Dreams

It amazes me how much God uses dreams to communicate to His people.

Daniel was frequently given dreams and visions that led God’s people into a deep understanding of what was about to take place (Dan. 9). Joseph’s dreams revealed the sovereign authority he would soon have over his brothers (Gen. 37).

“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

The brothers’ hatred grew for him and eventually climaxed in selling him to the Ishmaelites. Yet, more dreams occurred and those visions unraveled in reality for the brothers and for Joseph.Gideon, Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, even Job are given dreams that communicate the Lord’s power.

Dreams just don’t happen exclusively in the Old Testament… God reveals Himself in the New Testament (Matt. 1-2, Matt. 27, Acts 2) as well. In Acts 2, Peter speaks to the crowd citing words from the prophet Joel on God's vast ways of communication (Joel 2:28-32).

So what is all this dream business Shantra?
Yah, well, I have started to look into dreams a little more seriously recently as I have been having more and more of them.

Now, let me stop you right now before I go any further. I know that the Lord uses dreams and visions today.However, unlike Joseph or Daniel, He has not revealed to me an ability to give definitive interpretations of them. But...I do trust the Holy Spirit as questions arise and as I ponder these visions. Looking back over just this week… I feel like He has been showing me this- God’s authority prevails at all times, no matter what the world’s situation is. In fact, He showed this to me in a passage from Matthew 24:4-9.

“Jesus answers: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Whoa. So does this terrify me? No, it doesn’t. I receive it as “Shantra Bolek, you better be ready.” Ready for what? I’m not exactly sure… but one thing is for sure. I am putting on the boxing gloves, training for the time (whether I see it or not) when persecution is going to be great, when lives will be taken, when war is going to rage, and when our God is going to be proclaimed in all the nations- every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord now and forever! (Romans 14:11, Philippians 2) Amen

In the meantime, I'll just continue asking for dreams, and praying that He might reveal Himself more fully to me through them like He did for Daniel and those that were so deep in love with Him.