God-Sized Dreams: A 30-Day Journey of Faith and CourageSample

God Is Bringing You Into Good Places

Our story begins with a God-sized dream. Adam and Eve live in Eden, in the perfect place God created for them. Our world, our very existence, is a dream come true for God.

Then sin enters the picture, and the God-sized dream is broken. But God doesn’t give up. He chooses a people as his own and delivers them from slavery. The desire of his heart is to lead them into a Promised Land, which is like a new Eden.

But the people rebel, and once again God redirects. He lets them wander in the desert before they can enter what he has for them. Then they rebel again and are exiled from the place where they belong.

But God still doesn’t give up. He sends a Savior to redeem us—a way for us to enter the ultimate Promised Land that he’s preparing for us. It’s Eden for eternity.

Henry Cloud explains: “One of my favorite words that we hear over and over in the Bible is the Hebrew word shalom, which, among other things, implies peace, happiness, well-being, wholeness, completeness, and welfare—most of what we mean when we say we want to be ‘happy.’”

Cloud goes on to share how research shows that circumstances only make up about ten percent of our happiness. Genetics plays a role, too. But we can significantly influence our overall well-being by choosing to live God’s way.

He concludes, “That leaves us all with a decision. Or better yet, an entire lifetime of decisions. Moment by moment, day by day, year by year, decade by decade, choices create a direction.”

If you’re reading this plan, then you’re already making the kind of choices that lead to Promised Land living. You are saying yes to whatever God has for you. You’re moving forward in faith. You’re persevering and practicing courage.

You'll likely experience opposition when you choose to live this way. So lean in and listen to this: “Keep choosing faith. Keep dreaming. Keep believing what God says... no matter what.”

Dare to believe you’re not only allowed to dream with God, but you’re actually called to do so.

God's plan from the beginning has been to bring us into good places with him, because that's who he is and how much he loves us.

Go Deeper

Read Psalm 23 to see how God is a loving shepherd who leads us into good places with him.

God, thank you for continuing to lead me into good places with you. I want to follow you and take one step of faith at a time. I entrust my God-sized dream and my future to you. I am yours for a lifetime, and forever. Amen.

What’s one truth you want to remember?

What’s the next small step you’ll take?