Discerning God’s Call Today
ICS Daily Devotions
Acts 2:17 (NKJV) ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
For Christians, there are typically four safeguards to consider before deciding to walk out God’s will and calling for our lives. These safeguards are first, a given Word from God; second, the inner witness of the Holy Spirit; third, godly counsel; and lastly, dreams or visions. God can speak to us in many different ways. Therefore, we have to be open to how God speaks to us and calls us.
The Bible records many instances in which God used dreams to speak to people. There are dreams for direction as seen in the lives of Joseph (Genesis 37:40-41), Jacob (Genesis Chapter 28) and Joseph, the husband of Mary (Matthew Chapters 1-2). There are dreams for warning as seen by Abimelech (Genesis Chapter 20), and the Magi (Matthew Chapter 2). There are dreams for revelation and kingdom plans as seen by Daniel (Daniel Chapters 2,7) and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel Chapters 2,4). Finally, there are dreams of prophecy as chronicled in Joel 2:28 and Acts Chapter 2.
The Bible tells us that in the last days, the Holy Spirit will grant us dreams and visions, and we will be able to prophesy. God speaks to us primarily through His Word, but He will also grant us visions and dreams.
We know that not all dreams come from God, but if they come from God, we will remember them, and they will stay in our minds long after we have woken up. These types of dreams have significant meaning. Therefore, we need to be able to interpret them. We can ask God what they mean, or we can live out the calling of our lives and allow them to come to pass.
The challenge for us is to seek God’s face regarding His call on our lives. We should not do what we like or what we think is right, but rather, consecrate our lives to God so that we will live a life that is purposeful and intentional for Him. It is an exciting and rewarding journey with God. You and I will be able to sit back one day to share how He has journeyed with us; we will testify to how He has shown us favour, broken down hindrances, and brought people of peace into our paths. All the glory will be due to Him and none about us; it will keep us humble before Him and before men.
Reflection: How aware are you of God’s calling in your life right now? In what ways might God be shaping your purpose through the place He has placed you?
Sermon Series: Are You Joseph?
