Dream For You

What’s the biggest dream you can dream for yourself?

Many of you know about my path to serving in jail and prison ministry.  When I originally felt God calling me to serving the least of these in this way, I had my plans…my dream…for how it would work.  I saw myself going into prisons and jails, spreading the Gospel and sharing my faith with others.  It was a struggle at the beginning and I was not able to get anywhere through my efforts.

God had a bigger dream for me.

Guaranteed to get your toes tapping on this Saturday morning, this is probably a song you have not heard yet.  It is off of Casting Crown’s new album “Thrive” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8nsJZx8eWw).  I am normally not a “run out and buy the album” kind of guy.  I listen through a couple of songs and maybe buy those.  But, when I sampled a few from this one, I knew it was one to have.  I may grab one more off it before we end this Lenten journey together.

“Hey, David, I hear you've been dreaming
About being a big time shepherd some day
You're gonna prove your brothers wrong
You're gonna sing your shepherd song
To the cattle on a thousand hills
But I’ve been thinking

I'm having trouble with a giant down the road
You're the one who's going to face him toe to toe
Wipe that grin right off his face
And whip this army into shape
I'm going to turn the nation back to Me
And David, you're right about one thing
Your little shepherd songs are going to make the whole world sing 

And I'm gonna make you king”

Instead of serving at prisons and jails in the way I imagined, God took me on a path of leading me to my great friend Alphonso Bailey (see his story here http://www.dbno.org).  When he and I met for the first time, we discussed my dream for prison ministry.  At one point, he asked me a question about why I wanted to do this?  I was pretty full of myself and said, “I want to bring Jesus into prison.”  He looked at me seriously and said, “Scott, when I go into prison, I don’t go to bring Jesus in.  I go in looking for Him.”  Wow.  My whole perspective changed.

If I had realized my dream for serving others at jails and prisons, it would have been a small dream.  But God led me in a way that allowed a bigger dream to come true, for me to serve in ways I could not have imagined, and be blessed in ways I could not even dream of.

Ephesians 3:20-21 is one of my favorites.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

I love how this says that no matter how big my imagination is, God can do more.  When I pray and ask for something, He wants to give me more than I ask.

“So come on, let Me dream, let Me dream for you
I am strong when you're weak and I'll carry you
So let go of your plan, be caught by My hand
I'll show you what I can do
When I dream for you
I have a dream for you”

Is your dream big?  It can be bigger!  Is your dream magical?  It can be holy!  Is your dream temporary?  It can be eternal!

So, what’s the biggest dream you can dream for yourself?  Don’t limit your life by only chasing your own dreams; let God dream for you.  He’ll show you what He can do, and it is immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.