Light Up the Room!

 

                                                                                                    

Image generated by ChatGPT

I had a dream in which my husband and I had moved to another town because of a potential job opportunity I thought might be open there, but it fell through. As we were walking down the street considering our options, we spotted a small art museum housed in a historic home and decided to visit.

A caretaker greeted us at the door and showed us into the main gallery. It was lit only by a single skylight, with sunbeams filtering down from the sky and illuminating the dust particles in its path. A patch of light in the center of the floor under the skylight was warm and inviting, in contrast to the shadows obscuring the artwork on the walls.

We stepped closer to the paintings, including some Old Masters and some by artists unfamiliar to us, and were amazed by their extraordinary craftsmanship and attention to detail. Yet the room illumination was so low that we practically had to be on top of the paintings to appreciate them, and even then we felt we were missing out on what could be an even more memorable experience.

We asked the caretaker if it would be possible to turn on the lights, and he explained that artificial lighting could damage the masterpieces. To our surprise, he knew that I was looking for a job, and offered me a position as a gallery guide, to answer questions and highlight various features of each artwork for visiting guests.

It sounded like an interesting opportunity. Unexpectedly, I heard myself asking, “What is the dress code?”

“Flower,” he replied.

When I asked him what he meant, he explained that because no artificial light sources were permitted in the gallery, the guides had to be brightly dressed in vibrant colors or floral patterns. They would stand in the center of the floor under the skylight so that the guests could easily spot them, and so that they would still be clearly visible as they walked to each painting.

As I awoke and considered the symbolism of the dream, I was reminded of a devotional by Paul Tripp we had read the previous day, He mentioned the beautiful spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-4) we receive once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

Although we receive these gifts at the moment of salvation, they are not always visible to others because we quench or grieve the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30), hindering His light from shining in our hearts. Tripp likened this to a gallery of paintings once the switch is flipped off – they are still there, but invisible.

My dream seemed to extend the metaphor. I was looking for a new job, which in my stage of life would refer to a ministry opportunity rather than to a paid position. Yet, as I discovered recently when the Lord called my husband and me to open a new church, we must be receptive to His lead for such an opportunity, even if it takes us by surprise (Proverbs 3:5-6). We must follow His call and not be stuck in our own preconceived ideas or reluctant to let go of a ministry that has already run its course.

In the dream we had moved to a new city and I was offered an unexpected position, representing the new phase of ministry God has called us to in opening a new church. The gallery within a house may symbolize the gifts of the Spirit God has planted in our heart.

For these gifts to reach others, they must be illuminated by His perfect light, not by the artificial, harsh, tawdry light coming from the world. (Imagine the piercing lights of an interrogation room, or the dizzying neon signs clamoring for attention on Times Square, as a contrast to the gentle golden rays of sunrise over the ocean).

Once we soak in His perfect light, as represented by standing under the skylight in the gallery, we can then let His light shine through us so we can guide others (John 1:9; Matthew 5:14). We may then help them discover the gifts of the Spirit God longs to place or has already placed in their hearts, so that they too can illuminate the path for others.

In the dream, we had to go very close to the paintings to catch even a glimpse of their true beauty. When people are in darkness, we need to bring His light to where they are rather than demand that they seek us out. We can’t just sit back in the safety and comfort of our sanctuary! We must seek out lost souls in their own environment before we can see their true potential, once they are saved, as ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), each with a unique purpose God planned for them since before the beginning of time (Ephesians 2:10).

The unusual dress code required for guides in the dream I believe represents the righteousness of Christ with which we are clothed once we are saved (Romans 3:22). The saint’s robe of righteousness is white (Revelation 19:8), for purity, but white light can be diffracted into all colors of the spectrum. At the moment of salvation, the believer is clothed in a robe of righteousness compared to a bride adorned with jewels (Isaiah 61:10), which suggests gems of brilliant hues.

The bright, colorful clothing required of guides in the dream may represent each believer’s uniqueness, and yet our incorporation into the body of Christ (Romans 12:5), which is His bride, the church (Revelation 21:2). As a flower uses light from the sun to grow and produce a vibrantly hued blossom, every believer uses His light to bloom into their full potential.

Just as Moses’ countenance glowed when he had been in God’s presence (Exodus 34:29-30,35), we should wear His imprint on our faces. His Spirit shining through us attracts others to us, even though they may not know exactly why. His mark on us should be as easily seen as a brightly colored dress.

In the dream there were some Old Master paintings I recognized from having seen photos of them in art books, and others that were equally beautiful yet unknown to me. In Heaven I believe we will instantly recognize saints well known to us from Scripture, such as the apostle Paul, even though we have never seen a picture or read a description of his appearance. At the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, Peter knew that he was in the presence of Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:1-5), even though they died millennia before Peter was even born.

Yet I believe another joy in Heaven will be to meet believers we have never heard of before, even though we may have planted or watered the seed that ultimately led to the fruit of their salvation. For example, someone may have been saved through the witness of a missionary we helped support, and in glory we will fully appreciate the beauty of their transformed life.

While awaiting the Rapture and these precious encounters, may we bask in His true light so that we can be His lights in the world, illuminating the path for others!    

Copyright 2026 Laurie Collett

A Liquid Investment

 

 

Photo by Zaynabazam7 2018

In a dream I had recently, I have an IRA account through American Express. I need to determine the asset allocation of the account, so I ask my son, who is a banking executive, if I should choose Stocks, Bonds, or Liquid Investment. He says stocks and bonds are risky right now, so I should choose Liquid Investment. I do that and expect to get a statement by mail or email, but instead I get a package delivered that contains a huge jar of Manuka honey!

In contemplating the meaning of the dream, I realized that choosing our investments must be done wisely, not only in terms of finances, but in terms of how to allocate our time, talents, mental and physical energy, and priorities. A liquid asset generally refers to cash, or to an asset that is easily converted to cash for immediate use because there is a constant demand for the asset, and because the price fluctuates little. It is therefore generally safer than stocks and bonds.

A liquid investment would therefore be one that can be used immediately for one’s benefit, or stored safely for future use with little or no risk of loss. So why, in the dream, did I receive a huge jar of Manuka honey?

To meet our healthy living and wellness goals, my husband and I have adopted a primarily Mediterranean diet, emphasizing fruit, vegetables, legumes and fish, with mostly white meat rather than red, and some dairy.  Interestingly, the diet is rich in foods that Jesus and others in Scripture ate or referred to favorably, including fish, eggs (Matthew 7:9-10), whole grains (John 6:35; Ruth 2:23), pomegranates and olive oil (Deuteronomy 8:8).

We also try to incorporate “superfoods” that are known to improve health and counteract aging and disease, like broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, bamboo shoots, and, yes, Manuka honey, which benefits immunity, digestive health, wound healing, and other health concerns! The Promised Land was described as flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8), clearly considered to be desirable and healthful foods.

Although Manuka honey is very expensive, how can one put a price on good health? As the saying goes, people often spend the first half of their life ruining their health to accumulate wealth, and the second half depleting their wealth to restore their poor health.

Scripture also warns us to take care of our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We are to honor God in our body by refraining from sin (Romans 6:23); nurturing the flesh so that it can serve God longer and better (Ephesians 5:29; Romans 12:1); and by avoiding alcohol (Proverbs 20:1) and unhealthy food (Proverbs 23).  Yet physical exercise, while important to our health, is of less value than godliness, or spiritual exercise, which involves prayer and meditation on God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:8).

I therefore believe the dream also alludes to the importance of feeding on Scripture. God’s judgments, or laws, are described as more to be desired than much fine gold, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:10). God’s words are sweet to the taste, and sweeter than honey to the mouth (Psalm 119:103), just as pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones (Proverbs 16:24).

So it appears that the dream was a reminder to value God and His Word above all else, and to trust Him and not in uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6:17). We are to lay up our treasures in Heaven, where they will reap eternal rewards, ever increasing in value and never stolen, ruined, or useless (Matthew 6:20). Those who trust in their material wealth have no power to redeem another soul –only God can do that (Psalm 49:6-15).

This interpretation was confirmed by a devotional that was part of our reading on the morning after the dream, which was entitled “A Ludicrous Investment.” It referenced Jeremiah’s purchase of the field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin – an investment that seemed ludicrous because the country was at war and the land was being ransacked. Yet God, foreseeing the future restoration, commanded it, and Jeremiah obeyed, to the benefit of his people (Jeremiah 32:8-9).

In contrast, Jesus told the parable of the man who trusted in his own possessions to guarantee his future. He had accumulated so many material goods that he had no room to store them. Instead of giving away the excess to the poor, he decided to tear down his barns and build bigger barns so that he would have no need to work. He thought he would live comfortably and even party for many years, but God called him a fool for not realizing his soul would be required of him that very night, and then whose would his possessions be? (Luke 12:16-19)

Even worse, the implication is that he was unsaved and would spend eternity in hell.  We cannot give God and the world’s economic system the pre-eminence in our lives, and if we trust in the latter and put it first in our hearts, how can we be saved? (Matthew 6:24). The deceitfulness of riches will choke out God’s Word from growing in our heart (Matthew 13:22). Hence it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, but with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:21-26).

In my dream, the honey, or God’s Word, was referred to as a liquid investment – not only because honey is in the physical state of liquid, but because God’s Word has instantaneous as well as eternal benefits. Through it we can be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), guided by its light, cleansed by the water of the washing of the Word (Ephesians 5:26), kept from sin (Psalm 119:11), and given comfort, hope, peace and joy!

One of the many Names of Jesus Christ is the Word (Revelation 19:13). As the Word, Jesus Christ created all that is, was and ever will be (John 1:1-3), and He became flesh to live with us (John 1:14); to die as the perfect, sinless sacrifice to pay our sin debt; and to rise again so that all who trust Him will have eternal life (John 3:16). What could possibly be of greater value than that?

Those who are not born again (John 3:3-8) by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way (John 14:6) to Heaven might consider time spent in God’s Word a foolish investment. But may we who are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) be like Jeremiah, following His Word and knowing that we shall always profit from its lessons, infallible Truth, comfort, cleansing, and power!   

© 2022 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Shoes

 

Image generated by AI

Recently I had a dream in which I was participating in a local talent show. My “talent” was a gymnastics act on the uneven bars, something I have never done in real life, and not something I would be likely to do well starting this late in life.

A small crowd had assembled in a meeting hall, and I was next up. My mother (who passed away 25 years ago) was in the audience. Just before I was to start, she asked, “Did you ever check to see what grade you got on your final history test in the 10^th grade?”

Startled by the inappropriate question, I mumbled incoherently that we would discuss it later. As I looked down at the uneven bars and tried to concentrate, I became distracted by looking down at my shoes. They were heavy, ugly, black, too large, and on the wrong foot!

But it would be difficult to remove these in time, as the music was about to start! Thankfully, my husband had trouble getting the track to play, and I used that time to slip out of these monstrosities that would no doubt weigh down my performance. The dream ended and I awakened before I ever had the opportunity to test my skills, or lack thereof, at gymnastics.

The next day my husband and I met with someone whom we had hoped might be helpful to our new church plant, New Life Bible Church Tampa. Much to my dismay, he was wearing shoes similar to those that had weighed me down in the dream, and his foot position while walking made it appear that his shoes were on the wrong foot! I took this as a confirmation of other indications that he would not be a good fit for our ministry, which proved accurate.

A few nights later, I again had a dream about shoes. This time my husband and I were to perform a ballroom dance in the American Smooth style. I was dressed and thought I was ready, until I realized that I hadn’t yet put on my dance shoes, and we were up next. In a panic, I rummaged through my duffel bag, retrieving every pair of shoes but the right one. I found hiking shoes, sneakers, ballet slippers, but no closed-toe high-heeled pumps needed for this type of dance.

As I awoke in a sweat and pondered the meaning of the dreams, the uneven bars in the first dream likely represent the challenges of life, particularly of a new ministry, that may upset our balance. Just as I have never been trained in gymnastics, I have no hands-on experience in church planting. And yet my years of dance training, particularly in partnership dancing involving overhead lifts, would be a solid foundation for learning gymnastics, should I so desire (Spoiler Alert: I don’t!).

Similarly, although my husband are led to plant a church, which we have never done before, in this later season of life, we can see the hand of God in how He prepared us with relevant experience, training, and resources to accomplish this mission through His grace, provision, power and wisdom (Philippians 4:19). Without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5), but with Him, all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26). His grace is sufficient, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

My mother’s strange question in the dream, about whether I had ever checked the grade I received in my final history exam in the 10^th grade, may be a reminder to remember and learn from our personal history from long ago (Psalm 100:5; Deuteronomy 7:9). When we look back, we can see how God has shaped and molded us according to the plan He has had for us since before the beginning of time (Jeremiah 29:11; 33:3; Ephesians 2:10).

Years of Bible study and teaching, faithfully listening to God’s Word, supporting missions, writing this blog, serving in churches in music and in other ministries are all clearly helpful for church planting, and we thank God for this experience. Less obvious advantages are the skills and opportunities he gave Richard and me in building maintenance, public speaking, administration, writing, online communications, and even hosting parties, graphic arts design, interior decorating, and flower arranging!

Yet there are challenges and obstacles in any new endeavor. The clunky shoes in the first dream reminded me of the admonition to remove the weights that can so easily encumber us as we run the race that God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1-2). While overt, unconfessed sin can destroy any ministry, as it removes us from fellowship with God, Who is our power source, unrelinquished weights can also throw us off course (Isaiah 59:2).

The demands of church planting constantly remind me to keep my eyes on Jesus, Who alone can direct our paths to accomplish His will (Proverbs 3:5-6). Other interests and trivial pursuits, while not evil in themselves, can become a distraction or weight that keeps us from optimal fruitfulness. Ugly shoes would detract from a polished gymnastics routine, and the extra weight could result in slower speed, a misstep or even a fall. The darkness of sin would ruin our testimony, and meaningless pursuits, even idle chatter, could sap valuable energy and time from the ministry God has appointed to us (Matthew 12:36).

In the first dream, my shoes were on the wrong foot, and in the second dream, I could find no suitable shoes at all. While different forms of sport and dance each demand a different type of footwear for optimal performance, Scripture tells us to put on the same footwear daily, along with the rest of the armor of God. We are to have our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15).

What is that Gospel? That Jesus, Son of God and God Himself, was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again on the third day, so that all who trust Him would have eternal life. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; John 3:16).

No matter what specific ministry God has entrusted to us, we should prepare for it daily by remembering why we are here – to stand firmly on the foundation of the Gospel, which protects us from the thorns of sin and evil that would otherwise pierce us in our most vulnerable areas, represented by the feet. It is the Gospel of peace that reconciles sinful man to Holy God (2 Corinthians 5:18), and it is our mission to spread that Gospel wherever God’s path leads us (Matthew 28:19-20).

Jesus told His disciples to take only the bare minimum of clothing, one staff, no bread or money, and to be shod only with one pair of sandals as they spread His Word from village to village (Luke 10:4; Mark 6:8). Truly, having our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace is the only footwear His ambassadors will ever need!  (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Because of that footwear, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7).

May we always have our feet shod with the Gospel of the preparation of peace and walk or run with that truth to share it wherever God leads us!

Copyright Laurie Collett 2026

Giving Birth

 

 

I dreamed that I have just given birth to a baby girl. I feel fine, not tired or sore as would be normal after labor and delivery, as if someone else did all the work.

I haven’t seen her yet, but the nurses assure me that she is beautiful and perfect, and they show me pictures. One is a photo of a beautiful young woman, with soft, blonde wavy hair framing her face like a halo, wearing light makeup that looks very natural and enhances her symmetrical features. The other is a pencil sketch, with a map or diagram across her forehead showing different facets of her personality and where they reside in her brain.

I’m surprised by the pictures, as she appears full grown rather than newborn, and I long to see her right away. My husband and son are in the room and I call out to them, “Let’s go see her – everybody wash your hands!”

But the nurses say they are still working on her, and she’s not ready for us to see her yet.

When I awoke from the dream, it was with a sense of longing to see this new creation that was part of me. I realized that the girl in the dream represented the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) that I am in Christ, now that I am born again (John 3:3-8) by trusting in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way (John 14:6) to Heaven.

The Bible speaks of the newly saved Christian as a babe in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1), first needing the spiritual nourishment of the sincere milk of the Word (Hebrews 5:13; 1 Peter 2:2), or its simple yet perfect truths of salvation through faith by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Just as we do not and cannot work for our salvation, for all our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), I experienced no labor in the dream, and hence no fatigue, for Jesus Christ Himself accomplished all the work (Isaiah 64:6) needed for my spiritual rebirth. He paid the price in full for my sin debt through His shed blood on the cross (Romans 3:25).

At the moment we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we are not only born again (John 3:3-8), but justified through His righteousness, which is credited to our account (Romans 4:25; Romans 5:16-18). When God the Father looks at us from that moment on, He no longer sees our sins, but only the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. All our sins are debited to His account, and His perfect standing and inheritance of eternal life in Heaven are credited to our account (Romans 8:17).

This is known as positional justification. Were we to die moments after being saved, we would immediately go to Heaven, like the thief who accepted Christ in his dying moments on the cross, even though there was no time for him to be baptized, attend church, read Scripture, or do any good works in the Name of Jesus (Luke 23:42-43).

A newborn is not expected to remain in the nursery for long, but to grow and mature into an adult, each with their own personality, attributes, and responsibilities. After we are born again, we are to mature in our Christian walk, being fed with more challenging portions of “meat” from God’s Word (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12) and becoming more like Christ each day (1 Corinthians 1:30).

This process of progressive sanctification was symbolized in my dream by the “newborn” pictures actually resembling a young adult, with a beautiful face and “brain map” indicating a complex personality, both of which God Himself fashioned since before the beginning of time (Psalm 139:14-16).

In the dream, I shared my desire to see this new creation with my family and wanted them to see her too, but I also wanted us all to wash our hands first, symbolizing the spiritual cleansing that takes place through the washing of the water of God’s Word (Ephesians 5:26).

Sadly, we were not yet allowed to see her, reflecting that the ultimate expression of God’s new creation in each believer will be our glorified body that He gives us at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:42-58). At that time, we will experience eternal glorification. We will know Him and one another perfectly, as we ourselves are now known by Him. We will live forever in our glorified body that will never age, sin, die, or experience illness, sorrow, or pain.

But in the meantime, full understanding of Jesus Christ, of Heaven and of what we will be like eternally eludes our grasp, for we still see as through a glass, darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12).

In Bible times when the apostle Paul penned these words, glass was not clear, flat and free of impurities as window glass is today, but was cloudy, wavy and distorted. You might be able to tell that someone was passing by your window, but you wouldn’t be able to recognize or describe them. Such is our present view of the glories of Heaven that await us, and of our eternal companions, the saints in light!

The dream reminded me of how I long for the Rapture, for Christ to come again, and for my aging body to be transformed into a glorified body, to live forever with Him and my loved ones in Him in the abundant joy and perfect peace of Heaven. But no man knows the day or hour when that will occur (Mark 13:32), and we can rest assured that God’s timing is always perfect.

Meanwhile, once we are born again, may we continue in our Christian walk to become more like the Lord Jesus Christ until that glorious day when we see Him face to face!

© 2022 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the arch

Cisterns of Living Water

                                                                                                                  

  

Photo by hüsamettin_alpaslan 2011

I had a dream in which I attended a business meeting held in a shopping mall. I was unaware of the true nature of the meeting until I arrived, for I had been told only that it was to discuss an income-producing opportunity. I was surprised that those presenting at the meeting were women who appeared to hail from the 1970s, dressed in psychedelic floral or paisley print miniskirts or bell bottom pants, with bouffant hairdos.

The “opportunity” turned out to be door-to-door sales of waterbeds, to be purchased from these women acting as distributors. I knew this was nothing I wanted to get involved in, as the waterbed craze was over three decades ago, and I had heard bad things about them. Unless heated, they tended to be uncomfortably cool; they were bouncy and unstable; they were so heavy that they could put undue stress on the floor if placed in an upstairs room; and they might even leak.

Then I remembered that my husband had told me of a time when he went to clean out a vacated rental apartment, only to find that the former tenant had simply emptied his waterbed onto the floor, causing flooding, rot, mold, and water damage! Even worse, the sample that these women were showing us was made of thin plastic that already had small holes in it even though it had not yet held water!

So I politely declined the offer, and as the meeting was breaking up, a little girl I didn’t know came running up to me and threw her arms around me.

“Jesus loves you and so do I!” I told her.

“Then sing it with me,” she pleaded. I looked around timidly, somewhat reluctant to break into a hymn in a crowded shopping mall, but I couldn’t resist her fervent enthusiasm, and we began singing “Jesus Loves Me.”

As I awoke and pondered the meaning of the dream, Jeremiah 2:13 came to mind:

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

In the dream, the world was offering an opportunity of no value, namely an outdated, defective product sold at an inflated price by out-of-touch people who only wanted to line their own pocketbooks, and not benefit the sales people reporting to them or their customers. Even if able to hold water, the result would be a cold (Matthew 24:12; 2 Corinthians 11:27), unstable (James 1:8), heavy and potentially dangerous burden (Psalm 38:4; Isaiah 46:1; 58:6; Matthew 23:4).

Yet a little child was showing the way to the only opportunity of true value – to be saved by trusting in Jesus Christ, Who loved us so much that He died for us on the cross to pay our sin debt, and Who rose again to prove He is God and that through Him, all can have eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; John 3:16).

The book of Jeremiah begins with God’s great purpose for Jeremiah, whom God knew long before his conception and had preordained that he would be a prophet. When Jeremiah heard this from God Himself, he protested because he was only a child. But God touched his mouth, signifying that He would give him the words to speak, and promised him that He would accompany Jeremiah on his missions and deliver him from his enemies (Jeremiah 1:4-10,19).

Youth in itself is no excuse for not following God’s plan for our lives. In fact, Jesus loved children and said that the kingdom of heaven was theirs, and that even adults need childlike faith if they are to be born again (Matthew 18:3-4; 19:14; John 3:3-8). The prophet Isaiah foretells of little children fearlessly leading once wild beasts, now tame in the Millennial Kingdom where Jesus Christ shall reign (Isaiah 11:6-9)

Scripture says that children are the most genuine and perfect in their praise (Matthew 21:16). Samuel was another child whom God used as a prophet to bring His Word and foretell His judgment to a corrupt people (1 Samuel 3). The apostle Paul warned his protégé Timothy to continue preaching God’s Word, even though others might tend to disregard him because of his youth (1 Timothy 4:12).

In my dream, the child therefore symbolized the attitude of humility and trust we need to be saved by faith through His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), and to praise Him and witness unashamedly of His love. She encouraged me by running to me and hugging me; I proclaimed His love for her, and my love for her which flowed from His love; and she encouraged me to join her in praise and worship!

When I was first saved I brimmed over with joy, zeal and excitement to tell others of the change He made in me (2 Corinthians 5:17. Galatians 6:15). Perhaps this child in my dream is a reminder not to leave that first love (Revelation 2:4), and to share it with others and to rejoice in Him always!

The Lord God raised up Jeremiah to warn His people of their wickedness, sin and particularly idolatry (Jeremiah 2), which violates the First Commandment putting God first (Exodus 20:3-5). He accused them of two evils: first forsaking God, Who is the Fountain of Living Water (Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13). Second, they turned to idols, which are like leaking water storage devices, or the defective waterbed in my dream.

Not only are these broken cisterns of no good, but their false promise of quenching thirst turns people away from the Living Water (Song of Solomon 4:15; Revelation 7:17), Who is the only source of eternal life. How often do the vain, empty promises of success, fame or fortune in the world lure people away (John 17:15-16; 1 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 2:8; James 4:4) from true satisfaction and fulfilment (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4), which is found only in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

But through His amazing grace, once saved we can ourselves become cisterns of living water! (John 4:10-11; 7:38). His Holy Spirit enters us at the moment of our salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30), so that we can be a channel through whom blessings flow! Like the little child who knows that Jesus loves her, we can by praise flowing from the Holy Spirit, through our hearts and from our lips, bless all who hear us with the living water of His Word!

© 2017 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Time for an Adjustment

 

Photo by Dematt 2006

I dreamed I was at a chiropractor’s office to have an adjustment. I check in at a desk on the first floor and realize it is a multilevel office space with rooms above surrounding a central area. Oddly, each of the three-story glass sides could be closed off by a very tall oak door extending from the top floor ceiling to the ground level floor, giving the effect of a full-sized dollhouse.

The lady checking in before me says she knows me from dancing, and asks “Are you OK? You look unwell since the last time I saw you.”

Taken aback, I reply curtly, “Maybe it’s because we’re both so much older. I don’t even recognize you.”

The woman turns away from my rude remark, and the blonde receptionist explains that my insurance will cover the full course of treatment, except for a copay of 50 cents. I don’t have two quarters with me, and she says I can bring it next time.

I spot the chiropractor scurrying around, a tall, thin, middle-aged man with mousy brown hair and thick glasses. He hands me a pile of forms and tells me to go upstairs, fill out the forms, and change in one of the rooms. Many people are there entering and leaving the rooms, but I finally find one that is unoccupied.

I remove my windbreaker and am surprised to find that I am wearing a very ornate necklace, composed of brass medallions welded together and enameled in bright blues and iridescent greens to give the effect of a peacock’s tail. I remove that and am confused and embarrassed to see that my neck and shoulders are wrapped in tin foil, and even worse, there is no trash can in the room where I could discreetly discard it. So I crumple it up and set the necklace and jacket on top of it on a counter, hoping the chiropractor won’t notice.

After a very long time, the chiropractor comes in and says he won’t need to examine or treat me, but that I’ll be put on a traction device. I get very angry that after this endless wait I will not even be treated by human hands but instead will be put on a machine, without any personal attention to my problem or symptoms. I intend to leave, and I look for my jacket and necklace, but they have disappeared. I start yelling loudly that I’m going to expose the chiropractor and his practice for fraud.

As I awaken and come to my senses, I realize that it is indeed time for an adjustment – an attitude adjustment, that is, and not a chiropractic adjustment. Throughout the dream I had become increasingly annoyed and ultimately ballistic with those around me, when in fact I had no one to blame but myself.

As a born-again Christian who has placed her faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), I am blessed to have His Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30) and the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) within me. I have no business turning to the world to solve my problems when the Spirit within gives me access to all of His wisdom, power, and love. True, I often fail to trust Him because I still must deal with my sin nature (Romans 7:5-25), but that is no excuse for expecting help from the world system instead, which can only disappoint (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Jesus Christ is not only our Healer and Great Physician (Jeremiah 8:22; Mark 2:17; Matthew 9:12; Luke 4:23), but He is our Compass Who aligns us with His perfect will, if we allow it (Luke 22:42). That is not to say that God cannot work through doctors and modern medicine, for He does, yet we need to seek His guidance for our physical as well as our spiritual health (James 5:15).

The chiropractic office in the dream may symbolize man’s vain attempts to manipulate the truth of God’s Word, just as an inept chiropractor may attempt to heal by spinal manipulation, only to cause more harm than good. False churches spreading false doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3-4; Matthew 7:15; 21-23) are packed out with seekers looking for an easy fix for their heartache, but the solutions offered are no more real than a doll’s house or a set for The Twilight Zone.

Often these churches are not even led by in-person preaching, relying instead on a mechanical projection of a preacher delivering a message somewhere else. The traction apparatus offered in the dream, instead of a specific treatment plan based on a careful in-person evaluation, suggests the harm of a “church” where the sheep have no shepherd (Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34). Just as I was given many forms to fill out in the dream, some cults have their members complete “personality inventories” or other questionnaires dealing with sensitive information that can be used to manipulate rather than to help.

The absurdly low copay of 50 cents in the dream suggests to me the philosophy of cults and works-based religions. These insist that Jesus’ finished work on the cross (John 19:30; Hebrews 10:10-14) is not enough to ensure our salvation, and that we have to bring our own good deeds to the table if we hope to earn our way to Heaven.

Yet the Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith, and not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Fifty cents is not even a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of a complete course of treatment, and any works we could add to the perfect sacrifice Jesus made becomes not only insignificant but actually insulting to Him. Jesus paid our sin debt in full, and all our own righteousness is no better than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

Jesus told His followers to be in the world, to be salt and light for the world (Matthew 5:13-16), yet not to be of the world (John 15:19; 17:11-18). In the dream I failed this command, for I allowed my pride to be hurt and resorted to snide comments when I should have offered Christian love (John 15:17). Rather than being a good testimony to my Savior’s love, I lashed out in anger, not only at the other patient, but at the chiropractor and staff.

When I took off my coat, I was surprised and uncomfortable about what was underneath. The ornate necklace was clearly inappropriate to wear to a doctor’s appointment, with its many metallic plates like a shield of armor decorated in a peacock design. This suggests that I was insulating my heart with pride that kept me from God (Psalm 10:4; 1 John 2:16) instead of relying on the shield of faith that is a crucial part of the armor of God (Ephesians 6:16).

Instead of the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness (Ephesians 6:14), I was wearing tin foil on my neck and shoulders! What a poor imitation of His holiness, for my own self-righteousness and works can neither protect nor justify me. God knows the heart, which is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). The heart will betray and condemn us unless it is covered in Christ’s perfect goodness and purity.

May we beware of false doctrine, cults, and churches that do not honor Jesus Christ, His example and His Word. May we be careful to put on the whole armor of God each day to resist the devil and his strategies (Ephesians 6:11-13), relying on Christ’s completed work on the cross, His perfect holiness, and His resurrection (Galatians 6:14). May we have an attitude adjustment, our mind becoming aligned with God’s perfect will for our life instead of being conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).

May we stand straight for what we believe, allowing the two-edged sword of His Word (Hebrews 4:12) to penetrate between the joints and marrow, the soul and spirit, and to discern the thoughts and intents of our heart!  May He create a clean heart (Psalm 51:10) and renew a right spirit within us!

© 2015 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives