Day 108 - Dream dashers
Scripture focus: People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don't quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord you have a sure thing. Isaiah 26:3, 4 The Message
A sure thing - sounds good, doesn't it? Too good to be true?
One Saturday night after our weekly service, I was standing around listening to a few of our NSC kids talk about their big dreams. One kid in particular had a bunch of really big and wildly inconsistent dreams. Basketball stardom, spaceship travel, and extreme skateboarding were just a few of the items on his big dream list. This didn't set well with another one of our pint sized friends.
"You can't do any of that!" He said with an angry tone and far more rage than seemed called for in the moment.
"Can to!"
"Cannot!"
Hoping to interrupt the bantering and avoid the throwing of fists, I asked the naysayer, "Why can't he?"
"Because! It's not realistic! He's just a kid, and a shrimp! He will never do any of those things." Long pause, and for effect he adds, "And he's stupid!" Off he stomps. I realized that this kid long ago gave up on the possibility of dreams coming true. But he doesn't know that about himself - yet. Instead, he rages at another who dares to dream.
Fortunately, my big dreaming buddy was undeterred, "What's his problem? He doesn't know nothing." And he too, runs off to practice his jump shot, leaving me with a mixed bag of emotions. Two kids - both in tough circumstances - one with big dreams and the other with big fears. In a flash, I wondered if cold dreams and hot tempers go together like peanut butter and jelly. If Isaiah is right, and "in the Lord we have a sure thing" - then no wonder we're mad! Many of us have bought the bill of goods that says, "Cannot!" - when all along, we had God to depend on to deliver the big "YES! You can!" But we ignored that soft, quiet voice of encouragement, distracted by the harsh, loud voice of "less than" living. Who wouldn't end up afraid and mad with all that conflict going on in the soul?
What does it take to turn our doubting into dreaming? Set our minds on God.
Focus on our big dreams, grand plans, and future adventures? Nope. Set our minds on God.
Ferret out our defects of character, "less than" living, bad habits, limiting hurts, and crushing hang-ups? Nope. Set our minds on God.
God doesn't fulfill the dreams of the sound and steady! He takes those who set their minds on Him, heals them and steadies their gait, and in the process, big dreams, grand plans, epic adventures, defects of character, "less than" living, bad habits, limiting hurts, and crushing hang-ups - all of that and more, gets worked out and worked through.
Recommended reading: Joshua 15 in the morning; Psalm 86 in the evening
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