God restoring your broken dreams

Good morning, brothers and sisters! It’s a joy to see all of you gathered here today. I’d like to open with a little story. I remember when my son was about five, he decided he wanted to be an astronaut. Not for the science or exploration, mind you, but because he heard that ice cream came in tubes up there, and he thought it was the coolest thing. When he realized that his fear of heights didn’t quite align with his aspiration to be an astronaut, his dreams were, in his words, “shattered.” As grown-ups, we chuckle at the innocence of children, but we also know that the feeling of shattered dreams can be all too real.

Our scripture today comes from Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This scripture holds a divine promise - a promise of dreams restored.

In the Bible, we find countless stories of shattered dreams and their restoration. Consider Joseph, a dreamer whose dreams were shattered when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. Yet, God used that very path to elevate Joseph, to make him a prime minister, and save nations.

Look at David. He was anointed king, but then spent years running for his life from King Saul. His dream of kingship seemed shattered and unattainable, yet God used this very path to shape David into "a man after God's own heart."

Or how about Naomi in the book of Ruth? She lost her husband, her sons, her dreams of a peaceful, happy life. But God was working in her story, and He brought a beautiful redemption through her daughter-in-law Ruth, and restored joy to Naomi's life.

Here's the truth - our dreams may shatter, but God’s plans for us are unbreakable. God often uses the broken pieces of our dreams to create a beautiful mosaic that is far grander than anything we could have envisioned. The key is to keep our faith anchored in Him, and not in the outcomes we desire.

Do you feel as though your dreams have been shattered? Are you holding onto the broken pieces, trying to put them back together? Let God take them. Surrender them to Him. The Bible says in Psalms 37:4-5, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act."

In conclusion, my dear brothers and sisters, let us remember that our dreams are safe in God’s hands. He is the ultimate restorer, the one who can take the fragments of our broken dreams and create something beautiful. He turns our trials into testimonies and our tests into triumphs. Trust Him, for His plans are to prosper us, give us hope, and a future.

Let's pray together. Lord, we surrender our dreams to you. We give you our disappointments, our shattered hopes. Lord, we trust that you will restore and rebuild, that your plans for us are good. Help us to trust in your perfect timing. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.