AVAAT

A VERSE AT A TIME

TOPIC: HAVE THE COURAGE TO PURSUE YOUR DREAMS

TEXT: Deuteronomy 31:1-13

KEY VERSE: Be strong, be bold, don’t be afraid or frightened of them, for Adonai, your God, is going with you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6(CJB)

According to the principle of ‘first mention in the scriptures ‘, the first person who had a dream was Abimelech. God warned him about his intention to take another man’s wife. Similarly, God opened Jacob’s eyes in a dream to reveal the importance of the place where he was lying down. Joseph was the first to whom God showed his future through a dream. His dream was so exciting that he couldn’t keep it to himself, so he shared it. The future he envisioned in his dream was promising for him, but instead of rejoicing with him, his brothers hated him for sharing it.

 His brothers retorted, “Yes, you will certainly be our king. You’ll do a great job of bossing us around!” And they hated him still more for his dreams and for what he said. Genesis 37:8(CJB)

God gives man dreams, and the ability to create comes from the spirit. You may not look like your dreams, but if the source is God, he will be by your side, providing the strength and courage you need as you pursue them.

After that, I will pour out my Holy Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will be prophets. Your old men will dream and your young men will see pictures in their minds. (The Lord will send these to them.) Joel 2:28(EASY)

Joseph, a key figure in the Bible, dreamt about the same outcomes more than once, and he remembered them. He focused on improving his relationship with God and his skills and talents and did not spend his days trying to explain his brothers’ betrayal and hatred. He grew to interpret the dreams of others and became a skilful administrator and manager of men and resources. He built a reputation as a man of integrity in a foreign land, and it became evident that he had God’s blessing on his life because everything around him flourished.

How did Joseph scale the fear, loneliness and pain of slavery in Egypt and believe in his dreams? The answer is in the testimony of his masters.

His master saw how Adonai was with him, that Adonai prospered in everything he did. Genesis 39:3(CJB)

The prison warden paid no attention to anything Yosef did because Adonai was with him, and whatever he did, Adonai prospered.Genesis 39:23(CJB)

Pharaoh said to his officials, “Can we find anyone else like him? The Spirit of God lives in him!” Genesis 41:38(CJB)

Pursuing your God-given dreams can be a lonely journey. The presence of Adonai in his life was the only constant. He could not change the facts of his identity and position. Still, he focused on building an active relationship with Adonai, whose presence was so evident that unbelieving employers testified about it. Neglecting your spiritual life because you seek to pursue a career, build a business, or nurture a relationship is not wise. Seeking God first will eventually attract all the details of your God-given dreams.

Joseph’s dreams eventually came to pass, not because he sought to boss his brothers around but because he maximized every opportunity God gave him to serve others. Leadership or governance is about service. You have to desire to serve others with the skills God has given you if you want to lead.

And whoever wishes to be most important and first in rank among you must be slave of all. Mark 10:44(AMPC)

Fear is one of the greatest hindrances to fulfilling our dreams. It is a component of the ‘carnal nature ‘, which refers to the human nature that is inclined towards sin and away from God. The devil uses fear, a product of this nature, to hold us back from acting in obedience to God’s word or the vision God has shown us. The fear of the enemies could have prevented the Israelites from entering the promised land, so God turned their focus away from them and unto himself. He assured them of his abiding presence every step of the way.

Adonai, your God — he will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations ahead of you, and you will dispossess them. Y’hoshua — he will cross over ahead of you, as Adonai has said. Deuteronomy 31:3(CJB)

God goes ahead of us into every place he sends us. His presence is a constant, a present help in time of need. He takes care of the fights you cannot handle. The only reason you will not be tempted beyond your ability is that Adonai has seen the end of the story and knows you will win. His presence should be your assurance, your confidence, and your strength.

Your part in this is to put away fear and strengthen your belief in God’s faithfulness in the past and his promise for the future. Do you have testimonies from the past of God giving you victories? Remember and celebrate them because God has not changed and can still do the same again. These testimonies are reminders of God’s faithfulness and sources of inspiration and hope for your future dreams.

The Lord will do to those nations the same things that he did to Sihon and to Og, the Amorite kings. He destroyed them and their land. Deuteronomy 31:4(CJB)

For Israel to realize their dreams, they had to submit to Joshua’s leadership. Who has the Lord given to inspire, motivate and direct you? It may be a spouse, boss, or a spiritual leader. Joseph submitted to others before Pharoah commanded Egypt to bow their knees before him.

Another source of fear comes from the failure and disappointment of those we trusted in the past. Failed relationships can hold us back from stepping into new ones. I struggled with Father’s wounds and found it difficult to believe in God for my needs until I went back to the scriptures to discover His character and ability for myself. The scriptures promised God would not fail or abandon his people until they realized their dreams. I believed it! (Deuteronomy 31:11-13)

Today, I have several testimonies as I see each dream come to fulfilment, not by power or might, but by the help of the Holy Spirit.

Reflection Questions

1. What is your greatest fear?

2. What does God’s presence mean to you?

3. What habit will you build to get rid of fear?

4. What scripture encourages you to pursue your God-given dream?  

Photo by Liam Simpson on Unsplash