There were three trees on a hill in the woods and they were discussing their hopes and their dreams when the first tree said, “Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I will be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I will be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.” Then the second tree said, “Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because the strength of my hull.” The third tree said, “I want to grow up to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.” After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. 

When a woodsman came to the first tree he said, “This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter,” and he began cutting it down. And the tree was happy, because the tree knew the carpenter would make it into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, “This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.” The second tree was happy because the tree knew it was on the way to becoming a mighty ship.

When a woodsman came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because the tree knew that if they cut it down its dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, “I don’t need anything special from my tree, I’ll take this one,” and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, the tree was made into a feed box for animals. The tree was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what the first tree had prayed for.

When the second tree arrived at the carpenters the tree was made into a small fishing boat. The tree’s dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark. The third tree’s dream of growing up to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest that could reach to heaven was no more. 

The years went by and the trees forgot about their dreams. 

I believe without dreams we have no vision of where we are going. Without a vision we have no hope and without hope we have no purpose in our lives. Without a purpose in our lives we have no hope, no peace, inner and outer, and without peace in our lives we have no love for ourselves let alone others. Without hope, peace and love we have no joy in our lives let alone in living.

In studying the Bible there are five dreams of guidance for the holy family in the Book of Matthew. 

Matthew 1:20-21, 

the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream telling Joseph to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife for what is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost and his name is Jesus for he will save his people.

Matthew 2:13, 

an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream telling Joseph to get out of bed and take Jesus and his mother and flee from
Jesus birthplace Bethlehem. Flee to Egypt, and to remain there until the death of Herod. For Herod was going to kill the baby Jesus.

Matthew 2:20, 

after Herod died an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream while Joseph was in Egypt and told Joseph to get up and take the baby Jesus and his mother to Israel for those who sought Jesus are now dead.

Matthew 2:22, When Joseph heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod Joseph was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream Joseph withdrew to the district of Galilee. And Joseph went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazareth.” 

And least we not forget Matthew 27:19, 

when Pilate’s wife told her husband regarding Jesus arrest and trial, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much over him today in a dream.”

In our lives we have a choice. We can live for this world in a dream and listen with a wicked heart or listen to the dream with a desire to serve God. 

In the words of the Psalmist, 

Psalm 36:1-7,

Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of his mouth are mischief and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. He plots mischief while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he spurns not evil. Thy steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, thy faithfulness to the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the mountain of God, thy judgments are like the great deep; man and beast thou savest, O Lord. How precious is thy steadfast, love O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of thy wings. 

For what could have happened if Joseph had not listened to the angel of the Lord speak to him through not one dream but four different dreams? Who might Mary have married? Who might have been Jesus earthly father and what might of happened if Joseph had not fled to Israel and then fled to Judea to the city of Nazareth with the baby Jesus and Mother Mary? What could have happened if Pilate’s wife had not told him to have nothing to do with Jesus arrest and trial? 

Remember Matthew 27:24? 

so that when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, Pilate took water and washed his hands before the crowd saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”

For sometimes our lives don’t always turn out the way we think it should turn out. Our dreams do not always pan out to our expectations. 

On this the second Sunday of the year 2007, are you living in the past saying, “If I only could have,” OR, are you living in partnership with God? Letting God be the captain of your dream and trusting in His wisdom. 

You see the first tree had a dream to be a treasure chest filled with gold and precious gems. Decorated with intricate carvings and everyone would see its beauty. Instead the first tree became a feeding trough and the first tree realized it held within its beauty the most beautiful gift of all. A gift that was more precious than any gold or gems could ever be. The gift, the baby Jesus born in a manger in Bethlehem.

The second tree had a dream to be a mighty ship and to carry kings and queens to the corners of the world in the safety of its mighty hull. The second tree became a fishing boat and years later, a group of men stepped into the second tree and one of them was tired and fell asleep. While they were on the water a great storm came upon them and the tree didn’t think it was strong enough to keep them afloat in the storm. The men woke the sleeping man who ordered the storm to cease and the water to be calm. At that moment the second tree knew it was carrying the King of Kings, Lord of Lords… safely within its hull.

The third tree dreamed of growing up to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest that everyone would come and look at and say, “WOW, AWESOME THAT TREE IS SO STRAIGHT AND ALMOST TOUCHES HEAVEN! Finally someone came and got the third tree who was frightened, because it did not want to be cut down and not grow to be the tallest tree on the hill in the forest. The third tree was carried through the streets as people mocked the man who carried it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the third tree came to realize it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as possible, because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was crucified on it on a hill at Calvary. 

The moral of the three trees is that when things don’t seem to be going the way that you dreamed, always know that God has a plan for you and I. If we place our trust in God, God will give us great gifts. We should never forget our good dreams for dreams are what make reality and we should listen and trust them in God’s wisdom.

In the words of Martin Luther King JR. I have a dream that one day……….. 

What is your dream? What are your dreams?

My dreams are that before I die there will be a cure for cancer and other diseases and that children will not go to bed at night homeless and hungry, in need of stability and direction in their lives. That the 200,000 or more who can pack a sporting event will get up and be in fellowship with other believers in church weekly and all will ask our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to forgive them of their sins and invite Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior.

I’m listening as God speaks to me. Do you hear what I hear? 

Psalm 16:1-4

The plans of the mind belongs to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weights the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. 

Let us pray, 

Father God in all the hustle and bustle of life may we not get so caught up that we fail to realize that dreams are what make reality and as you have shown us in your word, the Bible, you do speak to us through our dreams. May we come to realize that if you have spoken to us then the dream will happen in your timing and your plan. To God be the glory. Amen