DESIRES, DREAMS, AND DRAMA!
Sunday’s Monday
Desires and dreams; we all have them, some people have more than others, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and costs. I found that desires and dreams are good until they’re not! All too often dreams emanate from deep desires and can turn to drama very quickly when said dream strays outside the will of God. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT), For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. But in far too many cases, people allow their desires to secretly lead them in opposition to God’s direction. This dumps so much drama into one’s life that the chance of a successful outcome grows nil. Yet most will usually follow one of the many avenues to gain their self-serving desires and dreams. Some work hard to gain their dream and dislike it every day they live, some cheat to gain their desires and live without respect for themselves, while some even pray for said dreams to be fulfilled and fall away from God when it doesn’t happen. This is an endless list that all has the same outcome of stress, strife, heartache, and loneliness. No matter how many ways one can slice the pie, the answer is always two! There are only two kinds of people seeking to fulfill desires and dreams, the believer in God and the not! The believer should be busy praying for those dreams to be in God’s will, in His timing, and completed by the grace of Jesus. While the nonbeliever is seeking for the dream to be answered by whatever means necessary as long as it is quickly. Truth is humans are born to the flesh and it wants, what it wants, when it wants it, and it wants it now!
If you pay attention in your spiritual circles at some point, you’ll hear this verse thrown out and it is usually in the wrong context as people from the spiritual side tend to bend and twist it trying to get God to give them what they want. That scripture is usually Psalm 37:4 (ESV), Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. I am amazed at how people think Jesus is happy with their actions and their relationship together without ever asking Him! People fail to ask Jesus where they stand with Him, what He wants for them, or where they would serve Him best. “Spoiler alert,” God doesn’t bless desires and dreams based on our worthiness, or how we plead our case, nor on the empty promises aimed at enticing God’s decision. He has the perfect plan for our lives and the deepest desire for us to follow it!
This is such a common issue that in the 3rd century Jesus inspired James to record in James 4:2 (NLT), You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. This speaks for itself! Temptation lurks around every corner, eager to agitate and overcome the disillusioned. Many can and will become devious in their ways to gain that which is necessary to achieve their desire. They will twist the scriptures to suit the cause and enlist others to lobby God and whoever can grant their dream. Their only request is, to do whatever it takes to bring the dream to fruition. Ergo the need for James 4:3 (NLT), 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong, you want only what will give you pleasure. This is written for all people, even the non-believer asks God for things. God wants us to know James 4:5-6 (NLT), 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Thank God for Jesus who gave Himself to become our way of redemption for those misfortunate times of weakness when our thoughts and actions are not Godly. We find the directions in James 4:7-8 (NLT), 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty, is divided between God and the world. Our relationship with Jesus must be first! We need to grow in Jesus until we desire and dream, the desires, and dreams He has for us. We must first become humble to obtain this place with Jesus. Fear not- just ask anyone humble, and you’ll find “it’s a wonderful place to live!”
Lord instill in each of us a desire to become more humble, grant within us the dreams of your will that we may not entice unnecessary drama into our lives. Father God, I pray that we each will comprehend and act on James 4:10 (NLT), Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. Lord, may we hold every thought captive, and subject it to your will, seeking your approval, guidance, and blessings in everything we think, say, or do. Thank you, God, for loving us. Amen
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!
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