A Prayer for When God Wrecks Your Dreams
By Mandy Smith
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Is there is a dream in your heart that you feel is being delayed? If you look hard enough, you may see another blessing in disguise. Some dreams of mine include being a wife and mother. I am single but I am grateful to God that He has been able to fulfill the emotional longings I have in unexpected ways.
I understand the heart-numbing pain of a dream that has not come to fruition. It’s hard to consider a “wait” or a “no” to be loving, isn’t it? We can often feel neglected, lonely, heartbroken, tired, or hopeless.
In this society of social media overload, there are things that can pop up on a newsfeed that can cut deeper than any sharp-edged sword. Seeing someone receive a blessing you have cried, worked for, prayed for, and dreamed of while you are still in the “waiting room” is ridiculously hard. We are called to be joyful with our brothers and sisters in Christ, “Rejoice with those who rejoice;” but we are also called to “mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15)
Many times, when we receive a “dream come true” we talk about the faithfulness of God, and rightly so. But, being honest, I always come back to this next thought: “If my dream does not come true, if I never receive what I’ve knocked on heaven’s door for year after year, does that mean God is not faithful?” I hope you know what the answer is, but just in case, let me remind you and myself of this single truth:
God is faithful to us at all times whether our dreams come true, or not.
His faithfulness to me is saving me from an eternity apart from Him. When I look back at things I’ve gone through I also see a bigger picture of His faithfulness and His guiding hand in my life. He is faithful to complete His work in us but not to complete our dream to-do list. “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
God is still good. God is still omnipotent. God is still faithful to us because He is God and I am not.
May you be comforted by the assurance that staying rooted in the Lord is the most assured way to live a full, joyful, and “dream come true” kind of life: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
The only way we can have a content heart and a joyful life is by letting Him love us, pursue us, and fill the heart-numbing ache we have with His grace. That doesn’t always make it easy to let go of a dream or to let it sit still for a season, and I know God recognizes that. Don’t forget that we are what He dreams of and desires and He loves us so much. His will and dreams for us are more than we can even imagine…and that’s more than ok.
God, thank You that Your will and Your plan is always perfect. It might not be easy or always feel good, but I know You see the big picture and know what’s best for me. You are always good. You are always faithful. You always have steadfast love for your children. These are truths that will never be untrue- so help me live in light of those truths today.
Help me have peace as I meditate on what it means that You are always good, faithful and full of steadfast love for me. Help me face today with confidence knowing that Your plan is greater than all of my dreams. Lord, I love You, thank You for the life I have in You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Editor’s Note: This devotional was excerpted from When God Wrecks Your Dreams... And That's Ok by Mandy Smith. You can read the full piece here.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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Originally published Saturday, 26 February 2022.
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