God Has a Dream

Pastor Tim Howard
July 17, 2009

Someone recently asked me if I had a dream? I told them I had dreams every night and most of them are somewhat bizarre. The question posed to me, however, had nothing to do with this type of dream and we laughed because both of us knew it.

Over the years I’ve had many dreams. In the 1960’s I dreamed about owning a 1964 and ½ Mustang 289 convertible. At that time, I was earning $1.25 an hour (you heard me right) so the dream was not meant to be, even though the whole car sold for about $2,300.00 brand new. I dreamed about graduating from college and becoming a millionaire but that didn’t happen either. Well, I did graduate from college so one out of two isn’t all that bad. Then, while in college I dreamed about finding a wife whom I could spend the rest of my life with, serving God and helping people. That’s when I met and married a woman by the name of Donna Higgins and for the past 36 years this has been a dream come true.

We all have dreams! You may recall Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, who was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950’s and the 1960’s. On August 28, 1963 he delivered his great, “ I Have a Dream” speech and made a lasting impression on this nation. Here are a few excerpts to refresh your memory:

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”

We all have dreams and so does God. His dreams have your best interest in mind. Listen to His words in Jeremiah. 29:11, “For I know the plans (dreams) I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans (dreams) to prosper you and not to harm you, plans (dreams) to give you hope and a future.”

Many times we find ourselves pursuing dreams that don’t involve God. Too often it is what we want for ourselves and not what God wants for us. Maybe that’s why so many dreams have been shattered. Sometimes we dream about getting those new and glitzy things but once we get them they let us down. We thought they would make us happy but in the end, we are left with emptiness inside. Today’s discovery becomes tomorrow’s disappointment. Sometimes a dream can turn into a nightmare! Do you know what I mean? You want something, you dream about it, you plan and save but when you get it you realize it doesn’t live up to all the hype. What started out so exciting becomes very tedious.

It may be good to have dreams but it’s great and essential to discover God’s dreams for you? Jesus wants to assist you in this discovery. He’s even created a Dream Team that can help you in your search. They meet every weekend in various places throughout Kings County. They are frequently called the ‘Church’ but in reality, they are the family of God. Why not visit this weekend and ask some family members about God’s plans. I think you’ll be glad you did.