Dreams

    What do you associate dreams with?  For some they are nightmares.  More people than you think suffer from horrible nightmares.  Some, like myself, have extremely vivid dreams.  There are times when I wake up and I don't know if I am awake or asleep.   There are crazy dreams of things that you may have never seen or experienced before.  These can leave you more tired than when you went to bed.  Then there are the peaceful dreams.  These are great because when you wake up you usually don't remember dreaming at all.  Sometimes wake up and don't even remember going to sleep, but you are rested and ready for a new day.

     Before Jacob left his family, he went to say goodbye to his father, Isaac.  Isaac was angry at his son, but he still loved him.  He ordered Jacob not to marry a Canaanite.   Then, Isaac said goodbye to his son knowing he would never see him again.  This is when Esau realized that his choice in women was displeasing to both his parents, not just his mother.  Esau wanted to make Jacob happy and proud, so he went to his uncle Ishmael and married his daughter, Mahalath.  

    Jacob left in haste, so not to tempt Esau to kill him even more.  When he was on his journey he had to sleep on the ground.  One night he was using a rock as a pillow.  This does not seem like a set up for a good night sleep.  That night he dreamed a stairway to Heaven.  At the top were God's angels.  They were traveling back and forth to earth on the stairs.  Above all of them was God.  God spoke to Jacob reaffirming the covenant that he had made with Jacob's grandfather, Abraham.  God promised to protect and watch over Jacob until he returned home.  (He never said how long that would be.)This is not something Jacob earned or deserved.  It is something that God chose because God knew that one day Jacob would be different.  God knew what Jacob was capable of.  Or maybe God just chose Jacob above everyone else.  

    When Jacob awoke the next morning he made a pillar as a reminder of where the stairway to heaven began on Earth and named it Bethel.  He made a vow to God to give Him a tenth of all that he ever made.  This is the beginning of the tithe.  The tithe is an oath that you make to God.  It has to be personal and the dollar amount does not matter.  That is between you and God.  We do need to remember that Jacob had been blessed with prosperity.  He knew he could afford a tenth.  You need to look at where you are in life and pray honestly over your finances before making a covenant with God.  He will tell you the number or percentage that He expects.

     Dreams are important.  They are a way for God, Holy Spirit, angel, or evil spirit to talk to you.  Before you go to bed, pray protection over your sleep, so there is no room for evil spirits to be able to speak lies into your sub-conscience.  If you have profound dreams or dreams that keep waking you up, then keep a dream journal.  There is a reason and you need to work it out.  Also, you can have some genus ideas when you are asleep, but if you don't write them down, then they may slip away from you.  Either way you tend to work things out good or bad in your sleep.  Another good reason not to go to bed angry.

Genesis 28