Some people are easily confused by the book of Job. God’s chief enemy made a challenge that God’s best man on earth at the time would turn on God if instead of blessings from Heaven, Job would receive brutal punishment. Some people wonder why God would allow such suffering on a man who didn’t do anything deserving of it. These people do not see the striking similarity between Job and Jesus. Jesus suffered and died an undeserving death for Jesus never did anything wrong to warrant such a fate. Jesus died for the sins of everyone. The fate that was supposed to fall on us fell on him. As such it is place where good sees the victory over evil. It is a cosmic sort of event that may not make sense to everyone. Job was another event that is cosmic in character. How can a mortal mind even understand a cosmic event? God asks many questions to Job when he shows up. When someone makes a case against God because of events in Job, you should ask them if they can answer all of God’s questions. Obviously a person who can’t stand on even knowledge of God cannot bring a case against him.
Other people are confused by Job because of how it is worded. A lot of what Job and his friends say is flawed theology. Because it is flawed theology, I have always found it difficult to read. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to take into my philosophy and what to ignore completely. As such, I typically avoided Job in favor of easier readings such as the New Testament. You can pretty much read the New Testament and take the lessons to heart. Building your knowledge of God is important because God is always right, but if you have a flawed notion of God and think it is the Gospel truth, you can apply wrong principles in your living which can hurt you. So when I was reading Job the other day, I came across the passages of Wisdom: Job 28. Everyone has their own notion of what is important in relation to other things. We call these priorities. In our prayers we should have the idea that praying for other people’s health and well being is more important than many of our own desires. Wisdom should be at the top of our list as God says there is nothing that compares with it. Think of anything you think that matters obtaining, and just know that is better to obtain wisdom. Another place that discusses wisdom is Proverbs 8. Because Proverbs backed up the passage in Job, I decided it was time for myself to pray for wisdom. Victor and I are trying something to get our voices heard in the world and if we do get heard, we should be wise in presenting the Good News of Jesus in the most optimal way possible. If we do not have wisdom, we are coming ill prepared to the battle. Because of this, I prayed for wisdom when reading Job 28.
The next thing that came to me after praying for wisdom was Elihu. Elihu is different than Job and his friends in that he is correct in his theology. Elihu corrects them and speaks the truth wisely. As such I felt this is the wisdom I was seeking. It was a hidden treasure of the Bible that I had overlooked. The verse we’re focusing on for this article struck me hard in a big moment. Job 33:14-17 “Although God speaks again and again, no one pays attention to what he says. At night when people are asleep, God speaks in dreams and visions. He makes them listen to what he says, and they are frightened at his warnings. God speaks to make them stop their sinning and to save them from becoming proud.” I must admit that I’ve also been praying to God,”Please speak to me.” Thanks be to God that he answers prayers. He answered my prayer to have wisdom and he showed me the wisdom of Elihu. He answered my prayer for him to communicate with me and now I know my dreams come from God.
The first prayer I have recorded in my “Acts of God” journal is my prayer for a dream.:
March 10th,2005,”was sad for no reason, prayed for a dream, received it.”
March 11 “Dreamt the day after too”
Mar12 “Another Dream. Thank you God”
Mar 13 “Took a nap & had a dream”
Mar 13 night: “Had another dream”
Mar 14 “took nap & had dream”
Mar 14 Night “Had another dream”
Mar 15 Night “Had another dream”
Mar 16 Night “Had had another dream”
Mar 17 “?”
Mar18 “Dream”
Mar19 “Dream”
Mar 20 “Nap-Dream” -end journal entry.
Now I routinely receive dreams after praying to God to receive dreams. Before I prayed for dreams, I only prayed maybe a handful of times each year! I recommend you forming a good prayer about receiving dreams and communication from God. Be sure to request to avoid nightmares if you’re a person who does not deal well with despair like myself. Before we get into this much further, please read: Zec 10:2 “People consult idols and fortunetellers, but the answers they get are lies and nonsense. Some interpret dreams, but only mislead you; the comfort they give is useless. So the people wander about like lost sheep. Hey are in trouble because they have no leader.” This passage makes sense. If you give your dreams to someone else, they’ll try and comfort you with a good fortune instead of what God was calling you to do or avoid. The only person who should be able to understand your dream is yourself. Yes in times, God spoke to people in dreams and they needed a interpreter, but that was because God was speaking to people who were not his people. You are God’s. You do not need a person of God to interpret your dreams for if you accept Jesus as your LORD and Savior, you are a priest of God. God is speaking to you. God condescends to your thoughts so if your thoughts typically reveal what he has to say pretty well. Now be sure to check what your dreams are telling you against scripture. Don’t go doing anything crazy because you had a strange dream! I can not stress this enough. Only you can figure out what your own dreams are to teach you, but God isn’t going to tell you to do stuff that is against scripture. Check what you learn in dreams against common sense and don’t do anything that you know is a sin or evil! I can not stress this enough.
I recommend that at first you create for yourself a dream journal. Mine is on my computer. You can use a notepad if you want. Your method of storing is up to you. Dreams can be rather strange sometimes so I recommend keeping it private. God is amazing so the meaning to your dreams is something I can’t begin to explain. I’m pretty sure most of your dreams are teachings and instructions, but who knows, God may be prophesying your future. I can’t say for certain. This is why you should keep a dream journal. The only way to tell if God sends you a dream that predicts a future is for you to have it in your dream journal. I already have many dreams recorded here and there. I’m going to go through them and write some blogs on ones that I feel are really important to know about.
When you record a dream, do it immediately upon waking up. You normally have several dreams during the night, but forget them quickly upon waking. Write them down in a manner that suits you. I typically write down what was going on and setting. By writing this down first, I can always go back and remember the setting to think of other things. Next I write down my feelings and thoughts I had experiencing the situation. The feelings and thoughts I had are important because they typically explain the significance of the situation and explain the dream by itself. Finally after I wrote down all that stuff, I write down all the details I can remember of the dream. You never know if some detail comes into play of importance when reviewing the dream.
That wraps up all the knowledge on dreams that I have for you. I know for many this will be profound! I just discovered this wisdom a few days ago. I’m sure there is much more to think about. So I may do some follow up articles on dreams and how I analyze my own. Just know for certain that God does speak to you through your dreams. If you ever wanted God to communicate with you, realize that he can do it every night if you want him to. Pray for dreams. My prayer is that may God cause you great delight in them!
-Jim Sager
JOB 28: 1 There are mines where silver is dug; There are places where gold is refined. 2 We dig iron out of the ground And melt copper out of the stones. 3 Miners explore the deepest darkness. They search the depths of the earth And dig for rocks in the darkness. 4 Far from where anyone lives Or human feet ever travel, They dig the shafts of mines. There they work in loneliness, Clinging to ropes in the pits. 5 Food grows out of the earth, But underneath the same earth All is torn up and crushed. 6 The stones of the earth contain sapphires, And its dust contains gold. 7 No hawk sees the roads to the mines, And no vulture ever flies over them. 8 No lion or other fierce beast Ever travels those lonely roads. 9 Miners dig the hardest rocks, Dig mountains away at their base. 10 As they tunnel through the rocks, They discover precious stones. 11 They dig to the sources of rivers And bring to light what is hidden. 12 But where can wisdom be found? Where can we learn to understand? 13 Wisdom is not to be found among mortals; No one knows its true value. 14 The depths of the oceans and seas Say that wisdom is not found there. 15 It cannot be bought with silver or gold. 16 The finest gold and jewels Cannot equal its value. 17 It is worth more than gold, Than a gold vase or finest glass. 18 The value of wisdom is more Than coral or crystal or rubies. 19 The finest topaz and the purest gold Cannot compare with the value of wisdom. 20 Where, then, is the source of wisdom? Where can we learn to understand? 21 No living creature can see it, Not even a bird in flight. 22 Even death and destruction Admit they have heard only rumors. 23 God alone knows the way, Knows the place where wisdom is found, 24 Because he sees the ends of the earth, Sees everything under the sky. 25 When God gave the wind its power And determined the size of the sea; 26 When God decided where the rain would fall, And the path that the thunderclouds travel; 27 It was then he saw wisdom and tested its worth— He gave it his approval. 28 God said to us humans, “To be wise, you must have reverence for the Lord. To understand, you must turn from evil.”
Proverbs 8:1 Listen! Wisdom is calling out. Reason is making herself heard. 2 On the hilltops near the road and at the crossroads she stands. 3 At the entrance to the city, beside the gates, she calls: 4 “I appeal to all of you; I call to everyone on earth. 5 Are you immature? Learn to be mature. Are you foolish? Learn to have sense. 6 Listen to my excellent words; all I tell you is right. 7 What I say is the truth; lies are hateful to me. 8 Everything I say is true; nothing is false or misleading. 9 To those with insight, it is all clear; to the well-informed, it is all plain. 10 Choose my instruction instead of silver; choose knowledge rather than the finest gold. 11 “I am Wisdom, I am better than jewels; nothing you want can compare with me. 12 I am Wisdom, and I have insight; I have knowledge and sound judgment. 13 To honor the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil ways and false words. 14 I make plans and carry them out. I have understanding, and I am strong. 15 I help kings to govern and rulers to make good laws. 16 Every ruler on earth governs with my help, officials and nobles alike. 17 I love those who love me; whoever looks for me can find me. 18 I have riches and honor to give, prosperity and success. 19 What you get from me is better than the finest gold, better than the purest silver. 20 I walk the way of righteousness; I follow the paths of justice, 21giving wealth to those who love me, filling their houses with treasures. 22″The Lord created me first of all, the first of his works, long ago. 23 I was made in the very beginning, at the first, before the world began. 24 I was born before the oceans, when there were no springs of water. 25 I was born before the mountains, before the hills were set in place, 26 before God made the earth and its fields or even the first handful of soil. 27 I was there when he set the sky in place, when he stretched the horizon across the ocean, 28 when he placed the clouds in the sky, when he opened the springs of the ocean 29 and ordered the waters of the sea to rise no further than he said. I was there when he laid the earth’s foundations. 30 I was beside him like an architect, I was his daily source of joy, always happy in his presence— 31happy with the world and pleased with the human race. 32″Now, young people, listen to me. Do as I say, and you will be happy. 33 Listen to what you are taught. Be wise; do not neglect it. 34 Those who listen to me will be happy— those who stay at my door every day, waiting at the entrance to my home. 35 Those who find me find life, and the Lord will be pleased with them. 36 Those who do not find me hurt themselves; anyone who hates me loves death.”