Does God Want Us to Dream Big?
Yes. He does.
I would say I am a dreamer, but I am also like a squirrel and have about 1000 ideas and projects running at one time. It’s both exciting and frustrating because I can get to a point of exhaustion, and I also fail a lot more than I want to, or maybe it’s not failing but learning? Maybe I am asking for too much, or reaching for something far beyond my reach?
I’ll admit, it’s easy to let the weight of daily life, setbacks, and self-doubt quiet the passions God stirs inside me, even ournightsky.us has taken a slow down in its posts as of late, and a lot of that has to do with my other distractions, and dreams of what I want to accomplish.
This week, I had the privilege of hearing Andy Cook speak at Rock Solid Man. For those who don’t know Andy, he is the force behind Experience Israel Now and an incredible project called Biblestock (you can check out his incredible work at experienceisraelnow.com and biblestock.org).
Sitting there, watching his presentation, I was completely captivated. Andy brings the land of the Bible to life using stunning, high-definition video, drone footage, and deep historical context. It’s a massive, sweeping project designed to change how people interact with scripture. As I listened to him speak at the sheer scale of what he has built, a profound realization hit me, and he also spoke to this: This started as just a dream.
He tells the story of how it wasn’t an easy dream to pull off. It required immense faith, relentless effort, and the courage to step out into the unknown; even heartbreaks and disappointment were a big part of his journey. But because he didn’t give up, thousands of people are experiencing the Word of God in a transformative way. His new devotional inside the Bible App has been available for only 7.5 weeks, and has now been read 1000s of times in 65+ countries os of this week.
As I sat in the audience, I felt a familiar spark catch fire in my own heart. I started thinking about my own journey, about why I started Our Night Sky, and the goals I’ve been carrying in other areas of my life, like web design, app development, and my work.
Andy’s message was that God doesn’t give us small, timid spirits; he wants us to DREAM BIG! He is the Creator of the universe, the one who spoke the stars into existence and mapped out the cosmos. When He places a passion in our hearts, He doesn’t want us to play it small. He wants us to have big dreams because big dreams require big faith, and big faith points right back to Him.
Lately, the road hasn’t always been easy for my new ventures. It’s tempting to tire out, to look at the hurdles ahead, and wonder if it’s worth the grind. But listening to Andy was the exact wake-up call I needed. It was a divine reminder to keep pushing through. To not give up.
Every single one of us has been uniquely equipped. God has woven specific talents, personality traits, and spiritual gifts into the fabric of who you are. He didn’t give you those gifts to let them sit on a shelf. He gave them to you to be used as a megaphone for His glory. One of my spiritual gifts is capturing the night sky in unique ways, and it has given me insight into my faith in a way I never imagined. It has had its hurdles for sure, but it has always been rewarding in the end.
When we pursue our goals with excellence, when we refuse to let discouragement win, and when we keep building even when we’re tired, that is an act of worship.
So, to anyone out there reading this who might be on the verge of throwing in the towel on a passion project, a business, a ministry, or a personal goal: Don’t stop.
Keep doing it. Keep pushing. Do it in honor of the One who created you. Honor the unique gifts He trusted you with. Let’s stop apologizing for having big visions and start leaning into the grand, beautiful plans God has for our lives. The sky isn’t the limit, it’s just the beginning.
To learn more about the incredible ministry that inspired this post, visit Andy Cook’s work at Biblestock.org and ExperienceIsraelNow.com.
Until next time, keep looking up!
-Greg
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen".
Ephesians 3:20-21