You know that dream you had…that vision for your ministry, for yourself as you serve the Lord? Where is it today?

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being still at the starting point and 10 being fully realized…where is that dream?

I’ve had lots of ideas and dreams that never happened. Some remained simply dreams. Others I took down the path, did some preparation and prayer, and never saw the dream come through to fulfillment. I gave up on the dream.

There were some visions that I began to work on until it was obvious it wasn’t going to happen. Then, a few years later, that vision became reality. It was God’s timing that made the difference.

Mark Batterson is well known for some of his great books— The Circle Maker, Draw the Circle, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, and others. He is also a lead pastor of a church in Washington, DC. In Draw the Circle he admits,

“None of my dreams have ever happened quickly or easily.” That kind of takes the wind out of my sails. I often want to go right from having the vision to seeing the vision come about. It rarely happens that way.

Batterson asks what would have happened if the Israelites had stopped circling Jericho after six trips around its walls? Or if Naaman had only dipped in the Jordan River six times instead of the seven that Elisha had told him to do? It is clear that God’s miracle blessing would have not happened, and these folks would have been robbed of the blessing the Lord intended for them.

Batterson reminds us that we need to keep faith in the One who is always faithful. God will accomplish His will, but it comes in His timing, not ours.

“Sometimes God will push us to our absolute limits…the limits of our faith, of our patience, of our gifts. That is how God stretches our faith and builds our character.”

Dr. Richard Blackaby talks of a crisis of belief that comes to us at critical times in our lives. You have a vision for ministry. You have a dream for establishing something new or growing your ministry to new heights or in new directions…but you get no support and you feel inadequate to accomplish it on your own. Dr. Blackaby says you must realize that God is God. He can accomplish through you…in His time…what He has put on your heart. Blackaby says don’t lose heart.

“You have joined a long line of people that God has done amazing things through…but you are going to have to believe Him and you are going to have to obey Him.”

Batterson puts it this way, “If you don’t get out of the boat, you’ll never walk on water.” The Israelites would have never left Egypt if they hadn’t stepped into the water of the Red Sea. They would never have seen that first victory at Jericho if they had stopped circling the walls before the seventh time.

So…where is your dream today? On a scale of 1 to 10, where do you see this vision from God? Have you stopped short in the process of obeying God’s vision? Have you given up too soon when the Lord has shown you His plan for your ministry, your life?

It is all about belief in God and obedience to His vision for you, your ministry, and your life. And it is for God’s plan and His glory. It’s not about you. Success or failure (by human standards) is not important. Obedience to the Lord is key.

Dr. Henry Blackaby admits that the Lord sometimes asks us to do something beyond our ability to accomplish.

“Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes—all the time! It must be that way, for God’s glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.” –Experiencing God Day by Day

Remember, those who have taken the step of faith are watching to see if you will obediently run the race and follow God’s vision.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith….Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT

If you don’t get out of the boat, you’ll never walk on water.