The Dream: Don’t Be Afraid

Dear Readers,

Tonight I want to take a few minutes to share with you a story…a testimony really, of a special dream that I was given by the Lord. He gave me this dream several years ago. He felt compassion for me in my pitiful fears of nighttime, in the nights that were filled with fear for what seemed like ages; for more about this period in my life and the response of God you can read my previous posting “When In The Night I Call”. But tonight I want to tell you about this good and special dream. I find it necessary to point out that it was a good dream (eventually), because not all of the dreams the Lord has given through the years have left me with warm fuzzy feelings. If you’ve ever had dreams sent by the Lord, you understand what I say when you wake up and you know it was not a normal dream…you know when it was sent by God; it just feels different. With this dream, because it so magnified Jesus, there was no doubt. So settle in, and let the kindness of God wash over you as I recount of his goodness to me:

In this dream, I was in ancient Rome, in the time of the early church and the persecution of Emperor Nero…(as a side note, he was such a mentally unstable person in every sense of the word…). Unfortunately when this dream began I was in the arena where he held the “games”…the place where a frightening number of Christians met a gruesome death before they went on to experience the glory of Heaven. I must note that this wasn’t a historically/archeologically/or even biblically correct dream…the stands looked somewhat like bleachers. In any case, frightened I hid under the stands, as I heard the sound of soldiers approaching, looking for Christians. I vividly remember that I could hear their footsteps, and I could see their sandals as they marched past my hiding place underneath one of the stands. It was a terrible sound. Then suddenly from my hiding place, I saw another pair of feet…they stopped in front of where I was. I knew it wasn’t the soldiers…it was Jesus. I heard His voice as he called to me from above, tender as it was firm. “What are you doing under there little girl? Why are you hiding? Come out from under there…”. Then he lifted what I was hiding under. I crawled out and knelt next to him. He reached his hand down to me and said, “Take my hand. I want to show you something”. I grabbed his hand and in that moment we transported…I now stood next to him on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He kept his hand in mine as in front of my eyes came the animated scene that was always shown in the Storykeepers film, where Jesus in all his power took authority over the waves and the wind, and calmed the storm for the terrified disciples. “Oh ye of little faith” I remembered his words to them. “Why were you so afraid?”. When the scene was over I looked and the sea was calm. Jesus turned now to look at me and his hand still holding mine He said gently “You see that? You see what I did there? I calmed that storm. I promise I’ll do the same thing for you. You don’t ever have to be afraid anymore…”. In that moment, all was calm. The dream was over, and I woke up, everything that had just taken place in the dream vivid in my mind. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid anymore” He whispered to my heart. I knew in that moment that God had given me a special dream. He had given me something to hold on to, even when I was scared. He gave me something tangible to hold on to in the struggle that I was facing.

Through all these years that dream has stayed in my mind. To those who would question that God gave me a dream I think this fact in part is evidence. People don’t usually remember dreams for the next 10 years without so much as writing them down. There is so much symbolism in the dream that He gave me that could be elaborated upon, and now as an adult I am able to identify a lot more of it in detail. I will point out one or two things that are standing out tonight at the moment:

He called me out of hiding. I never realized it before tonight as I am writing this but the dream in some ways without God trying to make a clear point doesn’t tie together very well. The calming of the sea of Galilee and the persecution of the Christians are two completely different time frames. He could have given me the scene on the Galilean shore and used only that to soothe a child’s spirit, but no…I started in the arena. I weep now as I write this for I am understanding this dream like never before. “I can calm the sea, I’m gonna take care of you…so come out of your hiding place.” Please understand this as I write to you tonight. God calls us out of hiding, to stand with Him in confidence and peace, no matter what.

Finally, we aren’t safe because the absence of the storm…we are safe because of it’s Master. The disciples 2,000 years ago were in the safety of Jesus presence and had no reason to fear. Jesus was asleep. He was entirely at rest in his confident authority as the sea raged and the disciples shook. “Why are you so afraid?” He asked them. He calmed the storm to show His power to them, but they didn’t need him to calm in order to be safe…they were as safe as babies in a mother’s arms, even though they felt like they were dying. Friend, the storms of life are rough. Jesus can calm them, and eventually he usually does at least in one way or another…but you don’t need that to be alright. In the middle of our fears and sadness we cry out to Jesus to make it stop, make it go away…to save us from the storm that’s ripping apart our boat. But as he calmed the storm he said to them “Oh ye of little faith…”. So I think that we should be as the blind beggar was on the road to Damascus…surely we should indeed cry out for the Lord to have mercy on us to deliver us…but let your cries be out of patient hope and trust in the power and goodness of the Almighty, knowing that He will deliver you. Let them be from quiet trust and not from the terror of the waves that threaten to overtake you, or the threat of the thunder overhead.

So come now, and take this story as peace for your rest, and courage for your fighting. Just as he promised me in this special way, he bids you peace. There is no reason to fear, beloved of the Lord. He has promised to take care of you. He has promised that you will dwell in safety between His shoulders. He will not fail you, not now, not even in death, and for all eternity. You are safe in the love of Jesus, and there is no cause for alarm.

And now Father I pray that you would fulfill in this your promise. That you would not let your Word return to you void, Reach your hands for those who are in need of it. Pursue them just as you have pursued me. As you stooped and called me from my hiding place, call to them. Call your people to courage and peace, for you are strong, and kind, and very good. Breathe into your children a fearlessness that surpasses every arrow the enemy dares to hurl. Let the truth of your love and righteousness be heard throughout the nations, and give your sons and daughters dreams such as this and even greater, that your name might be glorified in all the earth. Great is your name, and great is our testimony of you. In Jesus name, Amen.

With very great love,

~Lady Redeemed

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:39-40

“The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between His shoulders.” Deuteronomy 33:12

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