We all have dreams and many have visions. However, what is God’s vision for our life? It is time we begin to understand this.
Proverbs 29:18 says in the NKJV: Where there is no [a]revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.
First of all we need to see things in our life as God sees them. We need to do as God’s word says to do as well.
Even more here is the fact that we need to see our life and its circumstances as God sees them. Sometimes our life is up and good, and at other times we can have difficulties and problems…however, we need to stand on God’s work and ask Him to help us make it through it all.
Let it be stated here also that because of our sin unconfessed and dealt with in our life we pretty much are blind to spiritual things.
Without proper vision and dealing with it/them people just give up. Vision is important for you to be able to trust God and to live by faith. Let God show you what to do with any vision that you might have.
In the bible there is the story of Joseph as a young man having a vision. Gen 37:5-11 NKJV. 5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. (His dream was a vision)
I’d venture to say that when Joseph had this dream/vision he didn’t understand it at that time.
His dream/vision affected his view and he had troubles because of it. Read Genesis 39:2, 3, and 21. Although Joseph had to suffer many things he became great and was able to not only help many…but he also was able to protect his own family as well…the same ones who sold him. God takes and uses many of our bad times to make things better for us and for others. Have you ever wondered if Joseph knew for many years that God was in that vision and God carried him to where he needed to be way before things were even happening.
Isn’t it time that each of us dare to dream/vision?
What is your dream? I encourage you to start with God’s Word. The foundation is there in the Bible. We all have dreams at some point and many of them take in the following things.
- Faith
- Finances
- Godliness
- Integrity
- Kids
- Marriage
- Relationships
I have had many dreams in my life. Guess so many because I am very old now. I have had some good ones, and a few I wish I would never have had. Then we have many dream killers our there as well
Here is a list of some of some of the dream killers I found to share with you.
- I’m too “young” — There is no such thing. Now is the time. God wants to use you! Joseph was only 17; David was practically a child; Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego were teenagers; think of the young boy’s lunch that Jesus used to feed the 5,000. You’re not too young! Jesus loves children – so dare to dream.
- I’m too “old” — Never stop dreaming.Abraham was 100, and Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born. In God’s timeline, there’s no such thing as “too old.”
- I’m “too much of a failure” — Says who?Failure is not fatal, and our miscues are not final. Run through the finish line for God. He’s not after perfection; He’s after obedience.
- I’m too “new to God” — So were the disciples.So was Paul. And they impacted the whole world! God sees your “newness” as a strength.
- I’m too “tired” — Ask God to give you strength – and don’t give up!
- I’m too “insignificant” — Really?Jesus died for you as if you were the only person who has ever lived. You will have a hard time convincing me, or, more importantly, the Lord, that you are anything short of HUGE in God’s eyes.
- I’m too “encumbered by problems” — Joseph is the perfect fellow to follow.Smith Wigglesworth said it pretty well: “Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.”
- I’m too “hurt by others” — Joseph gets it. So does Jesus. Hurt is hard, but we must forgive. Don’t let resentment ruin you.
- I’m too “not where I thought I’d be” — If your life hasn’t turned out how you thought it would, you are right in line with Bible greats like Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Ruth, and Nehemiah, to name a few.
Yes, these are dream/vision killers. Think on them because most of us have had at least one of them, and some even many of them. Don’t use these excuses any longer. You dream my friend. You go to God and ask God what you need to do and then step out in faith and do it.
God has a plan, a purpose, a dream, and a vision for your life. Never give up….EVER! No matter how old or young you are you can do something for the kingdom of God.
We all have needs that is a given…but we also need to have those dreams regarding our marriage, our kids, our grandkids, our family members, our friends, our neighbors, our country…and our government. As you have a dream…try writing it down. What is it? Who is in it? What was going on in it? Then take it to God and ask Him if this dream is important and what, if anything, you need to learn and do about it. Like with Joseph he was young when he had his dream/vision and it was many years before he understood it and what it really represented. Don’t get discouraged. Pray about it…and at some point, like Joseph, you will get an understanding of it. Define what your dream is about. Joseph didn’t yet know that his dream was going to save a nation and his entire family. Write your dream down and actually date it.
Do you want to grow in faith…then give your life to the Lord. Work towards those things that matter now, and will matter later. If you want a good marriage let’s say…work on it. If you want money in the bank even if it is small…stop wasting money and put a little bit aside. One dollar at a time if necessary. Give your vision thought and ask God to guide your thoughts – and plans – and get after it! Spend time in prayer. Not just once in awhile…but be diligent in your prayer life.
Joseph declared and shared his dream with his brothers and father. While it would be fair to talk about who to share your dream with and how to share it, there is value in communicating your dream to others. It is essential to have people around us that will help spur us on and root us on toward victory. Note: Yet even if you, for now, have no one to share your vision/dream with….you can always and should always share it with God. (He knows it anyway but would like to hear from you about it)
A good thing to do is care, share, and declare!!!
When we care about something we want to share it with someone. Joseph wanted to share his vision with his family. Yet they did not like his vision and they were jealous of him because his dad seemed to love him most of all. They sold him out of jealousy and let their father think he was dead. Even though they meant Joseph evil God took that and made a great thing out of it. What we see now doesn’t mean that it won’t turn good in God’s timing. They meant to harm Joseph but God was going to use Joseph in a great way and save many, many people including Joseph’s entire family one day. Some people will not understand, and some people won’t like you and that is okay. God loves you and with His love we can get through anything. Ever think about Joseph here and he had this vision and wanted to share it with those closet to him. For a time that did not look good for Joseph. Ever wonder, at first, how he must have felt knowing his family sold him into slavery and lied about him. He still stayed faithful to God and did right no matter the circumstances that were going on in his life.
George Washington had a dream: Freedom. On December 25, 1776, he led his troops across the Delaware in a surprise attack on the British and Hessians troops in Trenton, New Jersey, turning the Revolutionary War back to the favor of the colonial Americans. His army was untrained, under-resourced, outmanned, and outgunned; many had no shoes, and they all had little food, inferior weaponry, and inferior officership. But George Washington boldly (and famously) wrote: “Victory or death.”
Think about this for a moment: He was a leader and he was willing to die for what he believed…or live for his vision until it would come to pass. Victory or death. That is quite a statement isn’t it? What are you willing to do for your vision or dream. Sure most of us are not the “leader” as George Washington was, but we are very important to God and that says it all. Now to those that want to think they can destroy our history…you can’t. It’s history!!!!
Joseph after being sold into slavery, taken from his Dad and family he didn’t sit and whine and complain all the time. He moved forward and accepted his fate then. I’m sure he didn’t yet understand what was going to happen and that he would be able to save many people. He trusted God and stayed faithful to God through all that came his way.
I don’t know about you but I deal with so many distractions when I set my mind to something to do. One after the other seems to pop its ugly head so I have to deal with that….yet, no matter what comes my way I will still go forward…even if I take baby steps to do it.
People don’t always understand our dreams or visions and that is a natural thing…for most times we don’t understand either. But don’t lose hope and faith in that vision/dream. Think of whatever dream/vision you are contemplating in your life, whether it involves your career, education, faith, ministry, marriage, kids, family, relationships, integrity, character, or godliness…and stay focused on God, giving Him your vision and asking Him to be there to help you achieve it. Don’t have and don’t ask God to give you anything that is against His word and the truth of His word. Don’t want something someone else has. Don’t you think, if it is something God wants you to have that He can’t give you your own? You don’t need to envy or be jealous of anyone.
There were times that Joseph didn’t have life so well. He was lied about and thrown into prison on a lie…yet he didn’t crash and burn. He stayed the course not knowing what would happen next to him. He trusted god to help him through whatever he had to face even though he didn’t understand what it might be.
What is God’s dream for you and how much do you think the enemy would like to steal and destroy that dream? Now, how are you going to live to defend that dream? Joseph remained a man of integrity, morals, faith, and faithfulness to His God. He didn’t fight God and sit and complain about how bad things were in his life. Sometimes we face bad things in life…but you hang in there and do right, live right, and stay moral and full of integrity.
You stay the course. You fight the good fight of faith. Don’t get discouraged and when distractions come your way, when temptations come your way, when trials and tests come your way…you be a Joseph and stay the course and trust in the Lord no matter what you might feel, what you might feel, and whatever rears its ugly head up. God loves us and wants us to cross that finish line victoriously. He never said that in this world we wouldn’t have to deal with the garbage of this world. In fact, He said that in the world we would have tribulations. Not all of us will suffer as many others have suffered, but there will still be issues in our life we must deal with. You hang in there…you trust God…you be brave, and you stay the course and you will see your vision/dream in whatever form God wants it to be, and you will cross that finish line if Jesus is your Lord and Savior and you do whatever it is He wants you to do. Don’t stop trusting God!
Now, may the Lord bless you, guide you, draw you, keep you, protect you, heal you, and give you His peace even in this crazy world we are living in.
God bless you!