Spiritual Slumber and Hindsight

Hindsight is good.  When God gives us hindsight it is liberating.  Not long ago the Lord gave me a dream in which an angel asked me if I had had a good night’s sleep.  I answered yes, and then he said “Good.” And removed the insulation from the end of a double stranded wire. He was illustrating what he said next; “Now you can have a fresh start.” Then sparks flew out the ends of the bare wire.

This was an intriguing dream, for I often felt like I was spiritually asleep, but did not know what to do about it. There are many books and good advice about what puts us to sleep spiritually, but I had been actively seeking the Lord for more intimacy and a closer walk with Him.  It especially bothered me that my dreams lacked the prophetic nature they used to have.  Then He spoke.

“Helen,” He said. “Because you do not listen to my thoughts, you have your own thoughts (in your dreams).” And God began to give me His hindsight. With His words followed memories of other words spoken to me by well-meaning Christians.  They had given me advice to not prophecy or personally seek God for His words so often.  They did not believe God spoke to individuals very much.  For them, reason, logic and following the teachings of established leaders were the hallmarks of a sound mind.

After remembering this advice there came another memory.  It was one of my own heart’s cry out to God.  I was fearful of being deceived by my own thinking.  I saw sin and error inside and knew that God wanted His prophets to be holy.  So I began backing away from God’s voice, taking the advice of my advisors.  The funny thing is, I formed an unspoken belief that my own thoughts were less harmful that listening for God’s thoughts.  And the sad result of this belief is that it eventually left me alone with my own thoughts, both waking, and in the night.  My days were less blessed with God’s guidance, and my dreams at night were a confusing mixture of my own thoughts and fears.

There seemed to be strain upon my mind from the battle between my desire to get closer to God and my fear of being deceived by myself.  If I had had eyes to see, I would have seen that satan had his hand in the battle, bringing doubt and fear when I strove to have faith.  It is doubt and fear that causes us to shrink back.  Though we are the people God has pleasure in, our enemy wants to interfere with our relationship with God. He accuses us concerning our sins and errors so that we will doubt that we can receive forgiveness.

Perhaps we feel that it is safer to listen to our own thoughts than to listen to God’s.  If you are called to be a prophet, you may believe that making mistakes proves you to be a false prophet.  Whatever the reason, God has made a provision for our mistakes by sacrificing His righteous Son, Jesus.  And before God, we stand in Jesus’ righteousness, not our own.  We are holy by the process of submitting to the Holy Spirit (whom we hear) and choosing to love God’s ways (obedience).  God has entrusted His works to people, not to gods.  Though we may fail, He is able to restore us. 

Yes, hindsight is good, and God’s hindsight is the best.  We can have His thoughts if we lay down our doubts and fears and listen to Him.  Today, you may feel like you’ve been in a spiritual slumber.  Seek Him with all your heart and He will set you free to know Him in a wonderful way.  Amen.