What’s Your Dream? (1)

When you dream you move closer to the way God sees things; you see beyond your limitations; you move from where you are to where He wants you to be; you begin to see your goals in their completed state.

The question isn’t can you dream, but do you have the courage to act on it? If your dream doesn’t stretch you to the point of discomfort it’s probably not of God. Furthermore, God won’t miraculously lift you out of your dream and set you down in the middle of its fulfillment. The children of Israel dreamed of living in the Promised Land. But the only way to get there was through the wilderness. That’s where we learn to:
(a) trust God daily for the manna we need;
(b) discover His power in the Red Sea situations of our lives;
(c) be led by Him when there are no clear sign posts;
(d) get up every morning with our eyes on our destiny and move steadily toward it;
(e) refuse to become like those who complain and never make it out of the wilderness.

Now for a warning: someone will always try to steal your dream. Always! Often it’ll be someone who never had a dream of their own, or if they did they abandoned it. It could even be a family member who reminds you of what God couldn’t or wouldn’t do through someone like you.

What do you dream about? What has God enabled you to see that doesn’t yet exist? You’ll never out-dream God! For: “God can do… far more than you can ever imagine”
(Ephesians 3:20)

Sowing And Reaping

It’s one thing to give because it puts God on your side financially, but there’s an even greater reason: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” At first glance you may think, “What’s that got to do with anything?” A lot! God’s committed to healing the hurts of our world; that’s why He speaks of “gifts to the poor.”

When we get involved with God through our giving, we’re taking our place in a plan that’s bigger than our own interests - or our tiny bag of seed. We’re participating in His plan to reach the world. God’s concerned about the poor, and about sharing with every person on earth the good news of the Gospel. Those are His objectives and He’s committed to them. And they’re going to cost money. A lot of it! Now the truth is, God will get the money from somewhere, but He’d like to partner with you to accomplish it.

You say, “But I’m afraid if I give more I won’t have enough to meet my own needs!” Think about what you just said. Why would God drain you of your resources, then not replenish them to accomplish through you what He’s committed to doing? That doesn’t make sense. If you’re a partner with God why would He hinder your ability to give toward the things that matter most to Him: the needy, and winning a lost world?

The truth is, God’s going to do it with or without you. He’s just giving you an opportunity to get involved with Him. Don’t miss out on it!

Children and Poverty

Childhood should be a happy time spent playing with friends, enjoying a favorite toy — even planning for the first day of school. But children in the developing world spend most of their childhood struggling to survive, without much hope for a secure, productive life.

And they face incredible odds. Of the 57 million people worldwide who died last year, 10.5 million of them were children less than five years old. The majority of these children — some 98 percent — were in developing nations.

Treatable illnesses, such as pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition, become life-threatening when combined with poverty, war, poor sanitation, inadequate health care and insufficient preventive measures.

For those who survive childhood, the path to a secure and happy future is still filled with obstacles. Children in developing nations have limited access to education, which limits opportunity and reduces potential.

Economic, social and cultural factors keep some 121 million children, especially girls, from attending school. Faced with difficult choices, parents often take girls out of school to care for younger siblings, help with household chores or work outside the home to contribute to family income. In the world’s least developed countries, only 14 percent of secondary school enrollment is female.

A well rounded approach that can be taken can be taken to improve children’s health are

Water, sanitation and hygiene education projects that enable healthier households.

Farming innovations that result in better nutrition

Family planning projects that promote healthier mothers and infants.

Emergency response programs that meet basic needs for food and health.