Desires And Dreams!

December 30, 2025

Scripture

“Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and enjoy security.  Take delight in the Lord, and

he will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:3-4

Desires And Dreams!

When we take delight in the Lord God, the promises and provision and presence and power of the Lord God are manifested in our life.  When the desires of my heart are aligned with the will of my Heavenly Father, I will become more and more clear about God’s dream for my life.  In addition to the clarity, I will also see God’s dream for me begin to bear much fruit. 

As we approach the New Year, I wonder how many of us are crystal clear about God’s dream for our life.  I know that clarity is a bit lacking for me right now.  I have sat still and listened as well as begged and pleaded with Jesus to grant me a clear picture of what His dream is for my life today.  Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of what God’s dream might be.  But, those glimpses are not enough to paint a clear picture of what Jesus wants to do in me and through me.

I have tried doing some things (even some new things!), but each one either does not bear much spiritual fruit or totally fails.  I’m not used to that!  I put things on pause so I can seek the Holy Spirit’s direction.  Then, I try again.  The Lord’s dream for my life seems always just out of focus and always just out of reach.

I look around.  The evil ones prosper.  The non-believing ones succeed.  The destructive ones thrive.  The abusive ones flourish.  The self-centered ones increase. 

And yet, there is a word of caution.  In I John 2:15-17 the Apostle John says; “Do not love the world or the things in the world.  The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world.  And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.”  The things of the world will never fulfill our soul-deep thirst…the deep desires of our heart. 

I look around.  The believers do not read their Bible, do not attend worship, do not engage in a small group, do not tithe, do wait on the Lord, do not pray each day, do not serve the poor, and do not fast.  And yet, they appear to be doing just fine. 

And yet, there is a word of caution.  In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says; “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  The things of God’s kingdom will always fulfill our soul-deep thirst…the deep desires of our heart.

Maybe I am wired differently.  I want to take delight in the Lord; I want to praise Him, worship Him, and exalt Him!  I want to know and chase after the Lord God’s dream for my life; I want to serve Him, obey Him, share Him, and proclaim Him.

And yet as we approach the beginning of a New Year, I seem to be lacking clarity about God’s dream for my life.  I want to dream a God-sized dream.  I want to have a God-sized vision.  I want my life to be the life the Lord God wants for me.

I am reminded of something the Apostle Peter shared in a sermon with new believers in first century Jerusalem.  In Acts 2:17 Peter quotes the prophet Joel; “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”

The desires of our hearts become the soil in which the Lord God sows fresh revelations and visions and dreams.  We are living in those “last days” and the Lord God is sowing messages and visions and dreams in the hearts of those who have been filled with the Holy Spirit.

When we continually take delight in the Lord God, His vision and dream for our life is sowed into our heart.  The Holy Spirit nurtures that dream until it becomes irrefutable and irresistible.  When we allow God’s dream to take root in our heart, we begin to see more and more of God’s promises and provision and presence and power revealed in us and through us.

God’s dream for your life will begin to take root when you take delight in, offer praise to, engage in the worship of, and spend time in conversation with the Lord God.  As the New Year draws near, maybe the best “resolution” is to take delight in the Lord God until we begin to see the deepest desires of our heart fulfilled and the Lord’s dream for our life becomes more and more clear.

Reflect

Take a few moments to write down God’s dream for your life.  Be as specific as you can; your description should require no more than a few sentences.  Has it changed over time?  Is it more or less clear than it used to be?  Does God’s dream for you influence the deep desires in your heart? 

Pray

Lord God, I know I have not always taken the time to express my delight in who You are and what You have done, are doing, and will do in me and through me.  Forgive me, for missing one of the great blessings of being a Christ-follower; to keep my eyes and my praise turned to You! 

Holy Spirit, reveal in a more clear way what Your dream is for my life.  Show me Your dream in greater detail.  Give me the courage and the strength to chase after Your dream.  Align my desires with Your will and way for my life.  In the name of Jesus I pray.  Amen.

Act

Invite another Christ-follower to join you for coffee this week.  Try to describe God’s dream for your life in as much detail as you can.  Ask them, “Does this dream sound like something the Lord would want to do in my life?”  Then, invite them to share their understanding of God’s dream for their life.