God is not a dreamer

This past weekend, Joel Osteen said, “God’s dream for your life is bigger than your dream.”

I grew up going to church most every time the doors were open and I’ve been a student of the Bible for years, so (to use a phrase my friend John is fond of), “this isn’t my first day in the class.” While there are many names and characteristics of God presented in the Bible, the characteristic of “dreamer” isn’t one of them.

Joseph dreamed dreams from God. God didn’t dream dreams. But even the dreams talked about in the Bible are different from the types of dreams J. Osteen was speaking of. In our human frailty we may dream of having better relationships or better jobs or better cars or whatever, but God is not day dreaming about me having a better car or better job.

God is not sitting enthroned in heaven, daydreaming about how he hopes that one day I will say or do something that will make a significant splash in history, even my own. The Bible says that God has a plan.

Psalm 139:16 says,

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.” (ESV)

Jeremiah 10:23 says, “I know Lord that a man’s way of life is not his own; no one who walks determines hi sown steps.” (CSB)

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (ESV)

God didn’t dream, hoping that Moses would lead Israel out of Egypt, God led Israel out of Egypt (Exo 29:45-46).

God didn’t dream, hoping that Jeremiah would preach his words, God put his words into Jeremiah’s mouth (Jer 1:9).

God doesn’t dream, God acts and that is the Good News!