Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Last night, I had a dream. It was one of those dreams that are still with you when you wake up. One of those dreams that stay with you all day, and you just can’t shake the memory.
It was not disturbing or frightening. It was actually rather encouraging.
But more important was the emotion that it stirred up in me. And the compulsion to take action.
When I try to go back and recall the actual dream, the remembrance comes back rather blurred but the gist of it is this;
I had ridden somewhere on my bike. It was an unfamiliar and rather unsafe place.
I was accosted by two men and my bike and my backpack stolen. The scene that I remember most clearly is that I am in a room with the perpetrators but they have given my bike and my backpack back to me. I am going through my backpack and I find that my wallet is there but all the cash has been taken. I begin crying.
I tell them that I had prayed that very day, that God would keep me safe, and I had trusted that He would not allow any harm or danger to come near me. I say ‘see how good God had been to me – he had given me back my bike and my backpack with my wallet.’ I was still crying though, inconsolably because my money had still been taken. At this point, I was no longer in the room with the thieves but sitting outside, re-packing my bag, but still crying.
The next thing, I see a hand slipping through the door that is now ajar, and passes me a rolled up wad of money – the very money that they had stolen from my wallet. The thieves had felt so convicted through my tears, that they could not even hold onto the money.
I began to weep even more. All that I wanted to do was go back inside and pray with these two guys who had been so touched by God that they gave back to me everything they had stolen.
I woke at this point – but the message was loud and clear. God is with us in all things. He is the one who protects us and saves us from harm. He wants us to share His glory and goodness.
In my heart, I truly felt the repentance of those thieves and the joy of having the opportunity to pray with them and have the opportunity to witness the most beautiful change in their lives.
I have heard many stories of people who have found themselves in very frightening situations, where burglars have entered their home with the intention to steal but the homeowner has shouted out in a confident voice, ‘In Jesus name, get out of this house now!’ And the thieves have turned and fled.
We have this authority in Jesus name. Let our confidence be in Him. In every and all situations. We are never alone and we do not need to face our troubles or fears alone. We can confidently call on the name of the Lord and we will be saved.
Romans 10:13 (NLT)
For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”