Joseph is another amazing dreamer and dream interpreter of the Bible. His life was literally mapped out by his own God-given dreams and the dreams he interpreted for others. Joseph's dreams foretold his destiny though a map of parabolic metaphor. In time, the powerful imagery revealed meaning that moved his heart and changed the destiny of the dreamer as well as those around him. In short, God used Joseph's dreams to guide him. He gave him the gift of interpretation to lead and guide others, and favor to eventually guide a kingdom.
Daniel of the Bible was not only a dreamer himself, but he also interpreted the dreams of others. King Nebuchadnezzar was one such recipient of Daniel's dream interpreting gift. The king had a troubling dream which none of the mystics, sorcerers, and occult leaders in his kingdom could interpret. But Daniel, led and inspired by God, sought the Lord for the interpretation through which he astonished the king and his court. Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come" (Daniel 2:27–28 NIV).
Divine strategies for success are created from the dream fibers of moral excellence, character, integrity, and love. God gave Jacob the ability to gain wealth through a dream. Jacob worked for Laban for many years, and Laban was a controlling and manipulative master. The time came for Jacob to move on and begin to provide for a family of his own. In a dream, God showed Jacob that he was to ask Laban for all of the newborn speckled, streaked, and gray-spotted lambs and rams. Jacob was owed payment that he'd so tirelessly worked for over the years.
Gideon overcame his fear and inferiority complex. He became the leader of 300 valiant warriors by understanding his enemy's dream. The adversary of Gideon dreamed that a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the Midian camp, and the loaf struck a tent with such force that the tent collapsed. Gideon's enemy revealed the meaning of the dream. The collapse of the tent was "nothing else but the sword of Gideon. Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp." After hearing this dream and its interpretation, Gideon had the confidence to follow the Lord's instruction.
Keys to interpreting dreams are found by focusing on the symbols that cause the most emotion in us as we recall the dream. Interpreting a dream is like solving a riddle or putting a puzzle together. The dreamer attempts to fit the pieces together until the perfect fit is attained. This is done by comparing and contrasting symbols; asking questions — "Why this symbol and not another?" and making associations between symbols. An example is, if someone says the word cow some may think milk or beef, others may think bull.
Why do we sometimes dream the same dream over and over? The main reason dreams reoccur is that we have not entered into the understanding of the message yet. So the same dream message continues to play over and over. Sometimes the characters change or the setting changes, but the overall message remains the same. Once we come into the understanding and we apply the wisdom and insight of the dream's meaning to our lives the dream will cease to replay. Oftentimes, through recurring dreams, God is trying to communicate something.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like (James 1:23–24 NIV). During ancient time periods, and across many cultures it was a widespread belief that dreams were divine messages from the invisible realm. Dreams ignite the conscious awareness of our physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual well-being. Dream symbols come from different areas including our present life, our past memories, and our subconscious and conscious mind.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV). I have often said, "Share your dreams with me, and I will not only tell you who you are now, but who you are destined to become." Similar to the powers of our imagination, dreaming is a universal human phenomenon uniting people across barriers of age, gender, racial background, social differences, and historical circumstances. Dreams are our inner man at work revealing our nature to us. "I never dream!" "I never remember my dreams!" These are two very common fallacies that people assume.
God speaks to the positives of what we are and what we can become, rather than emphasizing the negatives. For example, God does not speak to our sickness and disease; he speaks to our health. He does not speak to our poverty or lack; he speaks to our wealth and abundance. He does not speak to our failure or mistakes; he speaks to our success. He does not focus on the past; he speaks to the now and to the future. God speaks the language of hope to encourage each of us to succeed. We do not like to be left in the dark so God brings us into the light. He wants us to know the wonderful plans he has for our futures as much as we want him to reveal them to us.
For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, when He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man, He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword (Job 33:14–18). When we received salvation we were told we had to give up our exciting nightlives. But have you ever thought that believers in Jesus Christ should have the most exciting night lives ever?