When Dreams Don't Work Out

Dreams are an intrinsic part of who God made us to be. We observe, imagine, come up with a plan, try it, fail, try it again, fail again, we don’t give up, and sometimes we succeed. It’s not always easy, but it’s part of the creative process.

So what do you do when dreams don’t work out?

We all know what it feels like to have a dream crash and burn. But we are given a helpful window into this in 2 Samuel 7, when David gets a rest from the wars he has been caught up in for so many years. He says to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” (2 Samuel 7:2) David dreams of building a house of cedar for the Lord. There is nothing wrong with David’s dream; the prophet himself confirms him in it.

But there is a difference between a dream that has nothing wrong with it and a dream that God gives. The one feels good and stirs our hearts to achieve, but the other has potential for eternal achievement. The one gives me what I want, but through the other God gives to all his people what he wants, which is so much greater than what I could have come up with. It makes my dream pale in comparison.

God’s response to David was “No, but…” God did not grant David’s dream, but he promised to establish David’s throne forever. He promised to give him rest from all his enemies. He promised to make for David a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. He promised to protect the nation of Israel so that they would not be afflicted. And he promised that instead of David building a house for God, God would build one for him.

That must not have been an easy pill for David to swallow.

Later in David’s life, we see that he endures disgrace, loss, and disappointment as the consequences of his sin. Despite all the years he had faithfully led the people of God against their enemies, God forbids him to build the Temple because he was a man of war and had shed blood (1 Chronicles 28). In 2 Samuel 16, while enthroned as king, David gets humiliated and cursed in front of all the people. Although he could have had his accuser killed, he continues to trust God to restore all the loss he endured.

David was truly a man after God’s own heart. Even though he has a dream to build God’s house, he accepts God’s rejection of that dream. He accepts the hard truth about himself, that God’s house will not be built by a man of blood. He accepts abuse and disgrace from his enemy. And most importantly of all he accepts God’s promise.

The house God promised to build is the indwelling of every believer by the Holy Spirit, one of the Trinity, the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it (Ephesians 1). It is Immanuel himself, God with us. He builds up the temple using the living stones of our souls that are being drawn closer to God with every lesson we learn and every act of worship.

Would David looking at this profound truth now still insist on God granting his original dream, of building the Temple out of stones and wood? No, he would rejoice that God did not grant that dream and he would thank him for his amazing gift to the people of God. He would look on Jesus, the Son of David as he is called, and fall down in worship as we do.

Jesus accepted the rejection of God the Father because of our sin. Jesus who knew no sin became sin for our sake, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus accepted abuse and disgrace from his enemies, and he rose from the dead in the power of an indestructible life so that he might triumph over them; over sin, death, and the devil forever.

Hallelujah! for such a glorious salvation, that the dwelling place of God should at last be with man, and that we should dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Brother and sister: When your dreams crash and burn; when God says “No, but…” to your most impassioned appeals; when others speak hard words of you that cut deep; when your long seasons of faithfulness seem to end only in bitter failure; when you look down the empty corridors of your life and cannot see any reason to praise God as you once did; when your own heart rises up against you because you have never gained what it is you so fondly longed for; in those moments remember by faith that God himself is the very great reward we have been promised by covenant.

In those moments, look by faith for his coming. There is a crown of righteousness laid up for you in Christ Jesus, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to you on that day, and not only to you but to all who have longed for his appearing. That reality is greater than any dream you and I have ever had, and it will not fade away.

Lord Jesus, help me to offer up my dreams a living sacrifice for your glory. If you grant them, help me to live them out to the best of my ability, with the help of your Holy Spirit; and if you say “No” to them, help me to worship as I wait for your better plan. Blessed be your Name. Amen.

Throughout the Day: Write down all the plans and dreams you have for this week, or maybe even this year ahead. Offer each one to the Lord. Spend time asking and listening to his voice, in how he'll meet every desire of your heart, whether or not it means your plan being fulfilled.