Dreaming of More?

As we were driving from Fayetteville to Rogers on old 71 highway I saw a huge sign, “Selling dreams since 1972”. That really caught my eye and I couldn’t wait for us to get close enough for me to see what it was. As we drove past I looked and saw it was a weed filled empty lot with a gate and the sign. I realized it was an old mobile home sales lot. 

Actually they marketed their wares as selling dreams but there were no longer any dreams being sold there. Those dreams had not lasted. All that was left was the shell of what once was.

Dreams are for sale everywhere you look. If you can pay the price you can achieve your dream. But will it last? And is it worth it? Some dreams exact incredible prices. And yet even when the price is paid, the dream doesn’t last. It’s often a façade of what someone is really looking for – a cheap imitation and illusion.

There are dreams that will last. They will stand the test of time and give great and lasting pleasure.

There is the dream for purpose. That can be found at the feet of Jesus. As we bow our heads and hearts to Him, He gives us so much in return. Ever dream of having purpose? You do, when your heart belongs to Jesus. You never function at greater heights than when you live in His light and fall in line with His will.

There’s the dream for significance. Everyone wants to find meaning to their life and feel they are part of something greater than themselves.  This is found at the throne of grace.  As you pledge your allegiance to the King of Kings, He crowns you with His significance. You can live beyond self as you find your worth in Him.

Maybe you dream of being more…. More beautiful, more important, more loved, more joyful, more successful…when you put all your hope in the Lord, you become all that you’ve ever dreamed of being. God says you are fearfully and wonderfully made – you are beautiful in His sight. You are so wonderful and so loved that the Lord gave His life for you. You have been redeemed, ransomed, restored and renewed. You are a success simply by being God’s beloved child. You are loved for God is Love and God is your Father. 

You never have to succumb to depression or discouragement, for the Lord has given you a spirit of power and might and a sound mind.

The world will sell you a bill of goods. It will tell you it can sell you dreams that will be fulfilling but when you pay that price and take that dream home you find it oh so empty. You have to pay and perform and keep paying and keep performing. But with Jesus, every dream you could ever imagine and so much more is achieved! Every blessing is signed in the Blood of the Lamb and it is signed sealed and delivered for you! 

Oh beloved, run to the greatest message you’ll ever read: The Word of God. Every single promise, every single hope, every single truth is all about you and your relationship with Him! Jesus made the way for you to find more fulfillment than you could ever imagine. He even promises that if you will find your delight in Him He will give you the desires of your heart.  Keep reading, keep taking it to heart, keep soaking in God’s Truth and you will find everything you ever dreamed of.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s where your dreams all come true.

Psalm 105:19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

Matthew 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires.

Psalm 146:5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

 

Feast on the Word and Never Go Away Hungry

While we had no meal catastrophes on Christmas Day, I did forget to purchase one important menu element. When I went to assembly the broccoli rice casserole there was no broccoli! Our son went to Walgreen’s, the only thing, besides gas stations, open in town only to find they had none.  Someone managed to find a packaged of steam and serve “casserole” in their freezer and we made it.

To say we were all stuffed afterwards is putting it mildly.  I am always concerned there won’t be enough and as a result there’s always more than we could ever eat, even though this year there were 12 of us present. With the candies and pies and fruit salad included and the fact that most everyone grazed all afternoon, you could say we were stuffed. Not only were we full at the table, we stayed full all afternoon!  The only thing we had to watch was what Caleb got hold of, since he’s allergic to nuts, otherwise he could eat to his heart desire as well.

Believers should be a lot like Christmas meal patrons. At our disposal is the most wonderful banquet table in the universe! Nothing is taboo and nothing at His banquet will harm us. At our fingertips are the richest delicacies of the faith spread out freely for us to partake.

Unlike Christmas meals, when we are full of God, we can keep eating and never feel stuffed! In fact the more you partake of God’s banquet, the more blessed we become! The richest morsels of God’s banquet keeps us wanting more of Him and less of the world. When we are filled with God we don’t have room for anything else!

Oh beloved, how blessed you are to live where the Word of God can still be freely read and absorbed! You who belong to Him are able to partake, with all the saints, every single item on His menu! Run to His Word today Let the Holy Spirit feed you and fill you with His delicacies so that you have no room for other things that do not truly satisfy.  Other menus will call out to you, but when you stay close to the Lord and let Him fill you with Himself, nothing else will do.  He says to you this morning, come and see, all that I AM you can be a partaker of. All that I AM is yours for the asking. You never have to leave, you can even carry Me with you, for I AM with you always. Sit and learn of Me for I AM your most faithful friend and I will never leave you hungry or thirsty. Other things may look enticing, but they will lead to pain and hurt and sorrow. But I AM always good for your heart, health for your soul and life for your spirit.  I AM the one who loves you and I AM the one who is with you, after the party is over, after the mess is cleared away, after everyone else is gone I AM. Come and be seated at My banqueting table, for My banner over you is Love!

Song of Solomon 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love [for love waved as a protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near Him]. AMP

Isaiah 2:3  People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob’s God. There He will teach us his ways, and we will walk in His paths.” For the LORD’s teaching will go out from Zion; His word will go out from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 55:1 “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free!

Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.

Psalm 40:16  But may all who search for You be filled with joy and gladness in You. May those who love Your salvation repeatedly shout, “The LORD is great!”

Ephesians 5:2  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Psalm 107:9  For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

The Lord's Greatest Delight is our Relationship not Our Performance

She was trying so hard to get her daddy’s attention. Tugging on his hand as he towered above her, she saw that he was busy talking with someone. Occasionally he’d shake her off and motion with his hand, but he never looked away from the conversation he was having. She jumped and said his name a little louder. She must have been desperate to talk to him. Frantic, knowing no other way to get daddy to respond, she began to pirouette and tip toe. Other folks noticed the little princess and began to applaud as she performed. The performance grew greater as the crowd ooh’ed and ah’ed. This was great! She was loving the performance and forgot all about her daddy. As her daddy looked the way of the commotion, he smiled and walked over to her with obvious pride. She stopped as their eyes met and she realized she hadn’t even noticed his attention.

Aren’t we like that little child? Often we pray, we seek God, we live in His light. After a while we get

desperate and because we may not have heard from Him, we resort to performance. We don’t know what else to do. After all doesn’t our Abba Father love us more when we’re doing things? Acting right? Behaving? Ministering? Before long performance has taken the place of relationship and we’re so busy that we don’t realize He’s been with us all along. Finally we stop and see that our Abba Father's greatest delight is always the relationship, the intimate fellowship, the love songs we sing.

Oh beloved, Maybe you’ve been seeking God and you haven’t heard His response. It could be that in your desperation you’ve traded relationship for performance and it feels great! Run back to your Daddy God this morning and keep seeking His face, for it’s only in that intimate time with Him that we find our way in this world and our place of service. He promises that He always has time and He will never shake you off! He loves you, He always listens, He always answers and He’s on your side!

John 6:29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one He has sent.”

Genesis 6:9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.

I Chronicles 16:11 (Amplified) Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually!