MARCH 21, 2024
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small! “So the Lord relented. “This will not happen,” the Lord said.” - Amos 7:1-3
In this series, we have been exploring dreams. As we have seen, dreams have long been regarded as a mysterious and profound aspect of human experience. Throughout scripture, we find numerous instances of God communicating with His people through dreams and visions. Job 33:14-16 reminds us that God speaks to us in various ways, including through dreams, to convey His messages and warnings. In this devotion we will look at how God can bring about restoration through responses to the dreams and the visions He gives. We will also see that we do not have to accept every dream especially if the dream is negative. Let’s begin.
Dreams have a remarkable ability to serve as conduits of restoration, ushering us into a place of wholeness and fulfillment that transcends our current circumstances. Throughout scripture, we witness instances where God uses dreams to restore individuals to their original state or lead them into something even better than before.
The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis 37:5-11 is a powerful testament to God's faithfulness and His ability to restore and redeem even the most challenging circumstances through dreams. From the depths of betrayal and despair to the heights of honor and authority, Joseph's journey is marked by divine intervention and the fulfillment of dreams. Despite facing adversity and betrayal, Joseph held on to the promises contained within those dreams, ultimately seeing them fulfilled as he rose to prominence in Egypt.
Dreams have the power to restore us to our original identity and purpose in God, even when we have strayed or faced setbacks along the way like the case of Pharoah’s butler (Genesis 40:12-13). They remind us that God is always at work behind the scenes, orchestrating events and using every circumstance for our ultimate good and His glory. Moreover, dreams can also lead us into something even better than what we could have imagined for ourselves. As we surrender our hopes, fears, and aspirations to God, He is able to exceed our expectations and bring about blessings beyond measure (Ephesians 3:20).
...know that you can, in prayer reverse negative dreams and visions.
And now we come to how to respond to negative dreams. When we encounter a bad dream, we do not have to accept it. In the book of Amos, we encounter a prophet deeply attuned to the messages God conveys through dreams and visions. In Amos 7:1-4, we witness Amos receiving two significant visions, each carrying profound insights into God's plans and His responsiveness to prayer.
In response to Amos's prayer, the Lord relents and decides not to bring about the devastation He had shown. So, know that you can, in prayer reverse negative dreams and visions. Take your stand against bad visions and work out your restoration in God in the place of prayer.
As we journey through life, God may choose to communicate with us through the language of dreams, offering insight, direction, and comfort to illuminate our path. By exercising discernment guided by prayer and scripture, we can align ourselves with God's truth and His purposes for our lives.
Song of Worship
Ancient words ever true,
changing me and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
Oh let the ancient words impart.
Prayer - Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of dreams and visions as a means of communication with You. Help us to recognize Your voice and Your guidance in the dreams You give us. Grant us the humility and faith to accept them as divine revelations and respond with obedience and prayer. May Your will be done in our lives as we seek to walk in Your ways. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Bible in 1 year: Joshua 11-13