In the Seventh Month, on the First Day of the Month…God Gave Me a Wake-up Call in a Dream — Via the Wayfaring Gal (8/7/2022)

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)

I had been struggling for a very long time, unable to read my Bible or do simple word studies. Dealing with health issues took its toll and I guess I just gave in to the self-pity. Being diagnosed with Stage 4 COPD in 2015, my job was gone and I was struggling to breathe; doctors telling me I better get my “affairs in order.”

Believing what the doctors said—basically that my life was over—I took up watching mindless TV like a zombie and playing solitaire. Sometimes doing both at once, multi-tasking as it were in Satan’s world, feeling lost.

I started with watching movies on TV, convincing myself it was okay because most of them were about the “New World Order” agenda and other so-called “conspiracy theories”. They always tell you what “they” are up to in those movies.

Slowly it progressed into watching “feel good” movies as well. I was also watching the Fox News channel a lot, convincing myself it was to keep abreast of what was happening in “the world.”

It then morphed into certain weekly and daily cable shows, like “HGTV”, “The Food Network” and several DIY programs. Thinking those were “safe” shows, educational, you know? But then I started watching the “music” shows too; like “The Voice” and “American Idol”. I collected DVDs like crazy and watched certain ones over and over again.  It wasn’t like I was enjoying any of it, but I just couldn’t stop myself.

The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. (Prov 26:16)

So I started praying that God would strengthen me and help me get back into His word somehow. I began to have a feeling of urgency in my spirit that time was almost up and I was in trouble. That’s when the Lord obliged me with a new acquaintance who was, and still is, on the walk; so full of enthusiasm about Scripture, helping me from over a thousand miles away, having never met!

And then…shortly thereafter, on July 1, 2020, I had a terrible dream:

In the dream, a Bible teacher is telling a group of others (they are out of my sight, off to the side) that they are all “fine.” They are all going to make it to the end of the narrow way road, and to heaven. I never actually heard anyone’s voice, except for my own; it was more like a perception. And because I wasn’t included in the group he was talking to, I said to the teacher, “But not me?” And he turned to me, and as I looked into his eyes, he then nodded sadly in agreement. That’s when I woke up SOBBING, with a lump in my throat. I could hardly breathe or swallow, a feeling of dread stayed with me all day.

I called two of my closest friends to tell them about it and they both thought the dream was from Satan; and I said, maybe…but it also reminded me of Job 33:14-18; and that perhaps it was actually the Lord shaking me up?

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; (Job 33:15)
Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, (Job 33:16)
That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. (Job 33:17)
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. (Job 33:18)

Whatever it was, it scared me so badly I stopped watching most of the TV shows, all of the movies and most of the music.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Prov 9:10)

Although I had still convinced myself I could watch one or two Fox News programs, and started putting up short news-clip videos on YouTube with Bible verses and commentary, thinking I was at least doing something for God’s Kingdom; and perhaps I was, but the real issue was that I needed to be searching for the Lord.

But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (Deut 4:29)

Eventually, the Holy Spirit convicted me more and more until I finally stopped watching that EVIL BLACK BOX altogether.

I actually wound up getting rid of all my DVDs [over 500 of them!] and both of my televisions. I even shut off my cable-TV altogether so I wouldn’t be tempted by the devil any longer. I needed my focus to be on the Lord.

I started spending hour-upon-hour looking up Scripture in The Word Bible software program along with my Bible, finding so much more peace in my spirit than I had in a very long time, in fact for years…

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matt 6:33)

It was so strange, because there was nothing mentioned in the dream/vision about why I wasn’t going to make it into heaven, just that I wasn’t. It’s like I instinctively knew the obstacles in my walk. 

The dream seemed to be from God, to shake me up, so I did a word study for confirmation.

Before beginning, I remembered this promise:

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Phil 1:6)

And this is another wonderful promise to remember in the Book of John:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14:1)
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. (John 14:4)

Then I started looking into the meanings of Verses 33:14-18 from the Book of Job:

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; (Job 33:15)
Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, (Job 33:16)
That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. (Job 33:17)
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. (Job 33:18)

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)

What I get out of Verse #14 is that God had been attempting to communicate with me for quite a while. He’d even been speaking loudly, but I kept drowning Him out with the things of this world. As time went on, I started listening to “Christian” music and then added music that “sounded” like it had a “Christian feel” to it as well. If the truth be known, I’d actually started listening to old music from my pre-Christian days too.

So why didn’t I believe God?

With all of that I was slowly tuning God out and all of His attempts to reach me; so sure I would never have the REVELATION (John 14:21), letting the whisperings of Satan sneak into my thoughts, totally unrealized; oblivious, unable to understand what was going on. 

Staring at the TV and listening to music,  dead to everything, or so I thought. Instead I was just drifting away from God, even though He was constantly on my mind. Those five years were such a waste of precious time; time I can never get back. It is amazing how clearly I can see it all now.

How much patience and Love God has for His creation; instead of walking away from me with a shrug of His shoulders, like we humans would no doubt do. Perhaps that’s why God resorted to Verse #15:

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; (Job 33:15)

Dreams are strange, at least they can be for me. Most times I don’t really remember them, but there are a few exceptions and this was one of them. All there was to it, was what I laid out above. It was simple and very direct; nothing fancy or involved. It was short and not so sweet.

To me, Verse #15 is saying that once God has attempted to get through to a thick-headed person like myself, He resorts to more drastic measures.

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. (Prov 29:1)

In both Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (“Strong’s”) and Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary (“Webster’s”), dreams are pretty much just that; a fancy of daydreams in the night, but a vision is wholly different. It’s kind of a conundrum though when you look at the difference between how a “deep sleep” and “in slumberings” are defined. But it works for me since I have health issues that cause me to be in a deep sleep for short periods of time, then I start tossing & turning being much more restless…slumbering; not really awake, but not in a REM state by any means.

Now on to Verse #16:

Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, (Job 33:16)

GOD wants me to hear what He’s got to say; it sounds like a dressing down of sorts. In my case I don’t think He was too pleased either; although, He did say it wasn’t His will that “any should perish.” He says LISTEN TO ME NOW.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2Pet 3:9)

The next word is to seal up what He’s telling me. [Remember: I’m doing this for my own edification and not in general, because these verses are also to do with giving people prophecies to pass on at a later date perhaps like Daniel had].

I think it is an amazing thing when you look at one of Webster’s definitions for seal:

To mark as one’s property, and secure from DANGER. [Making sure I was God’s and NOT Satan’s prize.]

A further confirmation comes in the next word “instruction“:

Strong’s definition for “instruction“/H4561: admonition.

Webster’s for “admonition“: Gentle reproof; counseling against a fault; instruction in duties; caution; direction.

I’m not sure the dream was a “Gentle reproof”; but “counseling against a fault“; “caution“; and an “admonition.” It definitely felt like that!

Next is Verse #17:

That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. (Job 33:17)

God says He may withdraw man (His choice). It’s up to Him if He wants to do this thing or not. It kind of reminds me that we don’t really have control; we have free will of course, but once we have decided to cram ourselves in through the strait gate (Matt 7:13-14), past ALL of the obstacles trying to keep us from entering in, Jesus says it’s God the Father who draws us to Christ; it’s not by our own power!

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44)

What God is considering in Verse #17 is taking control and to remove or end my previous actions or activities that got me into this mess in the first place. All glory to God! How gracious and patient the Lord is! There is no way we can understand that.

So to hide pride is a hard one to look at, because after all, I’m not arrogant, right?!

I can remember how one brother in the Lord would often quote Isaiah 13:11:

And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (Isa 13:11)

I can hear it in my head as clearly as if he had just spoken it! The “GREAT I AM”; the strong man of Matt 12:29; sitting in the hidden inner heart, sitting on my puny little throne; refusing to yield.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer 17:9)

And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (John 2:25)

Only here, in Verse #17, God wants to hide my condition from me, but why?

Is it to help keep my foot from slipping until I’m back on firm ground again?

I thought my house was built upon a rock. And then I can hear another dear brother in the Lord, speaking those very words “when my foot slippeth” from Psalm 38:16; so many times we had spoken about it in the past.

For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. (Ps 38:16)

Satan is right there if we slip at all, but God will save us.

Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: (Ps 109:26)

For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? (Ps 56:13)

And the last verse, Verse #18:

He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. (Job 33:18)

It appears that God is interjecting this vision/dream into my, what, subconscious mind? In so doing, has He preserved, hindered or spared my soul?

Strong’s for “soul“/H5315: properly a breathing creature, that is, animal or (abstractly) vitality

It is the soul that animates us. And if our soul controls our bodily functions then God is keeping us alive physically, so we can continue on this journey. Interesting that Strong’s defines “pit” as a “trap“; “destruction”, a “grave“.

Verse #18 is saying that God preserves and spares our daily existence and keeps us from perishing. He keeps us from transitioning beyond the grave, to die the second death. It’s an escape hatch from landing in the lake of fire to be destroyed (Rev 20:14; 21:8); to come to nought. And in so doing, God gives us a certain amount of joy and peace in our life, to nourish us back to a state of happiness.

Webster’s (partial) definition of “life“: To be spiritually enriched with blessings, by the Author and Giver of the supreme felicity.

In this regard I must say I had been in a state of basic despair, no real joy at all, just that deadness to everything without any of the hope I always had the first ten years or so on the narrow way walk; but now, now I feel differently. It’s not the same as it was in the beginning of my journey, but having turned back to God’s word it is like a real miracle! And of course it is; how could it be anything else?

Verse #18 says to perish by the “sword“; the “fiery darts” that John Bunyan wrote about in  Pilgrim’s Progress and referenced to Eph 6:16!

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (Eph 6:16)

The sword is an offensive weapon used to exact revenge by the adversary, who we all know is Satan. Because he can’t touch God, in his attempt to get vengeance, he will attack God’s creations. He is filled with blind rage and cannot see his folly, and therefore it doesn’t stop him from trying.

In conclusion, the “dream” was from God, not Satan.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Eccl 12:13)

And here it is that I will end my study, a victor in Christ Jesus!

EPILOGUE

After working on the original study of this for several days, I found the enemy attempting to distract me constantly. While inflicting as much physical discomfort as possible upon me, the Good Lord kept His guardian angels right by my side, making sure I was able to complete my mission.

To the victor go the spoils!

I feel renewed in spirit and will continue to fight the enemy with God spurring me on (the “rodding & staffing” of Psalm 23:4) until I become an overcomer in the full sense of the word; true authentic regeneration and Agape love bestowment as it says in Scripture.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1John 3:1)

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Rev 21:7)

It’s hard to believe one could be on the narrow way walk this many years and be lulled into such a position and have this kind of battle to contend with, but the Lord did say we shall have tribulation.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Praise Jesus, my Lord, my Saviour, my Ransom and my Redeemer.

For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. (Isa 33:22)

Amen.

P.S. If you made it this far and would care to peruse my Job 33 Back-up Documents that cover this post in much more detail, you’re more than welcome to do so.

Please Note: There are three tabs within the Excel document at the bottom you can click through.

God be with you. Thank you for reading…

P.P.S. The “acquaintance” mentioned near the beginning of this blog post? The Lord brought us together and married us in the Spring of 2021. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Thank you Jesus

For a most-helpful guide (pdf) to the narrow way and authentic salvation—by a man who walked it to the end—click here: BeSureYouAreSaved.com

Source: https://wayfaringgalblog.wordpress.com/2022/08/07/in-the-seventh-month-on-the-first-day-of-the-month/