Check out the featured post and read more here: https://www.ibelieve.com/devotionals/ibelieve-truth-a-devotional-for-women/when-gods-purpose-reshapes-your-dreams.html
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21, NIV).
Have you ever wanted something so badly you’d do anything to achieve it? Maybe it was staying up all night to buy hot-deal tickets for the biggest concert of the year. Maybe it was finally losing the weight, so you could fit into your favorite jeans. Or maybe it was putting your head down, doing the hard work, and persevering in college for 8 years so you could achieve your lifelong dream of being a veterinarian. No matter the desire, all of these “wants” have something in common: pursuit.
If you want to buy tickets that go on sale at midnight, you have to be willing to stay up late. You might sacrifice temporary sleep debt for the thrill of an event at a later time. If you want to lose weight, you have to be willing to eat right and exercise. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, getting healthy doesn’t just happen and takes perseverance and dedication. If you want to become a successful veterinarian, you can’t achieve that goal without getting an education, passing certain tests, and getting thousands of clinical hours.
As human beings, we pursue “good dreams” all the time. We pursue a spouse, a friendship, a job, a house, you name it. But Proverbs 19:21 reminds us that even as hard as we work or plan, it’s the Lord’s purpose that will prevail. This isn’t permission to throw in the towel, give up on your dreams, or believe that God is an angry tyrant seeking to destroy your life. Rather, it’s an invitation to surrender the callings you love most deeply so that God’s purpose may be fulfilled in you all the more deeply. Beyond output, identity, or success, giving God those dreams doesn’t mean they won’t ever happen. But it does mean that you trust Him with the timing and outcome of those dreams.
This past week, I was wrestling with my dreams to become a traditionally published author. If you’ve followed my writing for any amount of time, you know that this is one of my deepest desires. But lately, a wise mentor reminded me not to forsake God’s purpose and calling for my life in pursuit of a book deal. Why? Because His plans for me as a person, not just a writer, are so much bigger than that.
With tears in my eyes, I realized she was right. In pursuit of this dream, perhaps I’ve made publishing my god. It didn’t start in vain. In fact, the reason I feel called to authorship is that I want to share Jesus’ truth, grace, and love with the world. But when the publishing industry, or weight loss videos, or jean size, or vet jobs start to take precedence over our relationship with Jesus, that’s a problem. Striving will always make us feel spiritual, but leave us restless inside.