On Christmas Eve, Jack had a dream. It was a vivid dream which he had not had for quite some time. He recently returned from a journey to a foreign country. It was a cold and tiring journey during which he was led to pray a lot and in the spirit. it was more like a spiritual working journey. He was relieved on reaching his own comfortable spacious home and looked forward to a good rest.
However, he was soon led to another journey overnight during which he was led to pray considerably in the spirit too. That night after all the praying he asked the Holy spirit to reveal to him more about things which he lately concerned with, i.e. his own family (and those of his siblings), their future and the work of God.
On Christmas Eve, he was given a vivid dream. In the dream he was asked to look out of his window and he did. He saw a picturesque scene of tall green pine or fir trees at a distance with shorter green trees (like cedar trees) and bushes nearby and lush green pastures everywhere (filling the empty space on the ground), with rolling green hills afar. The whole scenery was green. It was like a picture. Yet it was real scenery with real trees and not like a painting. It was a very soothing and lively scene. He woke without knowing the meaning.
On Christmas Day he had another dream. This time it was a totally opposite picture. In the same dream he went through two episodes. First, he was helping one of his younger brothers to re-process some sweet sticky food stuff in an old, run down shack (more like ruins). There was no wall on one side of the shack and rain and wind came in through the crevices despite the canvas sheet which substituted the wall. Some workers were working too. However, the owner management of the shack came over and warned that they could not use that space to process foodstuff. Jack tried to give the excuse that they were only re-processing and not manufacturing. The management then said that they (the management) were meeting that evening and would decide whether to continue to let them use that space. One worker tried to use a lot of detergent to scrub the cracked and blackened sink in vain. Jack then asked them to pack and left. It was pitched dark and they had to find a way out through the car park. He held the wrist of his younger brother and tried to lead him to the exit, crossing a dried up drain. The wrist was tiny and skinny like that of a young child.
In the next episode, he was in a warm building (a bit like the wooden quarters they used to live in younger days) with his siblings. One sister was cooking. Other siblings seemed to be around somewhere in the building too. One younger sister came to him for help. She seemed desperate and helpless. He asked the cook to work out a budget for basic survival. He woke after that.
On Boxing Day, Jack decided to search the Bible for answers to these two dreams. He found passages in the Bible which he was led to read from two sections: Isaiah 61 and Psalm 104.
Isaiah 61 prophesied the arrival of Jesus to save, heal and set free. The relevant verse (abut trees) thus promised: “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
There were a number of assurances following that verse, “And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations”,
“Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers, but you shall be named the priests of the Lord, they shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall receive double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs.”
Psalm 104 described how God provides all resources needed for a living on earth. The following verse declared: “The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your (God’s) works.” God’s works include causing the grass to grow for the cattle, vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart. The trees of the Lord are full of sap, the cedars of the Lebanon which He planted, where the birds make their nests, the stork has her home in the fir trees.
On reading these he was filled with peace. He realized that God has answered his prayers. It is God Who provides. God has saved his siblings and will plant them like trees. God is the expert gardener as Jesus has described. He will prune and make His plants fruitful.
There is thus nothing Jack needs to do except to obey the instructions for watchman in Isaiah 62. The relevant verses gave the following job specifications: “They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7)
December 27, 2009
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