Dreams, True and False

January 7, 2018

Dreams are funny things. In ancient times, people believed the gods (or God) spoke to them via their dreams. From cover to cover, the Bible records people dreaming and God or an angel appearing on his behalf, giving instruction, warning, or prophecy. Dreams as a means of divine guidance was accepted throughout most of society prior to the Enlightenment. Since then, dreams have moved from the realm of external intervention to internal revelation. It isn’t God who speaks through dreams; it’s our own subconscious bubbling to the surface. We don’t believe in a God who intervenes in human affairs, therefore, dreams cannot be a means of his communication to us. So society says.

Most of my dreams are pretty weird; at least, the ones I remember. If as psychologists say, dreams are manifestations of our subconscious, you wouldn’t want to be my friend. On only a couple occasions have I dreamed and known God was speaking to me. The first time this happened, I woke up knowing exactly what God was telling me. It’s a long story for another time. Suffice it to say that It was a warning that guided me through a very difficult time in my life. That sort of thing has only happened once or twice; most of the time, my dreams aren’t newsworthy.

Last night I had a dream that really shook me. It was one of those so real that I was relieved when I woke up, but I couldn’t get it out of my mind. All day long I have had to remind myself of God’s promises of his faithfulness and truth. Even for those of us who believe God can still speak through dreams and visions, not every dream is of divine origin. The Enemy of our souls is a liar, and will lie to us through our feelings, through incomplete or faulty information, and through dreams or visions designed to deceive and distract us from our focus on Jesus Christ. Five years ago when God directed me to quit focusing on all the negative stuff going on in the world and to start focusing on that which is good, true, and uplifting, it was a wake up call to make sure my life was centered in Jesus Christ. If a dream points me in that direction, well and good, but if not, it isn’t from God.

So tonight, I remember and renew the vows of my baptism, renouncing the spiritual forces of wickedness and rejecting the evil powers of this world. I accept the freedom and power God gives me to resist evil in whatever form it presents itself to me. I confess Jesus Christ as my Savior, put my whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as my Lord. And I give thanks that this dream is not real, but God’s faithfulness is.