God-dreams Are Like Puzzles
Excerpt from Introduction of Beautiful Dreamer: Dreams – God’s Personal Navigation System
I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. (Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17 NIV)
I didn’t want dreams to replace the primary ways that God had been communicating with me, such as through His Word and through the words of others, but after the Holy Spirit gave insight into the interpretation of my first dream, I saw how it enhanced my ability to pray for direction, not only for myself, but also to intercede on behalf of others more specifically.
God does not work the same through every person. The way God communicated in the Bible is not only possible today but available to all believers. He is innovative, and His creativity is endless. Throughout my life I have experienced how God wants to be involved in every aspect of my life, if I let Him.
I want to embrace the power and move of God without limits. If God once spoke through the mouth of a donkey, He can do it today (Numbers 22:28). If God spoke to people through dreams, He can do it today.
As I looked into God’s Word on the topic of dreams and visions, I discovered they are like a puzzle. My grandmother emigrated from Albania and never learned to read or write. I would visit her often and the one thing we invariably did was to sit down and complete a puzzle. We always started with the borders and made our way through to matching colors, setting pieces aside and working on one section at a time. When one section was completed we’d move to another, and, slowly but surely, we would get a glimpse of the picture before us.
Sometimes we’d get close to the end to realize pieces were missing. How frustrating it was that we wouldn’t be able to see the complete picture. There was also the dilemma of trying to complete a puzzle with no cover to follow; this was nearly impossible to solve. If this was the case, we usually gave up and grabbed another box.
As I struggled to interpret my dreams, I found the only way to learn how to solve these “puzzles” was time in God’s presence. There are books that provide guidance to symbol interpretation, but ultimately only the Holy Spirit could provide their full meaning. Without the discipline and intentionality of praying and spending time reading and studying God’s Word, my dreams were a puzzle without a cover and pieces missing. If I neglect time in prayer, it is as though pieces to my dreams never get connected, and the full picture never unfolds.
Our culture wants what we can get right now, and I’m no different. Understanding dreams does not always come immediately or with little effort. Some do, but I’ve discovered most often they do not.
It’s a process living in the presence of God. Without Him and His guidance, there is no “cover” or “pieces,” and my dreams are meaningless. Scientists have been searching for years to gain understanding on dreams and how and why we have them during our sleep. There is a need to search for meaning in life. The search for answers to an unfulfilling life leads many to seek out physics, astrologers, or horoscopes for purpose and guidance. Many search their dreams for the answers, as well.
Many seek what is false, and even Christians, including myself, steer away from what is supernatural for fear it sounds mystical. In fact, when Christians here the word “supernatural,” it is often equated with something false, not of God. However, “supernatural” simply means something “above or beyond the natural;” it is “unexplainable by natural law” (“Supernatural”). Even the great preacher from the 1800s, Charles Spurgeon, acknowledged that the power and works of Christ are supernatural and not man-made.
As a child, there were times we jokingly conducted séances in our house hoping to hear from one of our deceased grandparents. We also played around with a Ouija board, hoping for an answer. An answer to what - I had no idea.
Now I don’t seek the dead for direction and purpose in my life. I don’t look to the universe, which God created. Only God who hears my prayers can answer them. The universe cannot provide answers, healing, or guidance. Only God can speak forth His will in my life and intervene on my behalf.
Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. (Isaiah 8:19-20, NLT and I Corinthians 2:9-13, NLT)
The Bible gives a very clear warning to be guarded about dreams and the interpretation of dreams. However, scripture also indicates that God will pour out his Holy Spirit, and we will dream dreams and have visions. To ignore them may limit the power of God in my life. Jane Hamon discusses in her book, Dreams and Visions, how we as Christians shy away from dreams and the prophetic because of abuses. She states, “Nothing could make Satan happier” (Hamon 13).
I have no greater desire than to serve God with my entire heart, soul, and mind (Mark 12:30). I want to be what He created me to be and for His purpose, but I need His direction to do so. The only way to know which direction to go is to not shy away or choose the method by which God wants to communicate.
There are no quick formulas to hearing God’s voice and understanding my dreams. Over the years, I’ve learned the value of pursuing God through praying, reading His Word, and desiring God’s presence more than anything or anyone. God made it very clear that I should acknowledge and share how He has not only been involved in my life but how He stepped in and intervened for my well-being and a new plan in my life.
This blog and my first book are an attempt to reveal the secrets of God’s heart and how He may choose to speak to you and me in a variety of ways.
Additional reading:
How to Begin Understanding Your God-dreams
God-dreams (summary of bog)
