Dreams change the world. Dreams that from other than you are even more powerful. Your response to a dream can make all the difference.
Matthew 2 contains the story of the visit of the “wise men.”
The appearance of a star in the sky has lured these “wise men” to travel to what was a foreign land. Beyond the safety of their local community they traveled to see the King born beneath such a star. More than tourist, they were led to bring gifts for the child king.
Quite a contrary reaction was had by the ruler, Herod, to the star and to the visit of the “wise men” and especially to the birth of a king beneath the star. Herod reacted by ordering the killing of all the babies so as to make certain the child king would not live to become an adult king.
How amazingly different reactions to the same star … the same promise … the same vision. Knowing how the story concludes, we see the great error in Herod’s ways. Sadly, he was not so insightful. Herod made a mess of unspeakable proportion.
Into the violent mess Herod creates, our savior was born. In this mess, our God performs miracles … through dreams … through others including foreigners.
God sends dreams to the “wise men” and to Joseph (Mary’s husband). In these dreams, God inspires action that keeps safe the child king, Jesus. Through dreams God performs miracles in the middle of a mess to make safe God’s Son.
What might the power of dreams be in your life?
Dreams happen when we let loose of control and make our self open to the voice / images / sounds from beyond. Oh yes, sometimes our dreams are our subconscious working out the stress and questions of our lives. Sometimes, the dreams are from God. In our sleeping, when our mind grows quiet and vulnerable, we are open to the voice of God in a new way.
In our sleeping, in our praying, in our meditation … therein we dream in ways that reveal to us our God. A benefit of keeping a sabbath day, week or season, is removing ourself from the routines that prevent us from being open to dreams.
Is a dream from God? How does that dream square with the Bible? with our worshipping community? with the tradition of our church? with our reasoned experience of life? These are some of the dialogue partners that can help us discern from where a dream hails.
In my experience, dreams sent by God are all about love, hope, reconciliation, mercy, justice.
Recall Peter’s dream in Acts 10. I encourage you to read this chapter. A summary statement by Peter is found in verse 28 of that chapter … “Peter addressed them, ‘You know, I’m sure that this is highly irregular. Jews just don’t do this - visit and relax with people of another race. But God has just shown me that no race is better than any other.” (The Message). Peter makes such a statement based upon a dream. He says it to people he met because they had a dream and sent for him.
Dreams change the world. Dreams that from other than you are even more powerful. Your response to a dream can make all the difference.
It is a new year, what are your dreams? What are your dreams for yourself, your family and friends, your church, your business?
May they be dreams sent by God for if so they will bring miracles regardless the mess you experience along the way.
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