Dream Vs. Reality :: By Candy Austin

Ecclesiastes 5:7 “For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.”

When things first started happening with our oldest becoming a prodigal, this was something I would often say, “Never in a million years would I have dreamed that our family would have turned out this way!” It was ‘incredulous’ to me at the time. Even though there were signs of blatant rebellion all along the way, I truly did not think things would go this far though. Nevertheless, this is exactly what the enemy tries to do in our lives, which is to take our loved ones to extremes that we never thought they would go.

1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.”

The Bible tells us that “what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.” So, the reality is that the unseen realm is and will be more real than the temporary physical realm we are in now! As soon as we became Born-Again Believers in Jesus Christ, we became Soldiers in an Intense Spiritual Battle! One that has been furiously raging between God and Satan ever since time began! Therefore, we should not think it is strange that we are in such fiery trials that tests us. Battling trials is oftentimes used by God to strengthen our Faith.

Romans 5:3-5 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

The Bible has a lot to say on dreams. God gave certain men the ability to interpret dreams mainly for His Divine Purposes. In our day and age, we should not opt to look into Dream Interpretations: (1) because they are usually misleading and (2) because doing such often leads into New Age practices. Dreams are a result of our subconscious mind sorting out the things that happen in our lives. Ultimately, we are to give our dreams to the LORD and choose to look into His Word for answers to our current reality instead.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Many times, I feel like our reality in this world is a nightmare that I wish we could finally wake up from! Seeing how we believe that God’s Word is True and that He is a God who keeps His Promises, the Believer can have the confidence that our Blessed Hope is a reality that will be fulfilled in God’s perfect timing! Once we are in Heaven and casting our Crowns at our Lord’s feet, our previous lives down here on Earth, to me, will seem like a bad dream that we finally got to wake up from! Especially for those of us who were locked into Intense Spiritual Battles during our time here! Oh, the Inexpressible, Unfathomable, and Incomprehensible ‘Fullness of Joy’ that eagerly awaits us in our future Reality and HOME! Can. Not. Wait!

Revelation 21:1-5 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

Revelation 22:3-7 “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the LORD God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the LORD God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”

Until next time… Maranatha!

(JESUS = THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE)