DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Well…The championship games began and ended with the best Teams (on any given Sunday) still standing and headed for the Super Bowl.  There were some interesting moments in the championship battles. The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers game, for example.  Chicago couldn’t get their offense going until they put in Caleb Hanie, the third string quarterback. I just know that he was living a dream which he had since childhood!  Were it not for that last interception, we would have watched a miraculous comeback orchestrated by the ‘third string quarterback’!  Unfortunately (or fortunately)  Jay Cutler, their starting quarterback got hurt and could not finish the game and their second string quarterback was ineffective.  Therefore, the head coach, Lovie Smith, put Hanie in the game and then we had a championship game well worth watching!

Do you feel like that sometimes? I mean, do you feel like a ‘third string quarterback’? You have dreams and aspirations, but it seems as if you are the only one with confidence in yourself. You go to auditions or you volunteer and someone else is chosen, because to them you are not quite “good” enough.  Sometimes you get so angry that you start plotting or dreaming about how you’ll show them! But then you get so discouraged and sidetracked that you tire of trying and you stop dreaming… Caleb Hanie had been on the side lines for three years and I don’t believe he ever stopped dreaming!  He probably dreamed it would be with the Dallas Cowboys , since he is from Texas. But I don’t think that it matters to him now.  Most importantly is that after three years, his dream came true. He wasn’t victorious, but he got the opportunity to live out his dream!   I’m just saying that; just because your dream is not coming true now, doesn’t mean you should stop dreaming; especially if it is a God-given dream.  Take Abraham and Sarah for example. Notably God didn’t give Abraham a dream and a purpose until he was seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4) and Sarah was sixty-four. God told him that he would be the father of nations. God continued to give him that dream and purpose, even at ninety-nine years of age. Abraham’s call was to literally fulfill the great purpose: “Be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28).” Not only were Abraham’s children (Genesis 15:5) going to be in the image of God physically, but they were to also exemplify the spiritual image of God (Leviticus 11:45).  

It wasn’t until Sarah was ninety years old that Abraham’s dream came true. Abraham and Sarah (as we all do) thought that it was entirely up to them to fulfill the dream and purpose. Therefore, they did all kinds of things to make that dream come true years earlier, but all those attempts turned out to be a disaster and we’re still reaping the repercussions. It was not until Abraham was ninety-nine years old that Abraham heard, I mean really heard what God had said; “And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee (Genesis 17:6 (KJV).” God said that ‘He’ would make Abraham fruitful.  They also thought that they were to determine the time and the place.  But, it was God who would open her womb in the fulfillment of time. God gave the dream and He alone would appoint the time and place (Genesis 17:21).  If He has given you a dream, yet you are frustrated about how long it is taking to see the fulfillment of that dream; stop, relax and let God bring it into fruition.  It is not wise to stress yourself out because it is not happening as soon as you would like.  Don’t give up or lose heart.  If God said that it will be, believe me it will be (Numbers 23:19)!  Unfortunately you don’t know the hour or even the year that it will come to pass; therefore, you must prepare yourself to be ready when that moment arrives.  You have to study, practice and exercise, and develop your skill. So that in the moment of truth, when ever that is, you can make your family, and most importantly, your God proud!  Whatever you do, you must keep the faith and believe God.  You must not compromise your faith, but trust in Him while you wait. 

During your wait, temptations will come; lucrative offers will come; and distractions will come to be a stumbling block.  Keep your focus on the dream God has given you and do not stray from the faith.   When Jesus came to be our scapegoat; that is to be the sacrificial lamb for our sins, there was a moment when they plotted to make Him king (John 6:15) and even Satan made Him magnificent and tempting offers (Matthew 4:8-10).  Though Christ had to die on the cross, He would not compromise, He would not waver.  He stayed true to His Father and determined to fulfill the call on His earthly life. It was termed as “for the joy set before Him, He endured the Cross (Hebrew 12:2 (KJV)).”  After 33 years, He endured the cross, suffered and died, but on the third day, He arose from the dead (Matthew 28:6) with victory and power in His hands!  This was the fulfillment of a promise made to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15). It was a long time coming, but Salvation has come (Acts 4:12)!

 Remember the time Christ was at the wedding in Cana? His mother, Mary, approached Him about a dilemma the Host of the party was having.  They had run out of wine.  Jesus’ reply to her was “My hour has not yet come (John 2:4 (KJV).” You have a dream, but it has not yet come true.  It most likely is because “Your hour has not yet come.” If God gave you the dream, He alone has determined the right time and the right place!

 Whatever you do: Don’t get tired. Don’t compromise your faith in God and… Don’t stop dreaming!

 

” Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)

That’s Today’s SingleFocus…

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An interesting Book is :    Rudy by Sean Astin