I’ve been thinking of you…
It takes courage to continue walking forward in faith in the face of disappointments and setbacks. You worked so hard. You put so much into it. You gave it all your emotional and physical energy. And then, right before your very eyes, your hopes and dreams were dashed.
It’s at this point that other people develop a strong case of “NOSTALGIA” – but not you. Others start thinking BACKWARDS to what they remember as “good” times when everything was “ok” – but not you.
These other people let their memory build a beautiful picture of the past that becomes irresistible to them – but not you.
“Besides,” they say, “my hopes and dreams didn’t work out anyway, right? Why fight it? It’s too much. It’s too hard. It wears on the nerves.”
And they gave up. They forsook their dreams and went BACKWARDS – but not you.
Only problem was, their memory served them WRONG! Their memory fabricated a false picture of the past. The past wasn’t nearly as great as they remembered it. Even if it was “ok”, God isn’t interested in sitting still. God’s interested in moving forward, onward, upward, to bigger, better, greater, grander, more wonderful things in YOUR life and His Kingdom.
You kept in mind the story found in Numbers chapter 11 where the Children of Israel started talking about how great Egypt was. How they remembered the vegetables but forgot about the slavery, the abuse, and the killing of their children. They started looking BACKWARDS and “the anger of the LORD was greatly kindled” against them.
But you didn’t let yourself do this, did you.
I’m glad you realize that God doesn’t want you looking BACKWARDS.
I’m glad you realize that God has something better for you as you go FORWARD in faith.
Those hopes and dreams that you have? That’s God wanting to express Himself through YOU.
Even in the face of disappointments and setbacks, you realize that God is making you. When those hopes and dreams were dashed, that wasn’t failure. That was God teaching you and making you. You saw that, didn’t you?
For others, when events don’t match up with what they WANT to happen, they tend to start thinking of them in a negative way. They tend to view them as failures – and then they allow their emotions and feelings to take over – and then they start going BACKWARDS.
But you didn’t.
You remembered that God commands us to “walk by faith” and not by our emotions and feelings.
I see that you realize, believe, and accept that everything that is happening in your life is working together for your good.
That’s absolutely amazing! There’s not very many people like you.
I hear you remembering God’s words found in Isaiah 48:17 – “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.”
And as you remember these words, you threw away your disappointment and discouragement. You said that, “No matter how it may seem or feel, everything in my life is right on plan and on target. It’s all good! God has great things that He’s leading me TOWARDS.”
And now, you’re letting that beautiful smile of yours break out on your face as you realize that it is going to be PROFITABLE for you AND for God.
And, as you think of this, God is looking at you with a heart full of love, with tears of happiness and excitement in His eyes as HE sees ALL the GOOD that HE IS PERFORMING and is going to PERFORM in YOUR life.
I mean WOW! The Almighty God of Heaven and Earth with all His power, might, and creation – and His eye and focus is on making GOOD in YOUR LIFE!
You know, in a lot of ways you remind me of a man in the Bible… A man named Joseph who went from dreamer, to slave, to convict, to GOVERNOR.
Yes, you must be a pretty special person.
Copyright © 2006 by Lane Fox, MillionairesForJesus.com
PS: Why not encourage the special people you know by emailing this article to all the people on your email list. They’ll appreciate you thinking of them.