Encouragement

The following passages come from a book I was given as a gift this Christmas, Joel Osteen’s “Become A Better You”…


I wonder how many times God tells us that He wants to do something great in our lives, that we are going to be healthy and well; we are going to get out of debt. We feel it strongly, but like the woman at the well (John chapter 4), we start thinking about what we don’t have, and all the obstacles in our path, and before long, we’ve talked ourselves out of God’s best.

“That could never happen for me. I don’t have the education; I don’t have the talent; I don’t have the discipline. I’ll never break this addiction; I’ll never accomplish my dreams.” No, you must quit looking at what you don’t have, and start believing that all things are possible.

Don’t get stuck in a rut in your attitude, your career, or your marriage. You have incredible potential within you – much more than you may realize! God is not limited to the laws of nature. He can do what human beings cannot. The key is to get your eyes off your problems and onto your God.

When God puts a dream in your heart, it may look impossible in the natural. Every voice may tell you it will never happen. “You’ll never break that addiction. You’ll never accomplish your dreams. You’ll never be happy.” But if you will believe and stay in faith, and expect good things, you too can defy the odds.

Some people are always looking back, focused on their hurts and pains. Other people are looking down, living in self-pity, and complaining that life is not fair. The key to rising higher is to keep looking to where you want to go. Dream big dreams! Don’t focus on where you are today; keep a positive vision and see yourself accomplishing your goals and fulfilling your destiny.

Other people’s opinions do not determine your potential. What they said or what they think about you does not change what God has placed on the inside. Don’t allow negative words or attitudes to take root and keep you from pressing forward. God may be asking you today, “Who told you that you were too small? Who told you that you aren’t intelligent? Who told you that you don’t have the necessary talent?”

God would not have put the dream in your heart if he had not already given you everything you need to fulfill it. That means if I have a dream or desire, and I know it’s from God, I don’t have to worry whether I have what it takes to see that dream fulfilled. I know God doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t call us to do something without giving us the ability or the wherewithal to do it.

You have to realize that God has matched you with your world. In other words, even though at times you may not feel that you are able to accomplish your dreams, you have to get beyond those feelings and know deep inside, I have the seed of Almighty God in me. Understand, God will never put a dream in your heart without first equipping you with everything you need to accomplish it. If you feel that you don’t have the necessary wisdom, talent, ability, or resources, simply remind yourself, God has matched me with my world. He has already put in me what I need.

God will never ask you for something without first depositing it within you. If you will dare to take a step of faith, you will discover gifts inside that you never before realized were there.

Don’t let the size of your dream or the vastness of God’s calling on your life intimidate you. Moreover, don’t allow naysayers in your path to keep you from pressing forward.

So what if other people say I can’t succeed? So what if someone tries to pull me down; so what if a person doesn’t believe? I am not going to allow their actions, attitudes, or comments to cause me to give up on my God-given dreams. I’ll not allow their unbelief to influence my faith.

Too often, when we suffer some kind of rejection or disappointment, we get so discouraged that we settle right where we are. “I guess it wasn’t meant to be,” we rationalize. Or “I thought I could go out with that attractive person, but maybe I am not good-looking enough.” Or “I thought I could get the promotion, but I tried and failed. Maybe I don’t have the talent. It didn’t work out.”

When disappointment or rejection knocks you down, get back up and go again. We give up too easily on our dreams. We need to understand that just as God supernaturally opens doors, sometimes God supernaturally closes doors. And when God closes a door, it’s always because He has something better in store. So just because you’ve come to a dead end, that’s not the time to give up. Find a different route and keep pressing forward.

Often, out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction. When you come to a closed door, or something doesn’t work out in your life, instead of seeing that as the end, regard that as God nudging you into a better direction. Yes, sometimes it’s uncomfortable; sometimes we may not like it. But we cannot make the mistake of just sitting back and settling where we are.

Perhaps you have bigger things in your heart than your present environment can facilitate. That’s why, at times, God will stir you out of a comfortable situation. When you go through persecution and rejection, it’s not always because somebody has it in for you. Sometimes that’s God’s way of directing you into His perfect will. He’s trying to get you to stretch to the next level. He knows you’re not going to go without a push, so He’ll make it uncomfortable for you to stay where you are currently. The mistake we make at times is getting negative and sour; we focus on what didn’t work out. When we do that, we inhibit the opening of new doors.

Throughout life, we’re not always going to understand everything that happens along the way. But we’ve got to learn to trust God. We’ve got to believe that He has us in the palm of His hand, that He is leading and guiding us, that he always has our best interests at heart.

I know people who have experienced rejection in their personal relationships. Maybe their marriage didn’t work out. They put all those years into it and now they’re hurt, dejected, going around defeated and not expecting anything good.

I don’t believe that divorce is God’s best. Unfortunately, sometimes it is unavoidable. If you have been through a divorce, understand that God still has another plan for your life. Just because somebody rejected you or walked out of your life and left you hurt, that doesn’t mean you should retreat and settle where you are. That rejection did not change what God put on the inside of you. It doesn’t mean that you cannot yet be happy. When one door closes, if you will keep the right attitude, God will open another door. But you have to do your part and keep pressing forward. Too many people get bitter, they get angry, and they start to blame God. Instead, let that hurt go. You may not understand it, but trust God and move on with your life. Don’t look at it as the end. Look at it as a new beginning. Somebody may have rejected you, but you can hold your head up high knowing this: God accepts you. God approves you. And He has something better in store.

Give birth to what God has placed in your heart. Don’t let other people talk you out of your dreams. Listen to what God says about you, not all the negative voices. When you face rejection and disappointment, know that God has another plan. God has something better in store. You may not have experienced God’s favour in the past, but this is a new day. Your best days are in front of you. God is going to show you more of His blessings and favour, and you will become a better you, better than you even dreamed possible.




What if I told you that after reading these passages, I realize that God gave me a dream for my life, a goal, something to reach for, and He did it this year? What if I said that I know that He has placed a mission upon my heart? What if I told you that I lost my way, when rejection hit? And what if I said that this is inspiring me to keep believing for the impossible, the improbable, and the highly-unlikely…because these are the things that God specializes in? What will my life look like, if I catch hold of that dream again, seek God’s face, and believe that He will undertake to bring that dream to fruition, in spite of the obstacles in the way? What if I said that now, more than ever, I understand that God is a God of the miraculous, He is the God of promise, the always-faithful One?

What would you think of me, God, if I chose to pick up where I left off, and keep believing for the dream that You planted in my heart, keep believing that You have equipped me to meet this dream head-on, and that You can bring the impossible dream to life because nothing is impossible with You?



And this is from my Daily Devotional today...


Room for Miracles

“I will not believe it until I see the nail marks in His hands and…put my hand into His side.”
John 20:25 (NCV)

In our world of budgets, long-range planning and computers, don’t we find it hard to trust in the unbelievable? Don’t most of us tend to scrutinize life behind furrowed brows and walk with cautious steps? It’s hard for us to imagine that God can surprise us. To make a little room for miracles today, well, it’s not sound thinking.

We make the same mistake that Thomas made: we forget that “impossible” is one of God’s favorite words.

How about you? How is your imagination these days? When was the last time you let some of your dreams elbow out your logic? When was the last time you imagined the unimaginable?…Has it been awhile since you claimed God’s promise to do “more than we can ask or imagine?” (Eph. 3:20)


Huh. Seems to be a lot of talk swirling about the miraculous, about not giving up, about faith and believing in spite of what you see. Lots of talk about dreams that God gives us, things He wants us to accomplish in life.

Interesting.

I'm picking up on something here. My life has been swirling around in the dust for a few months now. I lost the dream that I had, and God has never given me another one. Perhaps, finally, God is awakening my faith, drawing me to Him, and putting me back on the path that I am supposed to be on...

Perhaps the fulfillment of my dream, is yet to come, at some point in the future, if I will but trust God and believe in faith for the miraculous...

Perhaps God is telling me, that there is hope for me yet. I haven't failed, I have merely gotten sidetracked by disappointment. There is still a calling to be fulfilled.

Thank You, Lord.

Thank You.