The Stuff of Dreams

16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

This story begins with Jacob settling down for the night. After dozing off, he experiences an amazing dreams. A dream like we want to remember forever. You know what that is like. You dream a supernatural power takes over your limbs and you are a superhero. Or maybe you have been living a nightmare existence with bill collectors hounding you, and the Prize Patrol knocks on your door and presents you with $1000 a week for life. 

Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

In Jacob's dream, God promised him everything he might want; those things of importance to the culture of that day - numerous descendants, and land for them to inhabit. Jacob was thrilled upon waking and wanted to do something for God.

Dreams are a mystery to us. Most of us have them, some of us never remember them, but just as often they are impactful in one way or another. Very often our dreams reflect something that is happening in our day to day lives. They can be scary, fanciful, and even other-worldly. But some time they are merely a reflection of the day we just had. 

Like Jacob, we will awaken. Maybe, like Jacob, we will feel a strong sense of God and His presence with us as we slept; watching over us and loving us into tomorrow.

Genesis 28:10-22 

Zechariah's Unbelief

Luke 1:18-20

A decade ago, I dreamed of having many children—each one unique in the interests they would share with me, the activities we could do together, the joy they would bring to my life. But I have struggled in romance, and with each passing year my dreams get smaller, my hope dwindles a little more.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is watching “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. I enjoy the innocent love story between Rudolph and Clarice, and I hope a little more when they sing, “There’s always tomorrow for dreams to come true.” Then, the misfit toys depress me when they think they’ve been forgotten and cry out in despair, “I haven’t any dreams left to dream!” In spite of their hopelessness, Santa comes to turn their despair to joy by bringing children into their lives.

For many, the holidays are more a painful reminder of what we lack than a joyful celebration. Some of our longings will always be longings; others are felt for only a time. One day, like Zechariah, we may be awed by the plans God has made for us. We can trust that God will fulfill His promise at the proper time.

QUESTIONS:

1. What do you long for this holiday season?

2. What longings of your past is God granting in your present?

PRAYER:

Lord, I trust Your plans for me—plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.

Star Bradley

1 Kings 3:5-15 -- Solomon's Dream

Dreams are unpredictable.  I have heard it said that we all dream but not everyone remembers their dreams.  I know from personal experience that when I am aware of my dreams upon waking, the memory of it fades quickly.  Sometimes it only takes minutes before I cannot for the life of me remember what it was all about.

I don't put much stock in my dreams, as they seem more of a cartoon than real-life viewing.  In dreams we often are able to do super-human feats like flying.  Then too there are the night visions that are too scary to remember, to frightening to want to relive.  But all in all, I don't think my night time dreams will change my life because they seldom reflect any reality my life.

Today's reading is all about King Solomon's dream, and his dream was from God.  God spoke to him and he spoke to God.  Now, you may comment that this has happened to you a time or two also, but did everything that was communicated in the dream come to pass?

1 Kings 3:5,(NIV)
^"At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." 

These words sound like a dream waiting to come true.  God was offering Solomon the gift of a lifetime and because Solomon's request was from a humble and true heart, it was granted.

1 Kings 3:15 (NIV) 
"Then Solomon awoke--and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court."

What was in Solomon's mind when he realized it had been a dream?  Did he brush it off and say, "Oh, well, it was nice while it lasted."  No, God had promised him wisdom and it was immediate, there was no waiting for it to kick-in.  Acknowledging the gift he had been given he offered a sacrifice to the Lord and thanksgiving and praise.

Sometimes God speaks to us when he knows we will hear him.  He answers our prayers in many different ways and he shows us his love and his faithfulness in mysterious ways.  Have you felt His presence in your life lately?  During this season on Advent, as we wait and prepare our hearts for His arrival, let's be watchful.  Let's expect God to show up, maybe even in a dream.

Read 1 Kings 3:5-15 here

Listen to 1 Kings 3:5-15 here

Genesis 37:2-11 -- Joseph's Dream

Was Joseph a well-meaning if misunderstood young man or a bold braggart who enjoyed taunting his brothers?

Genesis 37:10-11 (MSG)
“When he told it to his father and brothers, his father reprimanded him: "What's with all this dreaming? Am I and your mother and your brothers all supposed to bow down to you?  Now his brothers were really jealous; but his father brooded over the whole business."

Other than the dream similarities between these stories in Genesis and the dreams Joseph, Mary’s husband, experienced, I am hard pressed to see a connection with the Christmas story and Advent.  I was afraid to say that out loud, thinking someone might take away my blogging rights, but as you can tell, it is mid-morning and I still have nothing I feel God nudging me to write.

I usually go my own way when this happens, but during this season that just doesn't seem right.  Perhaps DREAMS is the message, the connection.  When we pray for God’s intervention in our lives, our prayers take on a dream like quality.  We are to pray believing our prayers will be answered, but at times our prayers seem so big they are as dreams.

Only a God like the great big God we serve can turn our dreams into answered prayers.  The young Joseph from Genesis had been blessed with dreams that foretold of his future, but just maybe he was to keep them to himself for a time.  An older Joseph, who served as an earthly father for Jesus, encountered dreams as well, but these dreams needed to be spoken and acted upon.  Joseph’s dreams were meant to protect his charge, Jesus.  He could not ignore them, but had to act upon them immediately.

Is there a dream you have been given, one that needs you to act upon or pray about?  If you are called to act – then do so without delay.  But, if you sense the need to pray about it, or just keep it to yourself for a time, then do so.  God will nudge you when action is required on your part.

Read Genesis 37:2-11 here

Listen to Genesis 37:2-11 here

Daniel 2:24-35

Have you ever asked God a difficult question?  One for which you did not have the answer?  How did that work for you?  Having found myself in a few puzzling situations over my lifetime, I have turned to God often. I ask for wisdom to discern truth, to solve mysteries, to get pointed in the right direction.  I know that God answers all my pleas for heavenly help.  I don't always recognize the answer right away, but God does answer.

I just love the way Daniel handled the Kings demand to have someone interpret him dream.  The king was preparing to have his wise men executed because they could not tell him what his dreams meant.  Daniel stepped in and offered to tell the king about his dream.  He was honest when the king asked if her could interpret the dream.  He told him outright, I cannot...

Daniel 2:28 (NIV)
 "...but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries."

Daniel had so much faith and trust in his God that he offered to help the king.  He knew his God would take care of this situation.  Daniel put his life in God's hands, assured that all would be well, God did not disappoint.

We too and be certain that our God will not disappoint us.  We only need call upon Him in prayer.  That is what Daniel did and look what wondrous things God did through His servant.

Read Daniel 2:24-35 here

Listen to Daniel 2:24-35 here

Dreams Come True - Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 24-25

What sort of dreams do you have?  It is said that everyone dreams but not everyone remembers them.  I know I seldom recall dreaming and if I know I had a dream, I rarely have any recollection of the content.  But once in a while I do, and those instances the vision will stay with me for a number of days before they fade.

There are rare occasions when a dream troubles me or when I give them more than a passing thought. But there are also times when I wonder if God is guiding me during my sleep time.  If I fall asleep praying, I often wake up with the last thought on my mind.  I feel like I have been given a solution to the prayer I placed before God.  Imagine then, Joseph's dreams which included messages from angels.

"When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife." (Matthew 1:24)

Joseph likely was worried about Mary, and what he should do about their betrothal. I don't doubt he loved her, and as a prayerful man he would pray about it. Joseph was familiar with scripture and had probably read from the Book of Isaiah. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) 

Joseph willingly followed God's direction, his obedience was swift; he simply did what God wanted him to do.

Read the Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 24-25 texts here.

Dream A Little Dream Matthew 1:18-2:12

As I read over today’s scripture passage, I am taken back in time. I can remember reading this story in Sunday School when I was a child, and then as a youth director. I have also read it to my own son, trying and explain to him the wonderful sacrifice Jesus made by coming to us as a baby.

As I read it again, something remarkably new came to me. There are two separate times in this passage where God came to someone, in a desperate situation, through a dream. Each time the recipient of the nocturnal news was in need of God and He came to them while they were at rest, giving clarity and direction.

Joseph was told to take Mary as his wife. God confirmed that the child she was carrying was from the Holy Spirit. The wise men were warned to go home another way, their suspicions of King Harod were also confirmed through a dream.

God comes to us when we need Him most. If you find yourself in a season of life where you need His direction, perhaps all you need is to be still and allow God to speak to you. He may come to you in a dream, or while you read his word, the point is He will show up. He will not leave you without being equipped to deal with life’s surprises.

Read the entire passage on Biblegateway Matthew 1:18-2:12