God is indeed a God of the impossible. Faded dreams, dashed hopes, and lost opportunities are His specialty. The Bible is filled with stories of people whom God brought back from the brink of disaster. Often He did so through incredible miracles--and there was no other way to explain it!
For example, the night before Peter was to be tried and probably convicted (and beheaded), God shook him from his sleep, his shackles, and his prison doors (Acts 12).
And, during the time of Elisha, the people of Samaria were threatened by starvation and/or violent death during the siege of the fearsome Syrian Army. But one morning (when hope seemed to be lost) the people of the city awoke to a miles and miles of food, weapons, and plunder left behind by the soldiers God had frightened away (2 Kings 7).
God can make a way where there is no way.
Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:16-19 ESV
That said, sometimes there are things in our life that need to die. Sometimes the roads we are travelling must end. Sometimes dreams must be abandoned.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24 ESV
Hearts that do not know God; even hearts that do know Him have desires that are antithetical to the abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10). In other words, you and I sometimes have hopes, dreams, plans, and goals that are not godly. They may be "good" or morally neutral dreams, but they do not take us closer to God. We can be mistaken, mislead, and misdirected by sin.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15 ESV
A loving and Holy God will not help us resurrect a sinful hope. He cannot; and why would He?
This may be a painful subject for some. We may be grieving a lost opportunity (or hoping it is still out there). We may be wondering if we have tried hard enough, prayed hard enough, worked long enough on our dream. Dare we give it up now?
There is a litmus test we can try that Jesus used. Remember the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking how he could inherit eternal life (Matt 19, Mark 10)? Jesus replied, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me (Matt 19:21 ESV).”
Scripture tells us that the young man went away in sorrow because he had much wealth. In other words, the price was too high! Jesus asked him to give up his greatest treasure to follow Him. Jesus knew our hearts reside with our treasure(s) (Luke 13:34). And we cannot serve God and pursue our treasure at the same time--until our treasure becomes Jesus.
So, if you value a dream more than Jesus, it has to go. If you pine for a hope other than Jesus, it has to go. If you grieve a lost opportunity more than you anticipate the newness that Christ is building in you, let that opportunity die . . and let those bones turn to dust.
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ . . . Philippians 3:7-8 ESV
The Apostle Paul gave up an incredible career, certain wealth, esteem, admiration, and the approval of the religious and political elite to become a itinerant preacher and missionary. He gave up worldly ambitions to endure hardship, beatings, derision, death threats, prison, and privation. AND, he never looked back! Paul liked to use words translated "surpassing" a lot in his letters. His experience with Jesus was "over the top!" Even considering the price he was constantly paying, Paul considered his "profit" inestimable (too high to count)!
Sometimes a bad plan has to die in order for God to give us His best one. As Jim Elliot once said, "he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose." God wants His best for us, not some poor imitation. That is the testimony of the Scriptures. God's blessings to you as you seek to discern His way.
For example, the night before Peter was to be tried and probably convicted (and beheaded), God shook him from his sleep, his shackles, and his prison doors (Acts 12).
And, during the time of Elisha, the people of Samaria were threatened by starvation and/or violent death during the siege of the fearsome Syrian Army. But one morning (when hope seemed to be lost) the people of the city awoke to a miles and miles of food, weapons, and plunder left behind by the soldiers God had frightened away (2 Kings 7).
God can make a way where there is no way.
Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:16-19 ESV
That said, sometimes there are things in our life that need to die. Sometimes the roads we are travelling must end. Sometimes dreams must be abandoned.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24 ESV
Hearts that do not know God; even hearts that do know Him have desires that are antithetical to the abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10). In other words, you and I sometimes have hopes, dreams, plans, and goals that are not godly. They may be "good" or morally neutral dreams, but they do not take us closer to God. We can be mistaken, mislead, and misdirected by sin.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15 ESV
A loving and Holy God will not help us resurrect a sinful hope. He cannot; and why would He?
This may be a painful subject for some. We may be grieving a lost opportunity (or hoping it is still out there). We may be wondering if we have tried hard enough, prayed hard enough, worked long enough on our dream. Dare we give it up now?
There is a litmus test we can try that Jesus used. Remember the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking how he could inherit eternal life (Matt 19, Mark 10)? Jesus replied, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me (Matt 19:21 ESV).”
Scripture tells us that the young man went away in sorrow because he had much wealth. In other words, the price was too high! Jesus asked him to give up his greatest treasure to follow Him. Jesus knew our hearts reside with our treasure(s) (Luke 13:34). And we cannot serve God and pursue our treasure at the same time--until our treasure becomes Jesus.
So, if you value a dream more than Jesus, it has to go. If you pine for a hope other than Jesus, it has to go. If you grieve a lost opportunity more than you anticipate the newness that Christ is building in you, let that opportunity die . . and let those bones turn to dust.
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ . . . Philippians 3:7-8 ESV
The Apostle Paul gave up an incredible career, certain wealth, esteem, admiration, and the approval of the religious and political elite to become a itinerant preacher and missionary. He gave up worldly ambitions to endure hardship, beatings, derision, death threats, prison, and privation. AND, he never looked back! Paul liked to use words translated "surpassing" a lot in his letters. His experience with Jesus was "over the top!" Even considering the price he was constantly paying, Paul considered his "profit" inestimable (too high to count)!
Sometimes a bad plan has to die in order for God to give us His best one. As Jim Elliot once said, "he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose." God wants His best for us, not some poor imitation. That is the testimony of the Scriptures. God's blessings to you as you seek to discern His way.
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