Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Jesus said, "According to your faith let it be to you."¹

Walt Disney—certainly a creator and fulfiller of dreams—said, "Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret—curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable."

Living in Southern California I still like going to Disneyland and appreciate it more today than ever, knowing that Disney went broke six times (I believe it was) and had a nervous breakdown before becoming successful. Walt succeeded because he was a man with a dream of what could be achieved and the determination to make it happen.

As George Bernard Shaw said, "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"

For the Christian, while some of us may not have the same gifts as Walt Disney or Martin Luther King, God has gifted and has a purpose for every one of His followers. Each of us needs to discover what that purpose is, turn it into a dream and, with God's help, work to fulfill it. In so doing we, too, will make an impact on at least one other life, and for many of us, an impact on many lives. And then, when we come to the end of life's journey, we will hear God's welcoming words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord."²

When our dream is a God-given one, we don't have to dream the impossible dream. For with God all things are possible. Not that fulfilling the dream will come easily. In all probability it will be a life challenging task. But think of the ancient Israelites to whom God gave the Promised Land. God didn't hand it to them on a silver platter. Only where they planted the soles of their feet did it become theirs—and they had to battle every inch of the way. However, had not God given it to them, it would have been an impossible dream—and even today it would be impossible for them to survive without God's protection. Let's each claim God's dream He has for each of us.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please reveal to me my God-given life purpose. Help me to make it a dream that, with Your help, I will never stop pursuing until my life's work on earth is done and I stand before You on that grand and glorious day when I meet You face to face. May I so live and work that I will hear Your welcoming words, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.' Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Mathew 9:29 (NKJV).
2. Matthew 25:21 (NKJV).

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