Do Your Dreams Mean Anything?

Dreams. Are. Important. 

Have you ever woke up and thought, "Man, that was a weird dream." Then you go about your morning routine, getting ready for your day. When you don't give your dream a 2nd thought, an hour later, you have no recollection of what you dreamed about. The fuzziness of your dream just floats off into oblivion. 

Dreams. Are. Important. 

Genesis 37:5 - Now Joseph had a dream and he told it to his brothers…

1 Kings 3:15 - Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

You know the stories. Joseph had a dream that the sheaves would bow down to him, then a second dream that the sun, moon and stars would bow down to him. The manifestation of his dream came years later when Joseph was the manager of all the food in the kingdom and 2nd in charge only to the Pharaoh! 

Solomon had a dream. God spoke to him and told him to ask what he wanted. Solomon, in his dream, asked for "understanding to recognize what is just and right (1 Kings 3:11)." If you remember, in the dream, God in turn not only gave Solomon discernment and wisdom, but riches and honor as well! But in reality, not just his dream, throughout the Bible we can see the fruition of Solomon's dream. He's know as the most wise & richest man in the Bible. His dream became a reality. 

Dreams are a way that God can communicate with us. As it says, God is the same yesterday, today and the future. Next time you wake up and you think, Wow! That was a weird dream. Write it down! Pray. Ask God to give you discernment into what your dream meant. 

I recently did this. I woke up with clarity, remembering my dream. In my quiet time that morning, I journaled what I saw in my dream and began to seek the Lord if it had specific meaning. As I sought the Lord about it, he revealed to me the meaning of the dream. Though this was a few weeks ago, I can go back to this journal entry, and in anticipation, be excited about it's fulfillment. 

Granted… if you had some bad fish the night before, that could cause you to wake up thinking some weird things. Also… TV can cause you to have dreams that aren't "messages from God." When on vacation recently, before bed I caught a clip of the local news of the Florida town we were visiting. The next morning, I remember waking up to a nightmare (we don't watch news at home!) That news clip, though just seconds, was one of the last things that went in before we went to sleep. The dream did not represent something from God, it represented the last thing I put in my head before bed. My subconscious thought on that news clip while I slept. So, I encourage you, don't go to sleep with the news being the last thing that goes in your mind. 

But, just as in the day of Joseph and Solomon, God still communicates to His people through dreams. Next time you wake up remembering a dream, don't just brush it off! Write it down. Pray about it. See if this dream was a message from the Lord. It could be a possible warning about your future if a certain area of your life doesn't change, or it could be something good you can be in anticipation for! 

Dreams. Are. Important. 

God. Communicates. Through. Dreams. 

Listen.

Need an ANSWER?

Mark 4:20, 22 - And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit—some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some [even] a hundred times as much. [Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known.

Do you have questions? Need answers? The answer you are seeking is not hidden FROM you, it is hidden FOR YOU! The revelation that you desire for your situation is not designed to be kept hidden, it is designed for you to FIND it. God is not One to just dangle something in front of you (in this case, a question) with no means for you to find the answer to it. Answers are there, and you are MEANT to find them. Let's take a look at a few situations in the Bible.

Noah. Let's look at Noah. In Genesis 6:9, it said that Noah walked in habitual fellowship with God. God had a man that He knew would listen to His instructions, and when the time came, Noah was mandated to build a boat, a big boat. God gave him very specific instructions, a detailed plan with measurements, the type of material, everything Noah needed in order to build this boat to God's specifications. It needed to withstand the weight of ALL the animals that would be on the boat. It needed to withstand the storms and weather. Noah listened, and God answered. God gave Noah a plan.

Moses. After 40 years of personal exile due to killing a man, Moses was called back to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was called by God to go before Pharaoh to make the request, as we know, "Let My people go!" It was a request from God Himself. God wanted to Israelites to be set free from captivity. You remember, the 10 plagues... God told Moses exactly what to do in order for the Israelites to be set free. Sure, it took 10 major plagues before Pharaoh would listen, but in the end, the people were set free. Moses listened, and God answered. God gave Moses a plan.

Solomon. Solomon was directed to build the Lord's house (1 Kings 6). From the cedar to the dimensions, from the inner sanctuary to overlaying the floors with gold; God gave Solomon very specific instructions on how to build the temple and with the exact materials. It was a specific project. Solomon listened, and God answered. God gave Solomon a plan.

Friend, YOU are no different. Remember the verse that says God is the same yesterday, today & tomorrow. You serve the SAME God that Noah, Moses & Solomon served. Although, YOU and I have something even better! As Christians, when we got saved, the Holy Spirit Himself came to live inside of us.

Are you feeling like your schedule is crazy? How can you possibly get everything done? YOUR answer is not hidden FROM you, it is hidden FOR YOU! Ask. Seek. Just like God laid out dimensions for the completion of the temple, He will lay out specifically what kind of schedule for your day. Just ask.

Is it marital? How to keep your laundry caught up? How to grow your business? How to spend more time with your family? How to increase your income. There is no problem that sustained thought (prayer) can't answer!

So today.... whatever the question or problem.... commit some time to seeking the Lord! Just like Noah, Moses & Solomon, if you listen, you may be very surprised at the depth of detail you get back! It's there for you to find, YOUR answer is not hidden FROM you, it is hidden FOR YOU!

 

A Call to Greatness

1 Kings 4:22-23 - Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, sixty measures of meal, Ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl of choice kinds.

Have you ever stood in awe of someone. Have you ever thought, "Wow, to be that great!" Have you craved to have the success of someone else. If only I could be as good as ___________. If only I could accomplish what they have accomplished. If only I could make it to where they have. If only..... If only.... 

I spent some time this morning actually studying on 1 Kings 4:22-23. The word "provision" really caught my attention. I was astounded to read about what King Solomon needed for only ONE day, surely I could at least get to a fraction of that one day (a larger fraction than I currently contribute too...aka... us having provision for more than just our household).

Anyways... here are some of the numbers that I did the math on....

King Solomon needed for the Month:

• 310 fat oxen

• 620 cattle

• 3100 sheep

• 1 Cow = 1,600 servings of 4 ounces (1/4 pound)

• 1 Sheep = would feed 70.5 people at 1/2 pound serving each.

• 1 Ox = approx. same as 1 cow (maybe a bit more since it was a fattened ox) 

• 10 fattened oxen = 16,000 servings of 4 ounces

• 20 cattle = 32,000 servings of 4 ounces

• 100 sheep = 14,100 servings of 4 ounces

• Grand TOTAL: 62,100 servings of 4 ounces/day OR 31,050 servings of 8 ounces/day.

SO... IN ONE DAY.... How many people was King Solomon feeding.... well, let's just look at some of the numbers. 

According to WebMD, averaging out men (56 grams) and women (46 grams), we should get about 50 grams of protein/day. That is equivalent to 8 ounces of meat. 

SO... if all the meat alone was used for taking care of King Solomon's household (I'm sure maybe some of the cattle was allotted towards milk... but let's just say it was all for eating), King Solomon was given that provision to feed HIS household of 31,050 people PER DAY! That is pretty amazing!

I got to thinking... "Wow...if I could only be a fraction of that great. That would be pretty neat." I could not even fathom how great King Solomon was. As I sat and thought, I couldn't even fathom the great responsibility he had. Then, as always, the Holy Spirit was quick to correct me. 

His responsibility was extremely great and totally different than yours. A few things to consider... EACH has a different calling in life. Do your best not to compare your calling to someone else's. I have put seeds of greatness in everyone. YOUR gifts are different than the next person. YOUR goal should be to MAXIMIZE your OWN gifts & calling. It should NEVER be; "to be as good as ________," or "to accomplish as much as _____________." What if MY desire is for you to accomplish more than say ________________. If you set your goal merely on where you see them today and where you want to be today, you will miss it! You will miss my best. Focus on MY best. Focus on MY calling for your life!!

As we look at the greatness of King Solomon, we may have never desired to be "that" great. But... what about your neighbor? Your boss? The Joneses? Your best friend? Your uncle? A business associate? Are your sights on what they have accomplished? I challenge you today, reset your sights. Set your sights on what GOD would have you accomplish with your life? He did say in Ephesians 4:20 that He, is at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. 

Today.... allow your imagination to run! Can you focus on the calling God has for YOU to accomplish.  Because if you can, your highest prayers, desires & dreams can come to pass on this earth. He would not have placed them in your heart if they couldn't. YOU, my friend, were called to greatness! Your job? Seek HIM and find out exactly how you should accomplish the assignment that HE has set out for your life! 

#112 - Floor Plans

Hello! I pray that your day has gone well thus far?! Today as I began reading in Proverbs & Psalms, the Holy Spirit directed me to read about the life of King Solomon. So we are going to take a trip to the book of First Kings today. Follow along with me in 1 Kings 3.

1 Kings 3:5,9,11-12 - In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, "Ask what I shall give you."..... "Give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people?" ....God said to him, "Because you have asked this and have not asked for long life or for riches, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize what is just and right, Behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise, discerning mind, so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall any arise after you equal to you."

1 Kings 4:29 - And God gave Solomon exceptionally much wisdom and understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand of the seashore. 

As you read in 1 Kings, not only do you read how the Lord gives Solomon the wisdom that he has requested, but the Lord gives him much more. When Solomon's father, King David was reigning, it was told to him that his son, Solomon would reign in his stead and would be the one to build a temple for the Lord. A house for God. As you read in 1 Kings, you see where there was peace in the land, and the time had come for King Solomon to begin building the House for God. 


What I find quite exceptional is this, the LORD gave King Solomon the floor plans to build this magnificent house. Solomon did not make it up himself, but the Lord gave him the details, the measurements, the materials AND the people were in place that would do the work. Even just from a "timber" perspective, it says in chapter 5 verse 6, "For you know that no one among us can equal the skill of the Sidon men in cutting timber." King Solomon had in place not only the people to do the work, but the people who were CALLED and the BEST at doing each specific job. The men of Sidon were experts in cutting timber. They were known for the fine work that they did. 


Why do I say all this? Why did the Holy Spirit direct me to read about King Solomon this morning? I asked the same question and this was the answer that I got: 

I have solutions for the people in trouble. Just like laying out the floor plans of the temple, I will lay out floor plans to answer their problems. My desire is for my children to walk in peace & in blessing. Seek me & listen. I will provide the specific, detailed floor plans to answer your questions. 

We don't have to live in questions, in mystery, in wonder. We can simply ask, take time, listen, quiet ourselves in the presence of the Holy Spirit and expect the answer. I will be honest... there have been times in my life where I did not want the answer. I knew what the answer was, and I was not willing to do what I knew would be asked of me, therefore, I did not even ask. I still had up walls, I still had up barriers not allowing the Holy Spirit access to "change" me. I wasn't ready to change. I was holding on to this stubborn part of me that I wasn't ready to let go of. My heart just wasn't ready to let go. Though, I wasn't happy. I wasn't progressing where I wanted and at the pace I wanted, but my stubbornness was keeping me from getting the floor plans that I knew were readily available if I only asked. My mom always said I was VERY stubborn as a child. She and my dad prayed for me, "Lord, please let this stubbornness in Amy change for a stubbornness to serve You." I was most definitely a handful. 


Praise God, I have released my control. And even to a greater degree lately, not only receiving counsel & direction from the Holy Spirit in my life, but also, finally willing and ready to receive counsel from mentors in my life. Before, I was not ready to change, I had not embraced it and I was allowing fear to keep me where I was at. Praise God for the power of EXPECTATION. I had been expecting to change, and I have. I'm excited about the new path ahead. 


Do you need the right floor plans in your life? I know who has them. Are you ready to ask?