“And He said, "Hear now my words: If there
be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision,
and will speak unto him in a dream" (Numbers 12:6).
The following passages from
the Bible clearly establish the fact that man is a triune being composed of a
body, soul and spirit:
“And the Lord God formed
man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life, and man became a living soul”
(Genesis
2:7).
"May the God of
peace Himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be
kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1
Thessalonians 5:23 RSV)
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow (body), and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Most people know a great
deal about their body. Born Again Christians understand what our spirit is. But
what is the soul? Our soul is our personality. It contains our thoughts, our
will and our emotions. Our soul discloses to us what we really like and
dislike, what we feel passionately about, what we really want to do and how we
actually feel. So often, however, we go through life at such a hectic pace,
that we ignore our soul. Then, we get sick, or we binge, or we act
inappropriately and wonder what in the world is going on with us!
Our soul is a very important
part of our complete human make-up. Our mental and emotional health and our
actions are all influenced by the state of our soul. David says of God: “He
restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3). God cares about our soul.
When we ignore our soul, it
often speaks to us through dreams. The Lord gave us the ability to dream in
order to help us to know what is really going on in our soul: “I
will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the
night seasons” (Psalm 16:7 NKJV). Our
soul often uses dreams to resolve a situation we are actually experiencing and
to help us to bring balance to our life.
The Psalmist told us that God counsels us at night
through our dreams: “You have tested
my heart; You have visited me in the night;” (Psalm 17:3 NKJV).
Dreams reveal to us what we
often fail to hear in our waking moments, because we rush through the day
paying little attention to how life is affecting us. In dreams, every person, place or thing and even numbers, colors,
shapes and every detail represents an aspect of the truth that our soul is
trying to reveal to us. There are many common symbols that have basic
interpretations, but God will also use some symbols to speak to us personally.
The Internet has many sites, which help to interpret the symbols in dreams;
such as the Christian Dream Dictionary (http://www.cddictionary.com).
Dreams often express the
beliefs, feelings, intents and needs of our soul. Even painful dreams have a
message that we need to hear to be set free. Both the Lord and demonic
influences also affect our dreams. Jesus truth heals us. If, however, your
dream does not line up with God’s Word, then it is demonic. Satan can influence
dreams to accuse our thoughts, motives and desires or to mislead us. If any
dream is contrary to the Word of God, we know it is from Satan.
If we take the time to
listen, the Holy Spirit will use our dreams to encourage us or to deal with
truths, which He is trying to expose through our daily circumstances. Some dreams call on us to change our ways: “For God speaks once, yea
twice, yet man perceives it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when
deep sleep falls upon men, in slumberings upon the bed.” (Job 33:14-15). Recurring dreams are often hints from the Holy Spirit
that there is a persistent need that requires our attention.
When a dream reveals
discontentment in some area, the only way we become content from within is to
relinquish our negative mind-set and concerns that do not glorify God and to
ask Him to fill those areas with His peace. “It shall be even as when a
hungry man dream, and behold, he eats; but he awakens, and his soul is empty;
or as when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he drinks; but he awakens, and
behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite” (Isaiah
29:8).
Dreams can also serve as our
barometer in registering our spiritual progress. When we are sensitive to the
Holy Spirit, God quickens portions of our dreams to expose our motivation and
desires that are not yet in line with His will. When the Holy Spirit searches
the soul of man, He brings to light the attitudes, beliefs and opinions that do
not glorify Him. “Bless the Lord, O
my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name” (Psalm
103:1). As we pay attention to our
dreams, they restore our equilibrium in body, soul and spirit.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me dreams
during the night watches. Help me to discern between good and evil and to
understand the messages You want me to hear through my dreams. Lead me in Your
level path because of my enemy (Psalm 27:11) and cause me to hear Your loving
kindness in the morning (Psalm 143:8).
Thought for the Day:
Hope deferred makes the
heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy. - Proverbs 13:12 (NLT).