For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then He opens the ears of men… Job 33:14-16a
This Friday Faster's update will talk about the result of being hungry for God. Asking God questions while really hungering for the answers, we realize He is speaking to us, even while we sleep.
What does that look like?
Here's what I see. Hunger. Hunger to hear God speak. Desire to honor Jesus with our lives. Worship of Holy Spirit, wanting His presence through everything we do -- privately, when no one is looking and in all outward expressions of our lives. Whether worship is singing praise, walking in obedience to His leading or desiring to see the power of God happen in others' daily lives.
Yesterday, I was driving home from substituting at a position I have been at for 2 weeks. I was full of praise. So thankful for what God is teaching me! Loving what we're teaching something I have not been trained in -- reading intervention. I am enjoying learning from Holy Spirit through the staff and listening to Him every moment.
I have grown to be confident in what I'm doing. Even in the unknowns.
The main reason I am aware of Him is I am so dependent on listening. I have never taught this before, so everyday I come in hungry to learn and then to teach the students.
Its being so ready to be lead by God that our spirit is open to hearing Him.
If I don't know how to do it, if I don't already have the answers I am teachable to God's voice directing me. I saw that practically work out with a small group activity that I prepared, but had no idea how to direct it until I just began instruction in faith that God would direct me. And He did!
This reminds me how a Bible study at a big church a few weeks back, got shaken up...
... The husband of a couple I had been praying with had seen the power of God come through words of knowledge and physical healing just before we walked into the big group. The husband stood up to share, as the lesson was ending and the pastor asked for questions. The husband shared something that I may never forget.
The class had been on sharing the good news of Jesus and how people can come into the Kingdom of God, lead by Holy Spirit. But after listening to pat answers and really not being moved by the discussion, the husband brought up a point that really spoke to me and, for those that had ears to hear, could really wake up religious behavior (that is, being more conscience of our form than God's power manifesting. I'll call that a "pharistical spirit.")
He said, "I'm a psychologist and there is evidence in psychology that shows we form habits doing things as we've done them in the past that limits the need to have to think it up new in the moment. We depend on these traditional modes of thinking because, if not, we'd have to make thousands of decisions everyday. But there is a point where that behavior actually brings us farther from God, rather than closer to Him."
Bam! Psychologically, habits allow us NOT to have to make new decisions every day. However that can bring us farther from God, rather than closer to Him.
Just like the religious leaders we read about in the Bible, the pharisees (Matthew 3:7, 12:14, 23:13, 26; Mark 3:6, 8:15; Luke 6:7, 11:39, 15:2, 18:9-14; John 7:32, 9:16, John 12:19, 42; Acts 26:5; Philippians 3:5. They were white-washed tombs. Having a form of godliness, but denying His power. Like we read about in the last days 2 Timothy 3:5.
If I have a pharisitical spirit I am not listening to the Spirit's leading, I am leading by tradition, what I am comfortable with. Well, if we are always comfortable, when does the Comforter have a chance to come into and do His job.
Holy Spirit can't impact our lives if we don't want Him. Jesus gave authority to us, we can allow Holy Spirit in or blaspheme Him...
He won't overcome our free-will. And so often we depend more on tradition and form -- what we can control -- than we do being lead by the Spirit -- letting Him lead us into even better promises.
Now all that has the possibility of failure. But risk is not outside of the Word of God. Going into the unknown is exactly why Abraham was considered righteous -- because of His faith!
So this brings me back to my drive home yesterday. About a block from my aunt and uncle's house (where I am living while I am in my hometown during this sabbatical year) I saw a man sitting on a bench in a small park with his walker close by. The Lord spoke very specifically as I drove by, that He loved this man and will heal him.
So after I drove by, I took a u-turn in the round about and came back to park and approached him. He was Hispanic in his features, so as I approached I spoke greeting in Spanish and he replied.
I asked him about his health and he shared he had been in a severe accident in 2002. Today he was out for a walk, but he was getting tired. His right leg was trembling uncontrollably. I told him that the Lord had spoken to me to stop because God would heal him.
"Would you be offended if I prayed for you? I love Jesus." I said.
"No, of course not," he replied, seeming relieved that someone had stopped to talk to him. Then, immediately his leg stopped trembling.
BEFORE I even prayed. We just needed to come into agreement that he wanted to be healed.
"Did you see that?" I asked. "God just healed it."
"Yeah, hmm..." he seemed surprised. Then he began to describe other damage that he had in is spine and sciatic nerve. I asked to put his hand on my hand and I began to pray for complete healing in the name of Jesus on his whole body.
I asked him what was something that he can't do, to try it now. He told me that while he sleeps his leg would raise itself up and move around which kept him awake at night.
Just then, his leg began to twitch. The man described the tugging that he felt in his spine where the nerve began and we continued to pray.
We sat and read scripture in Spanish, and he told me he had not been to school but had taught himself to read. So I read Matthew 11:28-30, then he read it again slowly:
»Vengan a mí todos ustedes que están cansados y agobiados, y yo les daré descanso. Carguen con mi yugo y aprendan de mí, pues yo soy apacible y humilde de corazón, y encontrarán descanso para su alma. Porque mi yugo es suave y mi carga es liviana»
I wish I could say everything completely disappeared in that moment. It didn't. However, this grandpa of nine and who had begun walking after his accident on 2 crutches, now only needing a walker to help steady him, after seeing some healing, praying together reading the Word and sharing how significant his life was, walked back to his daughter's house full of zeal, reminded that if he was the only person that Jesus still would have died for him. And he would sleep well.
As we were praying I saw in a vision how much faith he brought other people, by his life and by refusing to give up. The Hebrew meaning of his name – Otoniel – is: God is my strength. And that's what I saw as he walked away.
God is our strength!
I started this update by wanting to talk about the significance of dreams and how God talks to us at night, even while we sleep.
I had had a dream last night I wanted to share. The dream was about our Tuesday night Life group that meets at a small house getting so big about a thousand came. Somehow there was enough room and the space just got bigger, but it was so big we couldn't hear the leader. After about 15 minutes quite a few left because it didn't meet their expectations, but the ones that stayed were hungry to hear and wanted that deep connection to go strong.
I realized in the dream, too, that our own group needed to go deeper with God, hearing Him, and even the leader (me) needed to not try to lead, but listen to the Lord and He would direct us.
We all needed growth but the Lord was showing me that He wanted to do more as we had unity of His Spirit.
I look forward to sharing more. I can see that God is doing some beautiful things. And they start with being with Him. Listening. Worshiping. Adoring Jesus...
My prayer is that as you've read this the Lord has been speaking about His deep love for you and that you will know that and share our amazing Father and His wonder working power with others...
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