author and Finisher,” “the same yesterday, today and forever,” but somehow we shun the idea that today he can do what he did yesterday. And we quote “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” yet we hold back our talents. We put too much emphasis on what “so and so” might say or think and not enough about what Jesus thinks.
Many Christian children today are wearing the bracelets and necklaces that read “WWJD.” This stands for “What Would Jesus Do.” That bracelet around their wrist reminds them to think in situations, “What would Jesus do?” And, of course the emphasis is for kids to act according to what He would do. These are great reminders as well as witnessing tools. Every adult Christian needs one. But the bracelet alone won’t do it. We all need the Holy Spirit to lead us and to call scripture to our attention when situations arise that are in what we call that “gray area.” Actually, if we know it’s in the “gray area” the Holy Spirit is already at work, isn’t he? He will remind us of the Word we’ve studied. Repentance, prayer, studying the Word, asking the Spirit for guidance – with these things we’ll be able to “answer in defense of the gospel” and “show ourselves approved” in the Word. Then, if we believe Him and the Word He’s given us, He’ll do what seems to you and me impossible things through us. We will see his perfect will come to pass in our lives – we’ll see a way to reach our goals. And one day, we will be standing in our dreams.
Linda Wilson
written September 3, 1997
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