Sometimes in our pursuit of purpose, an unexpected dream arises. Although those dreams may not be fulfilled the way we expected, God is still working!

In Full Pursuit of the Unexpected Dream

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She was too young and inexperienced to know what was happening.

But He knew.

She thought she was there just for her good looks.

But He had a better plan.

She believed there was no future waiting for her.

But He was just waiting for her to take that first step of faith.

Each of these women faced an unexpected turn of events that changed the very direction of their lives. And in turn the lives of many generations to come.

We’re not told what goals these ladies initially had in mind, but we do know that God stepped in with a different plan.

Mary had her world turned upside down.

Esther was separated from her family and people.

Ruth lost just about everything and had to start over.

Doesn’t look like the stuff that dreams are made of, does it? Not the good kind of dream anyway.

Yet, in the midst of their turmoil, God was weaving a better plan.

Their worlds were upended but their dreams were only just beginning.

Maybe you can relate to having your dreams tossed about.

Perhaps the dream you’re pursuing now isn’t the one you wanted.

What can we learn from these women that will encourage us to pursue the dreams God has dropped in our laps?

Sometimes in our pursuit of purpose, an unexpected dream arises. Although those dreams may not be fulfilled the way we expected, God is still working!

Lessons on Passion and Purpose from Mary, Esther and Ruth

1. It begins with trust

These women didn’t have the benefit of seeing the final outcome of their lives, but they knew a God who did. They couldn’t see what the future held but they still put their trust in Him.

We might even say that in Ruth’s case, it was a blind kind of trust. She was so desperate for a new beginning that she leaned on the God she came to know through her mother-in-law. Talk about faith and trust!

How’s your trust?

Are you trusting God when life doesn’t go the way you plan?

2. Surrender is a choice

I don’t know about you but when life takes an unexpected turn, surrender is the furthest thing from my mind.

Sadly, I lose a lot of time whining (and crying) over the path I think I should be on.

When Mary found out that God was going to do the impossible in her life, her response was priceless.

“I am the Lord’s servant.” Luke 1:38

Not only did she accept God’s plan, she also embraced it. God’s dream became her dream.

How’s your surrender?

Have you embraced the dream God has put before you?

3. It’s all about the Walk

It sounds well and good to say that we trust God and are willing to surrender to him. But at some point, our actions have to show it.

Esther might’ve felt unprepared and unqualified for the task at hand but she and her people fasted and prayed. Esther knew that surrender wasn’t just a feeling. Surrender has to be supported with appropriate action.

And back it up she did.  Esther did the bold thing and risked her very life, trusting the outcome to God.

How’s your walk?

Are you showing up with everything you have?

Is your surrender only on the inside? Or does it show that you’ve fully handed over your plans and your life to God?

Mary, Esther, and Ruth all trusted God, surrendered their lives to Him, and fully pursued their new purpose.

I pray that our encounter with them today has inspired you to trust, surrender and walk fully in your new purpose too.

And may your life of purpose impact others now and for eternity. All to God’s glory.

Wishing you blessings!

About the author:

Marva is an island-living, sun-loving Christian wife and mother. Inspired by John 10:10 she encourages women to slow down and enjoy life to the full, brilliantly. You can find all the latest sparkle on her blog SunSparkleShine as well as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram. Get a free copy of her e-book You Were Made to Sparkle when you sign up for her Sparklelights newsletter here.

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27 Comments

  1. Alisa, it is such an honour to share your space with you today — it’s like sitting down to have coffee together :-). I’m glad that God allowed our paths to cross and for us to develop the friendship we now have — all to the glory of God. I’m moved by your passion to inspire women to pursue their purpose daily and I’m excited to share this journey with you. Blessings and sparkles to you, dear friend!

  2. I think the surrender piece is CRUCIAL. And surrender with JOY. The word tells us to give not begrudgingly or of necessity but cheerfully and our surrender should reflect as such. If not, is it really surrender or obligation. Thank you for inviting us to pursue the dream in a manner that honors the Father. Happy to be visiting from #raralinkup

    1. Joy is so important isn’t it, Tyra? What good is it if we follow along but complain and sulk all the way? God is just as concerned with our hearts as He is with our actions.
      So thankful you stopped by from #RaRaLinkup today. Blessings to you!

  3. I love looking at the female role models in the Bible. Thanks for this great post about how we can use examples from our lives and apply it to our own!

    1. I love being inspired by women of the Bible too, Kate; there’s so much we can learn when we sit at their feet.
      I’m so glad you were inspired today.
      Wishing you blessings!

  4. Good good stuff here! I love an encouraging study on dreaming with God! Blessings!

  5. These resonates with me deeply because I have come to realize that we can only fully walk in our purpose when we trust and totally surrender our lives to God who inturns mould us into his intended plan for our lives.

    This word of Jesus comes to mind ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. -John 15:5. For us to walk in purpose and bear much fruit we must totally let go of ourselves (death to self) and surrender to God. Thank you Marva for this beautiful teaching. Shalom

    1. Busola, you wouldn’t believe that the scripture you quoted is the exact one that our sermon was based on this past Sunday. It just reminds me how God wants us to be tied in to Him and His plans for our lives. Without Him, we’re unable to reach the full potential He has in store for us.
      I’m so glad this spoke to you too!
      Blessings!

  6. How fun to see Marva here today. Such good takeaways from these 3 women’s lives. Trust, Surrender, and Walk. I need to breathe deep and remember these today. 🙂

    1. Aww…thanks, Betsy! I always love bumping into you online. 🙂
      I’m breathing these in myself. God knows I need these reminders often!
      Wishing you blessings, my friend.

  7. This is so timely for me today. I feel like God keeps bringing these wonderful reminders that I just need to trust Him because His ways are higher than mine. It is bringing me a lot of peace. Thank you Marva.

    1. You’re right, Kira, God sure has a way of bringing us these soft whispers that we need to hear.
      His ways are higher than mine — thank God!
      Blessings, dear friend.

  8. God truly does have a plan for us. It is those steps of faith that we will be blessed in the walk, in the trust, in the surrender and the obedience. I am so thankful to have come by today. Thank you for encouraging my heart.

  9. Marva- thank you for this! I want to be as willing to trust as these 3 ladies were.
    Not good at surrendering here, God is working on me though:)
    Great post!
    #CoffeeforYourHeart

  10. Some of my favorites and such pillars of faith. Beautiful examples of trusting beyond what we can see. Loved your encouragement, Marva! Thanks for sharing her words, Alisa.

  11. I resonated with all of the other commentators! Surrendering is something I’m still learning how to do. It can be confusing when not sure which plan God put in front of me! Yet, what I know I can do is continue to grow in our intimacy with God as that is always part of His plan. Always a sparkle of sunshine to my day, Marva. Thank you!

  12. These women in the Bible that Marva used as examples are an inspiration. God’s plans are always better than anything we could ever dream of! Thank you for this beautiful encouragement, Marva and Alisa. Visiting from #livefreeThursday

    1. Thanks for your visit, Dawn. These women have also inspired me to look to God’s BEST plan for my life. I’ve found that His plan is always better than mine any day! No surprise there, huh? 🙂
      Hugs and blessings to you!

  13. Surrender tied to action – that’s so huge. My husband and I actually just read both Ruth and Esther together, and it became evident to us both how little opportunity and power women had during that time. They weren’t allowed to do or have much at all outside of men. But that’s what makes their faith and bravery so much more beautiful! They were surrendered to God’s will, but they were also brave in their ACTIONS. Thank you for this today 🙂

  14. “Surrender is a choice.” That point really resonates with me! So often I have to get to the end of me before I am willing to surrender! So much better to surrender willingly, knowing that God has the best in store and following His plan is always the best for me! Thanks!

  15. Marva, you chose three excellent examples to make your point today. Well-written and well-thought-out. Always glad to read your joyful writing!

  16. Great lessons Marva from women who certainly walked by faith. Enjoyed your points about trust, surrender and acting on our faith. So true and explained well so I could readily apply. Thank you for highlighting “how to” handle both the dreams we agree with and those we don’t expect:)
    .

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