“King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David. … Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” 2 Samuel 5:11-12

If you were asked to describe yourself to someone who knows nothing about you, where would you begin? You may decide to use words that detail your relationships with others such as daughter, brother, husband, friend, or Christian, or you may choose words that tell what you do: artist, engineer, student, writer, or athlete. Both are good choices as they provide your new acquaintance with two aspects of what makes you you. But, how would you choose which titles to use? Obviously, you would try to pick those which are most accurate and would be easily recognized as true by those who know you best. For instance, if you never sing anywhere except in your shower, you probably would not choose to introduce yourself as a singer. However, if you serve on your church’s praise team or are the lead singer in a band, then singer would be a great title to choose. Your gifts have been acknowledged, and you have received recognition by other musicians. Therefore, yes, you are a singer.

Although David had been anointed by God’s prophet when he was just a young man, he had never really felt like the King of Israel. Saul had treated him like a criminal. He had been forced to hide in the wilderness and live as an exile. There were many titles he would have claimed as his own: shepherd, musician, warrior, giant killer; but, until Hiram, the King of Tyre, recognized David and provided materials to build his palace, he did not actually know in his heart that he was a king. Recognition by one who knew what he was talking about convinced David that God had indeed called him to be king and to lead His people Israel. After many years and many trials, David finally became King David.

You may be asking how all this applies to you. You’ll never be a king, right? Well, what titles are waiting for you to claim them? What dreams have been anointed in your heart but are still awaiting recognition in order for you to know that the Lord has established them for you? Don’t hide them away until they eventually die from malnutrition. Nurture what God has begun in you and allow Him to bring them to fruition for the recognition of others, the sake of His kingdom, and His glory. You know, it wasn’t just so that he could live in a palace and wear a crown that David became king. It was for the benefit of the people of Israel, to further the kingdom of God, and to accomplish God’s expressed will. Not for selfish gain, but for God’s glory.

What is God asking you to do? Do you have dreams or gifts that you are hiding or haven’t even recognized? Ask God to show them to you, seek the training or practice you may need to develop them, and look for opportunities to serve those around you. If your desires are anointed by Him then you can be “sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

You are the Gifter and the Giver of Dreams. Thank You for anointing my heart with hope and placing gifts in me to be used for Your glory and for the benefit of Your kingdom. Please, reveal the work you have established for me and empower me to serve as You ordain. In Your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

I remember a church camp I attended a couple of years back. The theme was two Greek words I was not familiar with: Phroneo Christou. Together these words mean “the attitude of Christ.” Through study of the Gospels we are able to see images of Christ’s attitude as He interacted with His followers and those who were in opposition to His teachings. We are able to walk through His trials and temptations and have the privilege of learning from His actions and reactions. Ephesians 4:22-24 commands us to “put off [our] old self” and “be made new in the attitude of [our] minds…created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” The first verse of chapter five directly commands us to “Be imitators of God, therefore, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us…” As Paul tells us in Philippians, “To live is Christ and to die is gain.”

I struggle with laying down my will. Crucifying my own desires is not something that comes naturally for me. It takes prayer and intentional humility to lay down my own desires and let God reveal to me His intentions. Recently I have dealt with disappointment as my will apparently did not coincide with God’s will. I felt strongly that God was leading me to a college six hours away from home. I flew up there for a long weekend and absolutely fell in love with the campus, the professors, and the wonderful girls I met on my journey. It was perfect in my heart’s eyes. Nothing could beat this school! The time came for a second visit to meet with financial aid. This time I did not leave the school with soaring spirits; from our meeting it was clear that the resources it would take to get me to my dream school were simply not available.

The six hour drive home seemed to last for years. Tears welled up in my eyes and disappointment welled up in my heart. “Why, God?” I asked. I had no intentions of pursuing the school but it seemed to me like God had opened so many doors. I was confused, hurt, and angry and felt so misdirected. “Why did you show me this school only to open me up to disappointment?” My thoughts were selfish and did not reflect Christ’s intentions or a trust in Him but merely my own desires.

As I reflect on the church camp a couple years ago and examine Scripture, I realize that I must lay down and die to myself and imitate Christ in His perfect ways. Only then will I fully know and appreciate His plan for my life. As I read the Scriptures that talk about imitating Christ and living with His attitude, I can’t help but tie in another favorite scripture. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” (Jeremiah 29:11). We cannot merely examine the Scripture telling us to imitate Christ without also taking this promise into account. Our efforts and struggle to die to ourselves will not go unnoticed; God will honor us by allowing us to prosper and by blessing us immensely.

Today as I stand in a waiting period of becoming aware of God’s further plans for me, I know that He had a reason for me to even visit the campus of that distant college. Already a miraculous occurrence unrelated to my personal interest in the university has come out of an interaction we had during our stay. God is not a single-minded God; He can multi-task and uses His children to accomplish His tasks. We must honor Him by being imitators of Him and carrying out His perfect will by living day-to-day with the blameless attitude of Christ.

“At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, ‘Ask. What should I give you?’” (1 Kings 3:5)

Where do dreams go in the cold, harsh light of day? Some are so faint that no memory of them remains when we open our eyes. Some are frightened away by the real world and dissolve into steaming green goo like the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. Remember? “I’m melting…” Yet, there are those dreams that linger. They visit us throughout the day returning at quiet moments or when we take the time to meditate upon them. Some even occur night after night as though they are trying to tell us something that we just aren’t grasping. As if, perhaps, God wants us to get a message from them. And … maybe He does. Throughout Scriptures it is not uncommon to read of times when God spoke to people in dreams. Joseph, Pharaoh, Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, Mary’s Joseph, and others all heard from the Lord in this way. In fact, in many parts of the world, it is still common for people to claim that God speaks to them in their dreams.

So, rather than asking where dreams go, perhaps, the better question is from where do dreams come? Some are nightmares that originate in the stress and sorrows of the day. Others are simply expressions of our own selfish desires: “My dream is to travel to Hawaii” or “I want to build my dream house.” But, some seem to come from a deeper place as though God Himself has carefully set them in us. Nothing we do can erase these dreams. They fill us with longing that drives us to fulfillment. They nag at us with a persistent feeling of discontent that refuses to be quieted.

What’s a dreamer to do? Psalm 37 states that when we “take delight in the LORD … He will give [us our] heart’s desires.” Many read this promise as saying that God will fulfill our desires when we delight in Him, and that may be a good interpretation. But, it may also mean that as we draw closer to Him, He will place dreams within us that will fulfill His plans rather than our own. Even that His plans will become our own—they will be our heart’s desires. Wow! What a thought! God’s desires as our very own.

Are you nursing a dream in your heart today? Is there a longing within you that hasn’t died in the light of day? Delight yourself in Him. Seek God first then ask Him for what you want. Ask. It may be that your dream is the desire of His heart for you.

Father, I pray that You will be the Lord even of my dreams and the desires of my heart. I don’t want to withhold anything from you. Help me to delight myself in You, to seek You first in all things, and to make Your will my own. Amen.