Daily Devotionals for Women - Today's Encouraging Word from Scripture

IT’S NOT WHAT I DREAMED
by Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze´

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

Disappointment. It’s one of the most devastating words in our language. It conjures up the memories of circumstances where my soul was in the pit.

So what do you picture when you hear or read the work “disappointment?” Despair, devastation, destruction? Shame, guilt, loss? There was nothing I wanted to hear less growing up than “I am disappointed in you.” And then there’s personal disappointment, like . . . “This isn’t how my life was supposed to turn out”. For men, it usually has to do with career, or so I’ve been told.

That great job that they worked so hard for isn’t found to be satisfying or they didn’t get it at all. For we women, it has to do with a variety of things. The loss could be about a career, marriage, or lack of it, children, or appearance. (We have our marriage on the horizon, as the Church to the Lamb, so don’t despair!) Job had it worst of all. He had everything: respect, property, children, marriage, and money, and it was taken away. His wife was there but her comfort to him was “Curse God and die.”

I struggle with disappointment. I build up in my head how I think things should be. But rarely does anything in this life live up to what's envisioned. So why does God allow us these dreams if they are not to be fulfilled? God has a specific dream for each one of us; a dream that brings glory to His name. Our ability to imagine gives us a taste of Heaven. This life was never supposed to satisfy.

No matter how hard we try, it will never be enough for us. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. David committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon had hundreds of wives and eventually hundreds of gods. If anyone knew better, it was the richest and wisest man of his time! Only can God change and heal our hearts if we pursue Him. No, our lives will not be perfect, but they will fulfill the holy dream that God created for us before the foundations of this earth.

Heavenly Father, You are a good father. Show me Your dream for my life because my dream has become a heavy yoke around my neck. I don’t want to miss the work that You have for me. Let my life bring glory to Your Name. In Jesus Name, Amen