Where to Run When Everything is Falling Apart

I wonder if Jesus is interceding for me to wake up and spend more time with the Lord?

I have been lax in this area of getting up early for such a long time, that I’m a bit shocked that I’m suddenly waking up so early.

But does it have to be another nightmare?  (Sorry about the complaining, Lord.)

I perceive myself to be alone in the house as the wind picks up so much that I decide to head to the basement, just in case.

I go to our little room with no windows, which typical to dreamland does not actually look like our own little room.

I notice a crack in the floor that I had not seen before and wonder what has caused it.

I hear a sudden rush of water in the pipes coming from upstairs (obviously I’m not actually alone, right?) and a tiny bit of water shows up in the crack.

“Great,” I think, “We must have a leak in the pipes.”

Then, suddenly and shockingly, the floor splits, and the crack is suddenly about 2 feet wide, even though there is no apparent earthquake! I wonder if the house is going to come crashing down on me and if rescuers will be able to find me. So, I make my way to the door that leads out of the basement, wondering if it is better to stay inside with the crack or venture out into the wind.

Then, I wake up.

Do you ever feel like the world is about to crash in around you?

• Like everything is about to fall apart?
• Like the winds of adversity are so dangerous that you need to run into that secret place to hide?

Where do you run to hide?

• Is it a physical place?
• Or maybe you run to your phone to call or text a friend?

Or do we run to the safest place of all, to our God?

• Our Hiding Place who surrounds us with songs of deliverance (Psalm 32:7)
• Our Shelter in the time of Storm (Isaiah 25:4 & 32:2)
• Our Refuge and strength in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1)
• Our Fortress (Psalm 144:2)
• Our Strong Tower (Psalm 61:3)
• The angel of the Lord who encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” (Psalm 34:7)

I don’t know why I had this dream; I feel a lot calmer now than I did in 2016.

But I see in it pictures of things God wants to teach His children.

1. I ran to the wrong room.

Strangely, the rest of the dream’s basement was actually our basement.  But the room I ran to was not.  It was a place that was the beginning of a disaster.

2. I was not alone, even though I thought I was.

The sound of rushing water was the clue that revealed that fact to me.

Folks, when we are facing the winds of adversity, let’s remember to run to the Lord, our Rock, our Shelter in the time of storm.

And, secondly, let’s remember that even when we feel alone, God is with us.  Let’s listen for the sound of His voice in the pages of His Word, the living water, and plant our feet there to learn from Him.

And, lastly, even when we run to the wrong “room” for protection and examine the problems instead of focusing on the Lord, He is still there, ready and waiting for us to call on Him.

We don’t have to choose between one danger or another; we just have to choose HIM!

Addendum (9/8/2018):  In rethinking this dream it occurred to me that perhaps the water really did open up the crack wider, and that it could be a picture of the Holy Spirit (the Living Water) opening the door wider to give me the opportunity to search for Him more diligently.  I still have this picture in my mind of straddling the 2-foot-wide crack and looking into the depths with awe.  And truly, the deeper we look into the word of God and sound the depths of the riches of His grace, the more we will be awed by His grace and the vast greatness of our God.  The important thing is to walk close to Him so we will recognize Him no matter what is happening around us.

Linking up with:

Tell His Story

Unite

Glimpses of Beauty

Soul Survival

Spiritual Sundays

Dance With Jesus

Grace & Truth

Faith ‘n Friends

Fresh Market Friday

Thought Provoking Thursday