January 24, 2008
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GOD SPEAKS IN DREAMS
Tonight during English class with my high school students I did a mini Bible study, teaching them how God speaks in dreams. Although my kids have been taught the Bible a fair amount, they were totally unaware of how often God spoke in the Bible to people through dreams and visions. I quickly shared examples of God speaking to Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, Mary and Joseph (Jesus’ parents), Peter, and Paul all in dreams. There are tons of other examples. I lived for 25 years of my life not really knowing just how much God speaks to us in dreams. I guess I always expected God to speak directly in a crazy manifestation, but reading the Bible you see God spoke mostly through symbolism in dreams (stars, moon and sun bowing to Joseph, 7 skinny cows eating 7 fat cows for Pharaoh, a huge statue destroyed by a stone for Nebuchadnezzar). When you think about it, Jesus used parables when He taught, giving the people illustrations that oftentimes they would have to pray over and use discernment in order to learn from. Dreams are very similar… unless we pray for help in interpretation and use discernment we will never fully know what the Lord might be trying to tell us. I’ve learned to journal my dreams, particularly the ones where something specific stands out to me or when I’ve felt a specifically strong emotion. Light bulbs seemed to go on over my kids as they listened and I’m praying for the lesson to bear good fruit, that these kids begin truly hearing from the Lord as they sleep.
Job 33:14-15 – For God does speak–now one way, now another–though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds.
Comments (1)
its funny that you talk of dreams today. i was going to comment before I read. On Sunday I woke up from a dream of the orphanage. it was a very happy dream. But it stayed with me the whole day. I had my church pray for the kids during our prayer time. and I prayed a lot during the day. I guess what I want to say is that there are people praying for you and the kids, some that have never even met you. I’m sure the kids would like to hear so too. It’s been two years since being there, and I still have the burden to pray for them daily. sometimes one of their faces will pop up in my head, and I know they are special to God.