Waiting with Open Arms
I have never been one to talk of visions or dreams from God as though they are the norm, at least here in America. In fact, my skeptic sense rises whenever I hear someone say anything to the effect of, “God told me this” or “God gave me a vision”. I try to follow the cautious advice of the Bible regarding testing spirits (1 John 4) and weighing prophetic words carefully (1 Corinthians 14), to see whether they are truly from God. At the same time, I understand that God is always speaking and involved in our lives, and He seeks to connect with His children in very real and meaningful ways. And when He does – and when we are willing to listen – our lives are changed forever.
I have had several transformational moments in my life in which God touched me in powerful ways. When He saved my soul, of course, and when He taught me lessons about His character and plan in very specific struggles or situations I was facing. When He exposed my sin, when He taught me to trust, when He put the right people in my path to encourage me at just the right time, and when He gave me His strength to fulfill a call He placed on my life when I knew I never could have done it on my own.
But there are very few times – in fact I can think of only two – when I believe the Lord revealed Himself to me in more specific and direct ways. One of those times was just a couple of years ago. Now, on normal nights my dreams consist of scenarios involving people I know, or fears I have, or something I watched on television, and are probably influenced by what I eat before I go to bed. I usually forget the details seconds after waking. But on this particular night, I had a very unique, special, transformative dream. I’ve never forgotten it. It’s as real to me now as it was then. I believe it was God’s way of drawing me close, teaching me of His compassion, and giving me strength to continue working out His mission in the world. Words are probably not adequate, but I’ll give it a try.
I was standing in a crowd, or line of people. In front of us, Jesus was standing, and He seemed to be waiting for us to come to Him. I stepped out from the crowd, all alone, and went to Him. He seemed frail (yet strong at the same time). When I share about this dream, I usually hesitate to share that part, because I know the reality is that Jesus is our risen King, all powerful! I have recently been encouraged by Revelation 5, when in John’s vision, He sees Jesus appearing this way: “Then I saw the Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne…” (Revelation 5:6). This is just before He takes the scroll – the one that no one else could open – and opens it, leading to worship emanating from all of heaven and earth! So perhaps my vision of Him that way was for a purpose.
He said nothing. But his eyes were so kind, so revealing of His love and care for me, that He didn’t need to speak. His expression communicated one thing – that He understood. He understood my struggles, He understood my disappointments and desires. And He understood how much I needed to know that I was not alone, and that He wanted to give me rest. And then He held out His arms, and I walked toward Him. When He embraced me, I had the strongest sense of being “home” that I have ever experienced in my life. All my struggles slipped away. Nothing else mattered. I was in His presence, and all I felt was peace, joy, and rest.
And then I awoke. I remember my first thought being that I wanted to go back to that moment. I didn’t want to be back in this broken world and life again! As I thought about His kind eyes, and how He welcomed and assured me, I laid in bed and began to cry. I realized God had given me a wonderful gift. He gave me something I could remember for hope in the here and now, and something I could look forward to when this life is over.
Have you ever trusted in Jesus as your Savior? If so, He welcomes you in the same way. He provides safety, assurance, joy and love for all you face in this life. And when you die or He returns to gather His people and take them to be in Heaven with Him, you will have all that and much more, forever.
Without Him, the struggle never ends, hope is nonexistent, and that beautiful acceptance into His presence and embrace can only ever be something wished for. Without Him, it is Hell that awaits, barren of His presence and thus rife with every pain imaginable in a perpetual, eternal state of death.
But God made a way through Jesus Christ (John 14:6) to enter eternal joy and life. He wants to save us (John 3:16-17). He wants to give us peace, and a promise of an eternal home where there will be no more pain, and no more night (Revelation 22: 5).
Go to Him. Let Him embrace you.