WATCHWORD:
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: Proverbs 29:18
11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper; a voice saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 11:11-12.
Meditation:
Dreams, Visions, Whispers
Have you ever considered the value that dreams may have? I had a professor at Purdue who told me that dreams can be very revealing, if you know how to interrupt them. I never found out if he actually knew how to do that, and he didn’t share his knowledge, if he had any, with me. He may have been trying to get me to think, do you suppose?
I’ve never been a really big dreamer when I slept. On occasion, I would have a dream, which I usually attribute to something I may have eaten. I’ve known people who say they have a dream almost every night, and I wonder about that, and about them. When asked about the content, I usually get “I don’t remember the dream when I wake, just that I did have a dream.”
But, dreams and dreaming has a place in our lives. Proverbs tells us that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” That seems radical, but the truth is, without a plan, a dream, if you will, you won’t achieve much. Without a blueprint, you can’t build a house and without an idea of what kind of house you want, a blueprint can’t be drawn.
Without a dream, a vision, we drift through life without ever making progress. Setting goals is one way of establishing a framework for our dream. If we were honest with ourselves, many of us spend a majority of our hours with thoughts, and ideas, but only a few with dreams to be achieved.
I am a firm believer that God speaks to us in so many ways, voices and actions. I think about Elijah, suffering through an earthquake, wind and fire, then God spoke to him in a gentle whisper. What about our own tough times, our earthquakes, wind and fires? Did you hear God? Did He speak peace to your turmoil? Yes, of course, He did, that is His nature.
I have a little plaque just above my computer that has three points that relate to my writing, including these Watchwords. The three points are a quiet space, a blank page and the prayer, “What would you have me write, Lord?” I can attest to the fact that’s so much of what I have written, whether essays, these Watchwords or my books, seemed to flow from my time with God each morning following devotions and prayers, especially that simple prayer.
But, what about you and me and tomorrow? You know, the tomorrow when the pandemic has released its strangle hold on us, and social and worship lives are restored. Is that your dream? It is certainly part of mine. I’ve got church services to attend. I’ve got a belated birthday party to get to in Colorado. I’ve got high school graduations to get to in California and here in Indiana. I’ve got restaurants to eat in that I have missed, and travels that have been on hold for a year. Yes, I have dreams, and so do you.
Pay attention to the Holy Nudges from God, do not plan or dream without them. This is what God is telling us through Jeremiah 29:11 — For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Tomorrow, more from Jeremiah. Think: “Your life shall be as a prize to you.”
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You made a way where there seemed to be no way in so many circumstances in my life. And Your right hand still continues to reach out to me. And for that, I am eternally grateful. I remember the dreams that You had given me in times past. Therefore, Lord, I pray, just as You kept Joseph’s dream alive, that the same would be my portion. May the dreams that You’ve deposited into my Spirit continue to be revived until the time of their fulfillment. Amen.
