Dream Interpretation...

I shared with you yesterday a dream that I had. As you may know, pastors are often the recipients of criticism and complaint. For me, it's always painful! I'm encouraged that in my dream these painful words (arrows) were not able to cause any real harm to me. They just hurt for a bit. The large arrow represents the largest area of criticism ( I know all too well what it represents) but it does not have a point. It can no longer do any real harm to me. Though I cannot break it--I don't need to fear it! My call to 911 is my prayer to God for help and deliverance. The seven letters in my friend's name represent completion and closure. By walking away, I leave the arena where these specific attacks have occurred. They can no longer harm me.

With this dream fresh on my heart, I entered into a time of study in the Word. I began with Psalm 69 which happens to be a Psalm of deliverance. My Old Testament reading was in Isaiah 51 which begins with these words, "Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance--all who seek the Lord." Verse 7 says, "Do not be afraid of people's scorn or their slanderous talk". Verse 12 promises, "I, even I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?" I was overcome with emotion as I considered verse 16, "I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely within my hand". I can't describe to you how comforted and accepted I felt as I pondered the Word of God to me.

As many of you know, I make it a habit to pray using a series of colored beads, each of which is a call to a different focus of prayer. The first bead that I randomly (God chooses) chose was the blue bead--representing the prayer of deliverance. Years ago, I assigned the color blue to the prayer of deliverance in large part because of Psalm 69:1-2, "Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can't find a foothold to stand on. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me." Blue represents the deep waters from which we all need deliverance. My first prayer following the dream was a spiritual 911 call. Praise God for His leadership in my life!