I was in my bedroom with some ladies from my neighborhood. I was showing them the new comforter I had just purchased. It was white and the inner lining was light peach. I was explaining to them that the seams were sewn unevenly. Both friends said they could take me to the store to return or exchange it.

As we left the bedroom, the ladies continued talking and walked off. Rick and I were left standing there. We looked at each other and figured they forgot they said they would take me to the store. We decided we would return or exchange the comforter ourselves. One of us said, “where’s the receipt” and what I remember from the rest of the dream is that it was in a brown paper lunch bag and inside the middle of the bag was a small pocket, made of the same brown paper as the bag. I knew the receipt was inside that small pocket.

I asked Rick, “did we accidentally throw the bag out because we thought it was empty?” I told him the receipt was for $100.

End of dream.

INTERPRETATION:

The key takeaway from this dream is that Jesus took our sins, our imperfections upon himself (uneven seams). The receipt is the proof of purchase. Jesus paid the price; purchased the ransom for us. The debt of unforgiveness has been paid in full, which is the total sum of the comforter. 100%! There are no exchanges or returns. What Jesus did for me, for you, was complete when he died on the cross and rose again. “It is finished” - John 19:28-30; Romans 8:11; Romans 14:9

“For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” I Corinthians 6:20

In this dream, the receipt can’t be found, has been misplaced, which can represent my lack of faith. I need to ask myself, “am I doubting God’s grace and what he did for me?” Do I keep going back and asking for forgiveness of past sins?

REFLECTION: Do you fully understand what grace is?

Grace and mercy are what a judge extends to a defendant when he pardons them. Their record is wiped clean. There are no past transgressions or past arrests that can be traced. Jesus pardons us when we accept his free gift of salvation. He or she starts over and they don’t have to carry the weight of sin because Jesus carried it to the cross for us.

The Lunch Bag represents the body of Christ and the Receipt symbolizes the sin Jesus took upon himself. When we hold onto the “Receipt,” i.e., what Christ did for us, we obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit, our comforter. He is always with us, covering us (Pocket).

EASTER:

Easter is a few weeks away and isn’t it so like our magnificent God to provide a dream in the night to help us visualize what he did for us personally and in a way to more clearly comprehend his grace and mercy; his forgiveness of sins?

REFLECTION

Do you know Jesus as your Savior?

Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23  

Have you asked Him to forgive you of your sins and invited Him into your heart?

John 3:16; Romans 10:9 & 13 

Do you want him to be with you daily as your comforter and guide? 

You can say a simple prayer to know with certainty Jesus has taken your sins away, pardoned you, and is living inside of you. He will guide your footsteps as you learn to trust in him. Romans 8:1-39; Hebrews 11:1

KNOW JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR BY PRAYING THIS: 1) Believe and have faith that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead. 2) Ask Jesus to forgive your sins. 3) Believe that your sins are forgiven. I encourage you to attend a local, Bible-believing church and connect with other believers.

Steps to knowing God more and grow in your faith:

1. Read your Bible: Scripture teaches us how to trust and follow him. Psalm 32:8; Psalm 119:105; Psalm 119:99; Proverbs 3:5-6

2. Pray: Prayer is key to knowing God and developing a personal relationship with him. Mark 11:25; Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 7:7

3. Live in God’s presence: Psalm 16:11; Psalm 91:1-16; James 4:8; Matthew 18:20 

“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.” I Peter 1:18020 NLT 

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

 Thumbnail photo: Photo by Mike Walter on Unsplash