Dreams and Discipline

Often dreams come out of our own experiences, desires or fears. They reflect more what's in our own mind than anything God is telling us.

If a dream is from the Lord it will be a "thus saith the Lord", not a cryptic message that has to be figured out or calculated.

There is no need for dreams and visions as there in the OT because we live by faith and our faith is built on what God already told us in His word.

Also, let's remember that God said He can do no miracles in a place where there is no faith. We are living in the end times when it is rare to find faith upon the earth.

Luke 18:8-10
"8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:"

If there is no faith there are no miracles. Our faith today is based on the Word of God the Bible. We have no need of details for the future. God will tell us what to do when we need to do it and we won't even know why we are doing it but our faith tells us that God has a reason so we just obey without knowing why.

2 Corinthians 5:7-10
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight,
8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

Trust Christ rather than looking for signs!!

Matthew 16:4 "4 A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away."

Those who are constantly looking for signs lack faith, they must see something to believe God is working.

Those who hear from the Holy Spirit do not worry about tomorrow because they know the Holy Spirit in them will give them instructions one step at a time. We don't have to know the next step we just have to do what He told us to do.

When you are holding a flashlight at your feet in the dark you can only see one step at a time to take the next step, take that step and wait for God to light another step.

Psalm 119:105…104 "I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments.…"

Proverbs 6:23
"23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light;
And reproofs for discipline are the way of life"

As we take our steps one at a time we will experience discipline. It is human nature to stray from the path because of our passions, desires, and emotions. God brings discipline to take us back to the path again. Consider the discipline as a blessing from God.

Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"