Dreams

Cycle of Desires: God’s Blessings Part 5 of 5

Cycle of DesiresGod’s Blessings

As we turn back again to the Cycle of Desires, where we are at the point of “Giving Up” and “Surrendering,” God seems to open up His storehouse of blessings and rains them down in a way that literally blows our minds.  He wants to bless us abundantly.  In fact, John 10:10 says, “I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”[i]

Full Cycle of Desires

What a cycle to take us through!   I don’t understand why we have to go through it, but from my perspective, there appear to be two key points: 1. God wants to bring us to the point where we know we need Him more than anything else in this life; and 2. God wants to bring us to the point of brokenness and submission where we are willing to do and be anything He wants us to do and be!

The beauty in the Cycle of Desires is that “dreams don’t come with expiration dates.  Taking a circuitous route to your dream doesn’t mean you won’t get there.  Life’s unexpected circumstances come as no surprise to God.  Instead, you may find that God is moving you toward a dream perfected for you – better than you have imagined.  The life you live and the wisdom you gain will make your dream that much sweeter.  Maybe that will prove to be the purpose of the delay all along.  Be patient.  God is not finished with you – or your dreams – yet.”[ii]

And remember, nothing is too hard for the Lord.  As He did with Abraham and Sarah, He loves to pull off the impossible.  No matter how long it’s been and no matter how impossible it looks, stay hopeful. Your time is coming.  Every dream that’s in your heart, every promise that has taken root, God not only put it there, but He has every intention of bringing to pass.  Remind yourself that your time is coming! God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Oh what a sense of joy He must get as He orchestrates miracles in the lives of those who love Him.

[i] NKJV John 10:10

[ii] Listening Heart devotional

Cycle of Desires: God Given Desires – Part 1 of 5

One of the hardest things to do is to wait for the deepest desires and longings of our hearts to be fulfilled.  We know that God is the Giver of Dreams and the One who has placed desires deep inside each one of our hearts.  He has given us gifts, skills, and talents that we dream about using in different ways.  He even gives us dreams about our future in terms of relationships and family. I am convinced that God allows desires to rise up at different times in different seasons of our lives.  When we think about it, God perfectly times those desires in our lives.  As an example, when we were in high school, our desire was to have fun, get good grades, and participate in different school activities.  We weren’t focused on landing the right job, finding our mate, buying a house, or starting a family.  Those type of desires would come, but they would come at the right time and in the right season. Sometimes the season is quickly upon us, and our desires hit with such urgency it is hard to fathom.  It is almost as if the Lord literally allows them to be awakened out of a deep sleep.  And we cry out to the Lord to have those desires met. I believe there is a process that we often go through that I will label the Cycle of Desires (Figure 1) that begins with those God-given desires.   Cycle of Desires

Figure 1: Cycle of Desires

     More on the Cycle of Desires later this week…….