How to Dream by David Jeremiah

Monday, June 18 How to Dream    Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” James 4:15    Everybody plans; everybody dreams. Surely that is part of the image of God we bear. After all, the animal kingdom does not plan for, dream about, or consider the future. Only we humans do—a gift of God to use in carrying out our mandate as stewards of His kingdom-creation.

Recommended Reading: Ecclesiastes 6:1-6

But planning has one caveat in Scripture: Who is the beneficiary of those plans? Proverbs 16:1-9 provides a number of guidelines for planning. Summed up, they say this: God’s plans take precedence over man’s. When we plan, we should leave room for God’s plans to change ours. James even provided an example to illustrate this principle (James 4:13-17)—businessmen made plans for the future but failed to remember God and are chided for their failure. We ought always to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” When we plan and dream with God in mind, we will always be content with His changes. We are not on earth to pursue our own glory or satisfaction, but God’s. Pursuing God’s best is what turns out best for us. God has plans for this world, not problems. There is never a panic in heaven. W. Ian Thomas