I became a believer at 18 and thought life would be whatever I dreamed. Young, naive me dreamed of being married and a stay at home mom with 5 children. I’m a single woman with no children. I dreamed of being an engineer at a major company. I changed my major after a hard freshman year of college and have been teaching for the last 20 years. Dreams can sometimes encourage us to work towards a goal, or have something to hope in. Dreams can also disappoint us when they don’t come true and cause us to become stuck if we think there is no hope of change.

God has convicted me on my belief in Him as God who can receive His glory however he chooses, or a human-made version who does whatever I want. In wrestling with God being good, the conviction lies in whether I believe He is God and ultimately sovereign. I have to decide to trust Him even when the dream doesn’t come true as in my head. Trust can’t be in the answer or I’ll lose courage to pray. Trust must be in:

• His heart- He loves me
• His character- He is holy
• His strength and power- nothing is impossible for Him
• His omnipotence- He knows everything
• His mercy and grace- He gives generously
• His plans- they include me and are for me
• His Name- The LORD, El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh

We all trust in something whether we realize it or not. We trust in our alarm security system, our car, our savings, but mostly we trust in ourselves. It’s human nature to trust in what we think serves us. Humility asks us to trust in the will of the One who laid His life down so that we can have eternal life. God is not a genie made in our image to grant our every desire. Sometimes our good deeds don’t guarantee the exact vision in our head of a blessing or keep all the bad away. But He is a God who will give us a deeper present than an earthly dream. Those that trust in Him receive eternal life, the deposit of His Spirit and His presence. Those things bring a joy that lasts beyond this lifetime.

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” ~ Psalm 20:7

“Those who look to him are radiant;
    their faces are never covered with shame.” ~ Psalm 34:5