Turning Dreams Into Reality.

Proverbs 13

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” – Proverbs 13:12 NLT

"I want to lose 20 pounds."

"I wish I could go back to school and get my degree."

"I hope I make varsity this year."

"I am going to get out of debt this year."

"I am determined to spend more time with my family this year, and less at work."

There are all kinds of dreams out there, and we all have them. We dream of success. We dream of getting married or, if we are married, of having a better one. We dream of our kids becoming successful at sports or growing up and having a family of their own. We dream of a day when we will be financially free and emotionally happy. We dream of getting into better shape or accomplishing a long-sought-after goal. We all dream. But many of us never see those dreams come to fruition. And as the verse above states, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." The frustration of an unfulfilled dream can result in depression and discouragement. It can leave us frustrated and wallowing in self-pity, wondering why everyone else seems to have it so well and so easy.

But there is a second verse in Proverbs 13 that is a companion to this one. It says, "It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them" (Proverbs 13:19 NLT). Wow! That one hurts. It seems that there is a certain degree of responsibility when it comes to seeing our hopes and dreams become reality. We have to make certain decisions and alter our lifestyles if we want our dreams to ever happen. And a big reason they never do is because we refuse to turn from evil. That word "evil" is a hard one for us to get our hearts around. It sounds so, well, evil. It sounds like we must be doing something really wicked and ungodly. But in the Hebrew, the word carries a range of meanings. It can simply mean "bad" or "wrong." So when it says that fools refuse to turn from evil, it can also mean that they refuse to turn from doing what is bad. So if your dream is to lose 20 pounds, it never happens because you refuse to cut down on your eating and neglect doing any kind of exercise. That's bad. It's wrong. You see, a fool dreams of losing weight, but won't stop doing the bad things that are contributing to the problem. If you dream of having a better marriage, but refuse to stop doing the bad things that are harming your marriage, your dream will never come true. The Proverbs are full of admonitions about diligence and hard work. Dreams rarely come true with both. I can dream about running a marathon, but if I refuse to go out and train, strapping on my running shoes and putting in the miles each day, my dream will never become a reality. It will be hope deferred, and it will lead to a sick heart.

But when we do what is necessary to see our dreams fulfilled, it is like a tree of life. It enthuses and encourages us. It invigorates and revitalizes us. Setting a goal and achieving it is a powerful motivator. But only a fool would believe that dreams are possible without hard work and a determination to stop doing those "bad" things that are counterproductive and potentially destructive. God has wired us to pursue transformation. He has placed His Spirit within us and given us His Word to direct us. He inwardly and outwardly motivates us to pursue transformation into the likeness of His Son. But there are going to be things we must give up and turn away from if we want to see change take place. If our goal is godliness, we must turn from evil, from doing what is bad or wrong for that goal to come about. The Spirit of God gives us the capacity and capability to say no to those things that are detrimental to our transformation. If you want to lose weight, you can't keep a box on donuts in the pantry. If you want to become godly, you can't surround yourself with ungodly influences. That would be counterproductive and lead to defeat. What dream has God placed on your heart? What are you willing to give up to see it become a reality?

Father, we all dream, but so few of us ever see our dreams come true. All because we refuse to give up those things that are holding us back. We hang on to the wrong things, then wonder why our dreams go unfulfilled. Open our eyes and show us the part we need to play. Thank You for giving us Your Spirit to motivate and empower us. But never let us forget that we have a responsibility to do our part. Amen.

X-Ray Vision.

Proverbs 15

“Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the Lord. How much more does he know the human heart!” – Proverbs 15:11 NLT

God knows your heart. Kind of a scary thought, isn't it? He knows all there is to know about death and the grave. Nothing surprises Him. There is nothing mysterious or unknown to Him. He knows it all. And the same truth applies to our hearts. He knows them inside and out. He knows our actions, attitudes, motives and behaviors. He knows what drives us, inspires us, tempts us, and fills our minds every second of every day. Nothing escapes Him. While we can fool others and sometimes even fool ourselves, we can't fool God. Over the in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet makes this point very clear: "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT). We can be deceived by the wickedness in our own hearts. We have no idea just how bad we can really be or are. Our hearts have a way of justifying our actions, rationalizing our behavior and excusing our sins. But God is not fooled. He knows all. He sees all. Jeremiah goes on to say, "But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve" (Jeremiah 17:10 NLT). God has X-ray vision that allows Him to probe into the inner recesses of our hearts, clearly seeing the motives behind our behavior. Solomon reminds us, "The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3 NLT). He sees all that is going on. But God is not limited to watching our external actions. He is able to look into our hearts and determine exactly what prompted our behavior. He sees the pride, greed, jealousy, anger, need for recognition, and all attempts to get others to see us as something other than what we really are.

This understanding that God is able to see into our hearts is somewhat disconcerting. It is disturbing to think that we can't hide things from God like we do from everyone else. We can pose, posture, and pretend with others. But God sees through the flimsy facade we erect, looking right into our hearts. But rather than condemn us, He convicts us and calls us to repentance. He lovingly exposes our hidden faults and offers to help us change. He reveals the true condition of our hearts so that we might be truthful about our need for Him. David knew this about God and not only grew to appreciate it, but invited God to examine him. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life" (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT). David wanted his heart, his motives and actions, examined by God. He wanted God to examine him, revealing anything that might offend Him. Because David knew that there were thing hidden there he couldn't see. There were unseen areas of his heart that needed exposure and cleansing. David knew that he couldn't confess what he didn't know. He could repent of something he knew nothing about. So he asked His all-knowing, all-loving God to give him a complete examination. So when's the last time you asked God for a check-up? Sure, it's kind of scary to ask God to show you what's really in your heart. But relax. He'll not only show you what's wrong, He'll show you how to fix it. He'll not only help you, He'll heal you.

Father, it is scary to think of You looking into my heart and seeing all the gunk that is there. But never let me forget that You do so as my loving Father. You care for me. You want to help me. You desire to change me into the likeness of Your Son. And to do so, You have to constantly expose the sin in my heart. Help me get to the point, like David, where I not only look forward to it, but I invite it. Amen.