Day 6: Dreams and Desires

Theme: Surrendering All Your Tomorrows

Key Verse: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” - Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

Reflection:
“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
— Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

Big Dreams
We live in a nation that applauds those who pursue their dreams. The man who opened the corner bakery and the woman who launched her own clothing line are both examples of American success stories.

It’s good to have dreams. Without them, our lives would be a series of disconnected events leading to nowhere. Dreams give us a reason to get up in the morning.

I had a dream too. It was big, like the ones you hear about in a commencement speech or see on the news. I wanted to coach high school football and inspire young people to live great lives. I knew it was what God had planned for me. But the day I interviewed for my dream job, the high school principal told me, “Sorry, but we’ve given the position to someone with more experience.” The door slammed shut.

For months, I fumed and pouted. I felt betrayed by God. Didn’t he care about my dreams? I’ve since realized that his “no” was not a betrayal, but a blessing. He had another plan for me—one that did not involve coaching football. If I had pursued my plan, I would have missed out on everything I have today: my family, my ministry, my friendships, and this opportunity to share my story with you.

God’s Dreams
I’ve discovered that my dreams were too small. If we insist on our own way, we’ll find ourselves running in circles, weary and wondering why we can’t make things work. But if we surrender our dreams to God, he’ll replace them with dreams we never imagined.

The Bible says:
“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.”
— Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

Surrendering Your Desires
Desires are different from dreams. Desires can sometimes be selfish or even sinful. That’s why it’s important to bring them to God. We need to ask ourselves if our desires line up with what God says is good. If they don’t, we must surrender them. If they do, we must be willing to wait for God’s timing.

Jesus asked us to surrender our desires when he said:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
— Luke 9:23 (NIV)

If we let him, God will transform our desires into something pure and life-giving—desires that will move us closer to him. When we surrender our desires to God, we’ll find true joy.

A New Perspective
God’s dreams are always bigger and better than our own. When we trust him with our dreams and desires, he shapes them into something more beautiful than we could ever imagine.

In the end, what matters most is not whether our dreams come true, but whether we become the person God created us to be.

Action Step:
Write down one dream or desire you need to surrender to God. In prayer, ask Him to replace it with His perfect plan for your life.