“In the dream, a vision of the night,

    when deep sleep falls upon humans,

        during their slumber on a bed,

    then he opens people’s ears,”

Job 33:15-16

 

I am a dreamer, a night dreamer. I dream most every night and I often remember my dreams. Some dreams are calming and comforting. Some dreams shake me and leave me with a feeling of discontent. Some dreams feel like a message. Most mornings I spend a few minutes as soon as I wake up writing down my dreams. I have always felt that a lot of my life healing happens while I am sleeping. 

I have been thinking more about dreams and their connection to God this past week because it was part of our Confirmation class lesson recently. The Bible talks a lot about dreams in many many different ways with many different people. The book of Daniel has many dreams. There are multiple Josephs in the Bible that receive informative and inspirational dreams. Abimelek has a dream of guidance telling him to return Sarah to Abraham. There are many, many examples of guidance through dreams. 

I wonder how often dreams are just for the dreamer and how often they are meant to be shared? I am guessing that over the centuries there have been many prophets who remained silent after receiving dreams due to fear and threats of violence. I wonder how many of us over the past thousands and thousands of years have kept visions quiet and to themselves. 

I’m guessing many many people have received guidance and insight while they sleep and restore. I have read the scientific belief about dreams and the belief that they are your brain storing memories from the day, but the Bible shows us time after time that humans are connected to God’s word in our sleeping time just as much as our waking time. I believe everyone is able to hear God just as the great people of the Bible were.

I hope we are all taking some time to listen to what God is telling us and sharing those insights of love and peace with the world.