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Weekly Devotions

The Dreamcatcher-November 21, 2022

Does God still speak to us in dreams like he did to many different people in the Bible?

Monday Morning Devotion-November 21, 2022

The Dreamcatcher

“…I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy.  Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 

                      Joel 2:28 (New American Standard Bible)

 

            One morning recently as I went into my granddaughter Ellee’s room to open the

blinds I happened to glance at her chest-of-drawers which always has all kinds of kid’s stuff

laying on it in no certain order.

           This time I noticed something that was probably always there, but I picked it up and looked at it more closely for the first time.  It was a little hoop that had netting attached to it.  Naturally, in my sports-oriented mind, I first thought it was a miniature basketball goal.  But then I saw feathers and other colorful objects also attached. 

            Next to it was an 8x12 poster bearing the title: Legend of the Dreamcatcher. It is published by St. Joseph’s Indian School in South Dakota and reads as follows:

 

                        Native Americans of the Great Plains believe the air is filled

                        with both good and bad dreams.

 

                        According to legend, the good dreams pass through the

                        center hole to the sleeping person.  The bad dreams are

                         trapped in the web, where they perish in the light of dawn.

 

                        Historically, dreamcatchers were hung in the tipi, or lodge

                        and on a baby’s cradleboard.

 

           

            When Ellee, first came to live with us she suffered from night terrors at times.  Not sure when we first got the Dreamcatcher.  But now that this is Ellee’s home, one that is filled with love, she no longer has night terrors.  Maybe the Dreamcatcher is doing its job and nabbing them before they get to that pretty little girl.

            Dreams!  Everybody has them.  Do we remember them when we wake up?  Sometimes yes, most of the time probably not. Research  from www.verywellmind.com says that adults and babies alike dream for around two hours per night , even if they don’t remember it.  In fact, researchers have found that people usually have several dreams each night, each typically lasting for five to 20 minutes.  During a typical lifetime, people spend an average of six years dreaming.  But we forget up to 95% of all dreams shortly after waking.

            Are our dreams messages from God?  In the Old Testament of the Bible alone, there are more than 120 mentions of dreams.  They are used both to give instruction directly from God and prophesize about the future. So, obviously since they didn’t have the internet that was one way God got His message across to people.

            So does God still, despite all the ways we have in today’s technological overload of ways to make contact,  use the old-fashioned way to reach us with a message---through dreams.  Well, let’s put it this way.  He’s God so He can message us anyway He pleases.

            Our dreams don’t necessarily just occur when we are asleep.  They may find their beginning that way.  We may decide to go a certain way, do something different or take an action we hadn’t undertaken before.  The germ of the idea could have started to form in a dream and gained footing later.  Yet the seed had been planted.

            God, at His own discretion, is still capable of speaking to us through dreams and visions today,  www.peacewithgod.net  points out three things to consider when trying to interpret dreams from God:

1) Know where you stand:  Having a strong relationship with God is key to being able interpret what He is saying to you.  This comes through having a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, who bridges the gap between you and God.  When Jesus is a part of your life, He helps you understand God better.

2) Investigate: See how that dream stacks up when you determine if it aligns with the

Bible--- God’s Word.  Does it contradict anything?  Satan is a master deceiver.  Make sure he is not trying to pull a fast one.

3) Lean on Key People:  Seek godly counsel.  Mature Christians who study the bible can help search the scripture.  They can offer prayer which is a key component.

            While God can and sometimes does choose to speak to people through dreams and visions, He’s already spoken to you through the Bible.  Now be alert to other ways he might be speaking to you through a dream.

            In her book “Dreams and Visions,” author Jane Hamon talks about a dream she had one night about wallpaper. She and her husband were renovating the kitchen and working with wallpaper. In her dream she was in the kitchen when all of a sudden, the vines started growing from under the paint and taking over. She wondered what was going on. 

            That’s when the Lord responded, “This is what happens when you merely cover up things that are too difficult to deal with.  They grow back.”  After this dream, she began to reflect on things she had set aside so that she wouldn’t have to deal with the disappointment she was feeling.

            This dream brought healing to her heart as the Lord revealed that He was near her.  He was there to bring healing.  As she began to share this dream with others, God was able to use this message as a tool to bring healing to those who had been hurt, suffering or disappointed. (www.beliefnet.com  “Dreams and Visions)

            The article also points out other ways that God uses our dreams.  He uses them: 1) To search our hearts and help others, 2) He opens our ears to hear what he is saying, 3) He uses them to instruct us,  4) He uses them to bypass pride and 5) He uses them to break down our walls of self-defense.

            Dreams have a purpose and play a role in our lives.  But don’t worry about them because the Ultimate Dream Catcher is always there to protect us from harm.

 

Prayer:  Lord if people call us a dreamer, help us smile and know that is a compliment even if it wasn’t intended to be.  Continue to speak to us through dreams.   Amen!

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