What is She Looking For?

"A few night[s] back I had a dream about the rapture. In this dream I was lifted off the ground. Floating in the air I suddenly realized I was wrong and there is a God and I'm in a lot of trouble. Then, everyone around me, and me, stopped, hung in the air then fell to the ground; but we didn't hit the ground, we went straight through it. Down we went into Hell. I didn't think to pray or call out to Jesus. I just thought to myself 'This is impossible, this can't be happening...hang on, this is just a dream!' And that was the end of that. The thing is Ray, as realistic as the dream was it didn't make me want to repent at all." Andy Duchemin

Most parents have had dreams of one of their kids being in great danger, or we have nightmares about horrible spiders, or falling from a cliff-edge. I have had a reoccurring dream for years in which I was in a pulpit in front of a huge crowd, and I couldn’t find my place in the Bible. We tend to dream our fears, but that one fear resulted in a positive outcome. I always step up to a pulpit knowing exactly where I am going, and that happens because of that horrible dream.

You mentioned that the dream you had didn’t cause you to want to repent. That’s understandable. Many people "repent" out of fear and end up falling away. The problem is, repentance must be coupled with what the Bible calls "godly sorrow." There must be contrition.

Think of a man who has committed adultery, who wants to get back with his wife. She is willing to take him back, but what is she looking for? Genuine sorrow that will result in him not wanting to betray her trust ever again.

That’s what God is looking for in you--a genuine sorrow that will result in you turning from all that you know to be offensive to Him.

It sounds a little ridiculous when an adult "dares" someone to do something. But I will be ridiculous in a big way to make an important point. I double-dare you to say to God, "Please show me as You see me, and then show me Yourself, as You are."

Before you do this, read through The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-5:7).