Reassurance
Hi Friends,
I am writing today about not a vision, but a dream. Hallelujah! God is faithful even when we feel that we are not. I am writing after a full two weeks, because I have been out of town visiting with family members. It seems that when we are not in our own environment, it is hard to maintain a closeness, and have the time to spend with the Lord as we might normally have. But God is faithful to speak to us when we call to him!
“Call to me and I will answer you. I will tell you great and wonderful things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3
“Draw close to God and he will draw close to you.” James 4:8
This dream I believe came from God. He encourages us when we just need a little extra assurance that we are on the right road and in his perfect will.
The Dream
I picked up a rock--red, pink and coral in color. It was small about two and a half inches by one and a half inches. Then I saw a much larger rock, with less red, and more pink and coral. The rock was fairly flat resembling a foot. There were black dots and other marks on the top surface of the rock. As I looked at the rock, I held it next to my foot. The marks on the rock appeared to be similar to the marks on my own foot. There were four small dots across the base of one toe and matching dots on the rock in a corresponding location. As I looked over the rock, I found that every place there was a mark, there was a matching mark on my foot.
My discovery while still in the dream, was exciting to me, so I shared this “news” with everyone around me.
I believe that the foot represents our walk with the Lord. The rock represents the foundation of that walk--Jesus. He was referred to as a rock or stone. “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:22-23
We refer to the Lord as a "rock," because of his faithfulness, his steadfast love, and his unchanging character. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2
Jesus is the rock or the firm foundation upon which we build, (the kingdom of God.) “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been build survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved--even though only as one escaping through the flames.” 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
I believe that the marks on the rock represent instructions, information, as might be on a map. The matching marks on my feet, are there to show progress, or faithfulness to follow those instructions. Perhaps like a report card. The rock, might be like a map showing of places where I have been, and places to where I am going.
In the Bible, there were remembrance stones set in place to remind the Israelites of a place where something happened that they were to remember. It was usually a place where God had given them a victory, provided for their needs, or shown his power in a miraculous way. An example of this was the crossing of the Jordan river into the promised land.
“When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.” Joshua 4:1-3
“In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:6-7
The markings found on the stone in the dream, may represent things in my life, that God wants me to remember. The times he showed himself faithful: the day I received salvation - the day I was delivered from a demonic spirit - the day God promised that my son would follow the Lord - the day God spoke to me of my three children, how they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. I have many such days. The greatest day in my life, that I will never forget, was the day that I received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and was delivered from a demon. I told the Lord, “I will never, ever forget what you have done for me!” That life changing day was October 2, 1994.
When we remember these major events in our lives and how God orchestrated events and circumstances, and brought us through tough situations, it builds our faith. We know that we can count on the Lord for other things. We can pray in faith that if God healed our dog of blindness and healed a baby that was supposed to be born with Down’s Syndrome, then he can heal someone of cancer, and deliver some else from drugs. There is nothing too great or too small for the Lord.
Prior to this dream, I was concerned that on this family trip, I hadn’t been able to pray like I would normally. I even missed going to church on Sunday. I felt like a fish out of water. The days were filled with chores, errands, taking care of children, fixing meals, washing dishes and doing the laundry. For some of you, this may be a normal day. But for me, there wasn’t even time in the day to squeeze it all in, and I felt like the Lord was getting the “left-overs” of my day.
One night before bed, I asked the Lord to speak to me. I needed to know that everything was “all right,” between himself and me. This was the dream that he gave me. I was so elated that he told me that all was fine, and that I was doing what he wanted me to do to help out our daughter and her family. Thank you Lord! How grateful I am that he shows me these things to reassure me. He shows his love to me in so many ways. But this time it was the rock with marks and symbols, showing me that “This is the way. Walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
When I saw that the marks on my foot matched the marks on the rock, I knew that I was following the Lord’s directions for me. Hallelujah!
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand-- when I awake, I am still with you.” Psalm 139:16-18
As I see the seasons of my life, the places the Lord has taken me, the experiences of his presence - I wouldn’t trade them for anything, except to have even more of him!
When God shows us our feet, he wants us to look at our walk with him. God wants us to walk beside him everyday. We are not to run ahead, or fall behind, but stay in step with him. As a child I walked home from school with the Lord everyday. As I was just writing, I remembered Enoch. He is one of my favorite people in the Bible. (Simeon and Anna the prophetess are also.) “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Genesis 5:21-24
What a wonderful thing! Enoch walked with God. He was a loyal friend to God. And God was so pleased with him, that he took him directly to heaven to be with him forever. I want to have such an intimate relationship with the Lord as Enoch did.
“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” Amos 3:3
When we walk with God, we are communing with him. We are in his presence. We are seeking his counsel, we are looking for his heart to be revealed to us. We want to know him - what it is that pleases him. He draws close to us and shares with us his truths. He gives us direction, and even explanations at times. What can be more precious than time spent with him.
The Lord teaches us as his children in these walks with him. Just as Moses taught the children of God, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7
"The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their their teacher." Luke 6:40 That is the goal for which we strive - to be like the Lord.
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13
We become like Jesus when we walk with him.
Do you remember the road to Emmaus? Two disciples were walking together towards the village of Emmaus, when the Lord came up to them. They talked together as they walked on the road. “And beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Luke 24:27
Later that day as they broke bread together, the Lord revealed himself to the disciples then he disappeared from sight. “They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32
Walking with the Lord should be a natural thing for us. Just as Adam walked with the Lord in the garden. The Lord invites us to walk with him too. Today, accept his invitation to walk together. Talk with him as you would a close friend. Jesus is our friend, our brother, our teacher, our healer, our deliverer, our provider, our redeemer, our Lord and our God. He is our everything!
I hope you will be encouraged to walk with the Lord each and everyday. Walk outside, walk in your house, sing to the Lord and enjoy his presence! God bless you.
