God Gives the Dream

King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Acts 26:19

I remember as a teenager that I had the dream of being a cartoon and commercial artist. I had always done well in school and could draw, paint, or do anything else that I set my mind to creatively. I even contemplated attending school and sent off for information to the Pittsburgh Art Institute. Wonder and possibilities are the things that dreams are made of. Many people have dreams of wealth, popularity, power, and ease, but there’s another kind of dream that’s even more powerful and far more fulfilling: finding and following God’s dream (God’s plan) for our lives.

Shackled and standing before the king of the nation, Paul said this…King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Acts 26:19

What was this heavenly vision? It’s recorded in Acts 9:1-9. On the road to Damascus, Christ appeared to Paul in a great light and spoke to him. The rest, as they say, is history.

We may never experience something as dramatic or life-changing as Paul did, but each of us has been given a dream by God. It may not be as visible or exciting as Paul’s, but it’s just as real. The question is: will we be obedient to it?

[to put into context, dream here we are not talking about a fairy-tale or fantasy, but we are talking about a dream as the best and greatest goal or situation possible]

When the Apostle Paul stood before the King to explain why he had followed his path, he could have described the pros and cons of each decision along the way. How he had the privilege of reaching the Gentiles…starting new churches in new areas…meeting with wonderful helpers of the gospel. Or he could have also told of the times that he had been stoned, shipwrecked, snake-bitten, and imprisoned. But instead, he chose to sum up his life with one statement: I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

What was his secret? How could he obey such a difficult path? The answer is found in Acts 9:6 when Paul asked Christ what he should do. Christ’s answer was simple: Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.

This one statement changed everything for Paul. It was no longer about what he wanted to do or what made sense according to the world’s standards. It was now about being obedient to the heavenly vision that God had given him. And because he was obedient, he was able to impact the world in a far greater way than he ever could have imagined.

But the pros and cons didn’t determine Paul’s direction. But Paul did not allow these things to throw him off course. It did not change his path or plans. Paul had a God-given vision, and he aligned his life to fulfill it to the fullest extent possible.

The Message 19-20 says wonderfully, “What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn’t just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change—this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life—right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world.” That was his defense before the King.

The same is true for us. When we are obedient to the heavenly vision that God has given us, we will be able to impact the world around us in a far greater way than we ever could have imagined.

A compelling dream will generate the obedience to push past our fears.

Zig Ziglar

All pursuits promise to fulfill our lives with meaning, but only God can transform us, fill us, challenge us, and give our lives ultimate purpose. God gave His all, and he demands our all. God gives you the dream (plan) for your life, He expects you to follow the lead that He gives you.

In perhaps the most loved devotional book in the English language, Oswald chambers wrote, “the only way to be obedient to the heavenly vision is to give our utmost for His highest – Our best for His glory. This can be accomplished only when we make a determination to continually remember God’s vision.”

When we make a determination to continually remember God's vision, we will be able to accomplish great things for His glory. Let us not be disobedient to the heavenly vision that He has given us, but let us be obedient and impactful followers of His lead.

The paradox of the Christian life is that when we live unreservedly For God, we find true fulfillment ourselves. Don’t be disobedient to the dream God has given you. Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God. When we make God our priority, He will direct our steps.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” -Colossians 3:17

When we are obedient to the heavenly vision that God has given us, we will be able to impact the world around us in a far greater way than we ever could have imagined.

Don’t be afraid to give your all for God’s glory, because when we make God our priority, He will direct our steps. Trust that the Lord will equip you with everything you need to fulfill the dreams He’s placed in your heart. Pursue Him wholeheartedly, and you will find true fulfillment and joy.

Maybe your church can be encouraged by this thought knowing that your congregation that you are leading or part of, understands that God has a vision or dream for you. Know that in Jeremiah 29:11 that God is talking to the body, the nation of Israel saying, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.” This is what He is saying to you today. A compelling dream will generate the obedience to push past our fears.

Zig Ziglar was a man who impacted the world around him in a great way. He once said, "All pursuits promise to fulfill our lives with meaning, but only God can transform us, fill us, challenge us, and give our lives ultimate purpose."

God gives you the dream (plan) for your life, He expects you to follow the lead that He gives you.

So let us not be disobedient to the heavenly vision that He has given us, but let us be obedient and impactful followers of His lead. When we are obedient to the heavenly vision that God has given us, we will be able to impact the world around us in a far greater way than we ever could have imagined. Trust that the Lord will equip you with everything you need to fulfill the dreams He’s placed in your heart. Pursue Him wholeheartedly, and you will find true fulfillment and joy.