by Victoria Heinecke

Every day starts with a dream.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, and take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’”
Matthew 2:13 English Standard Verion (ESV)

Happy New Year!

By the time you read this, it is likely that my son, Alexander, and I have returned from Dutch Bros Coffee with a cup of hot brew. On the first day of each month, patrons get a unique sticker with their purchase, and we’ve made this a monthly ritual. Last month, as we drove out in the wee hours, we talked about the dreams we had before our respective alarms directed us to wake up. Each of our dreams seemed so real, and we could recount the small details.

Have you ever had a vivid dream, one which caused you to think and reflect when you awoke?

When I have dreams like that, I’ve used the description that “God hit me on the head with a two-by-four stick.” Sometimes I’m too stubborn to get the message any other way.

In Matthew 2, there are four instances of an angel of the Lord speaking to people in dreams, directing their paths in a crucial period in Jesus’ life.  Obedient to the messages from an angel of the Lord, the actions of the Magi and Joseph saved Jesus from being slaughtered along with the innocents.

Today, if we quiet our minds and souls, God still speaks to us. It may be in our prayer life, or reading the Word, or through our dreams. It may be a still small voice, or it may have the force of a two-by-four. Listen intentionally, and take time to reflect upon your dreams when you awake, if you remember them.

The best part of waking up…. is God directing the steps of your day.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10a ESV

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Colorado Springs, Colorado