I am not a dreamer. I rarely wake up in the morning with vivid
images of night visions. Now, to be sure, I have in the past had some crazy,
scary, funny, etc., dreams, but, they are the rare exception rather than the
rule. I also, am not a visionary. God has never placed a grand vision of
accomplishment or whatnot in my heart. I never had this inner drive to achieve
or overachieve as probably would be the case with me. As a matter of fact, I was
reflecting this week past about the fact that God has put only one overriding
command in my heart these past 40 or so years. Just one. Now,there have
been many, many divergences crossing my path that He has counseled and guided me
through. A lot of minor details, small tasks that I have been charged with. But,
I know of only one "ministry" that I am completely sure that God has assigned
me in my entire life. And, to this day, I try to execute and stay faithful to
that duty that I believe God has entrusted me with. I don't even write this
weekly message because I believe God has "called" me to do it. I write it simple
because I enjoy it. In the Kingdom of God, I am a grunt. An enlisted soldier
with marching orders, or as is the case with me,order in the singular. My
apologies for all the personal history, but, I wanted to convey to you my
mindset. Maybe you can relate. All that being said,I was walking the parking lot
last night at work, waiting for my truck to be loaded while talking to the Lord
about my message for today. As I walked and waited, this song floated across my
mind. You remember don't you?"These Dreams" by Heart. Pretty good band back in
the day. When that song came to mind, I revisited a dream I had and still have.
More of a strong desire, a bucket list if you will, than a dream. But, take a
look at this story.
Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart.
8 "Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully.
9 "So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God fully.'
10 "Now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today.
11 "I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.
12 "Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken."
Now, here's Joshua's buddy Caleb. He's been faithfully following the Lord for FORTY FIVE years! We don't hear too much about Caleb in the Scriptures do we? A few passing references here and there. Not nearly as much as his friend and contemporary Joshua. He strikes me as a grunt. A soldier,much like me and possibly you. What do you think? He'd been quietly serving the Lord for all those years, holding that dream close to his vest. I suspect that many times in the pitch of battle while conquering the Promised Land, Caleb wondered whether he would even live to see his dream fulfilled. I expect that there were many nights spent under the stars that his dream seemed nothing more to him than a foolish PIPE DREAM. I wonder if Caleb ever shared his dream with others, only to be told that it was stupid, or it was never going to come to pass. "Caleb you're no Joshua and you're certainly no Moses. I doubt if God is bothered with your DAYDREAMS." I wonder if Caleb ever heard that. Maybe he even spoke those words to himself. But then, his time came. God looked down from Heaven and decided it was time to give Caleb what he had been promised. Caleb's bucket list. Ya feelin' me here?
You ever feel like that? You know. You've been marching and following orders the best you can for some time now. Just a rank and file striper trying to do what you have been told to do,waiting for your time. Or possibly circumstances and the difficulties of this life have buried those dreams that once were yours, under responsibility, tragedy or the like. These dreams are fading now to a very dim light on an even dimmer shore. But, hold on. Wait a minute. Get this.
Psalm 126:1-3 (NASB) 1
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
3 The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad.
You see we, at times feel like that we have been taken captive don't we? Circumstances have tried to chain us down and the enemy has tried to steal our joy and hope. But, God is mindful of our plight and desires to give us our mountain. Not only that He is more than able to change our circumstances. But, in His timing not ours.
Jeremiah 32:27 (NASB) 27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"
Listen, Brothers and Sisters the Lord God Almighty is mindful of you and yours. Whether you are a General or a Private in His army, He wants to do good for you. He wants to give you a field commission. It's His good pleasure to give you of His Kingdom. So, dust off those dreams. Dig up that bucket list. Like Caleb, keep holding on, keep following Him,and one day, you too will be like those who dream.
Psalm 71:18 (NASB) 18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.
God Bless
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