- Mar 5, 2024
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Are You Willing To Receive Correction?
Chess programs these days will tell you if the move you just made was a mistake, and allow you to correct it if you like. It might be just a game and nothing of great consequence anyway, but it's a way of salvaging things so that you don't sabotage what might have otherwise been a good game and it goes completely by the wayside because you made what is professionally known as "a blunder."
Unlike in Chess, however, life is not a game. Terrible mistakes can be made that can cost you important relationships. In worst cases, they can potentially cost you your marriage, your job, your home, your church, your friends or your family. But dreams and prophetic utterances are sent to keep us from making huge mistakes in life. In order for them to do so, however, we have to be willing to receive correction, and this is where humility comes in. Just like in Chess, you have to acknowledge that maybe you aren't the biggest genius after all, and make the necessary changes so that you DON'T make a blunder that messes up your life or someone else's. As I will also cover, if you do happen to make a mistake, sometimes prophetic words can be given that show you a road map on how to recover from things, so that you don't end up paying too high a price for it.
When the apostle Paul was being taken to Rome on a ship, he received prophetic word that their lives would be in danger on the voyage. How he knew this is never stated, but what he told the crew and the helmsman proved to be accurate unless the Lord intervened.
Paul advised them, 10 saying, "Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives." 11 Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there. (Acts 27:10-12)
Once at sea, a terrible storm caught up with them, called a Euroclydon. These were violent storms that blew from the northeast in the Mediterranean Sea; cyclonic tempests common in autumn and winter. It lasted for many days, and continued to intensify until they feared their lives were at an end. Eventually, however, the Lord sent Paul additional word that they would not pay the ultimate price for making a big mistake.
21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 But now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must be brought before Caesar, and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island." (Acts 27:13-14, 18-26)
They made a blunder, but because Paul fasted, prayed and sought His God, word came to him again in the form of an angel, who informed him that their lives would be spared. They made a mistake, but the Lord would account for it for Paul's sake.
A friend recently sent me a dream* that suggested I was making a mistake myself where another brother was concerned. He had fallen on hard times spiritually, and I was supposed to be praying for him. But instead of watching out for him I had gotten too involved in more superficial things like personal concerns and doctrinal debate. The following is a Replacement Dream, and I recognized immediately that he was talking my place, and his dad was taking the place of my Heavenly Father:
I was alone with my brother and watching him for Dad. I was outside playing chess and walking around carrying my board around the yard as I play chess by myself somehow. I go in the house and much to my surprise there is Dad standing there. I tell him I did not see him come home. Dad told me I was asleep in the house in one of the rooms when he got there. I had no memory of sleeping, but I believe him. Dad was not happy with how I was watching my brother. I never saw my brother in my dream.
The brother who sent me this had no way of knowing it, but I had been spending an inordinate amount of time in playing a type of "mental chess" in my head lately. There were complex issues I was having to work through in mind regarding my personal life, involving moves and countermoves. I was also spending more time than I usually do involved in online debate over doctrinal issues. As a result, my mind was tied up, and I was not concentrating on my brother or praying for him but playing chess with others in my head (and in reality with myself), even though I could tell he wasn't doing so well.
I corrected this behavior. I exited the doctrinal debates I was involved in, and rid myself of being concerned about the personal issues that were bothering me to renew my focus on praying for my brother, and helping him along spiritually. This likely would not have happened, however, if I had not received correction from the Spirit of God. We can sometimes get caught up in our own concerns, and lose track of the things that value most to God.
Blessings in Christ.
Hidden In Him
*Dream supplied by Talons at SWF.
Chess programs these days will tell you if the move you just made was a mistake, and allow you to correct it if you like. It might be just a game and nothing of great consequence anyway, but it's a way of salvaging things so that you don't sabotage what might have otherwise been a good game and it goes completely by the wayside because you made what is professionally known as "a blunder."
Unlike in Chess, however, life is not a game. Terrible mistakes can be made that can cost you important relationships. In worst cases, they can potentially cost you your marriage, your job, your home, your church, your friends or your family. But dreams and prophetic utterances are sent to keep us from making huge mistakes in life. In order for them to do so, however, we have to be willing to receive correction, and this is where humility comes in. Just like in Chess, you have to acknowledge that maybe you aren't the biggest genius after all, and make the necessary changes so that you DON'T make a blunder that messes up your life or someone else's. As I will also cover, if you do happen to make a mistake, sometimes prophetic words can be given that show you a road map on how to recover from things, so that you don't end up paying too high a price for it.
When the apostle Paul was being taken to Rome on a ship, he received prophetic word that their lives would be in danger on the voyage. How he knew this is never stated, but what he told the crew and the helmsman proved to be accurate unless the Lord intervened.
Paul advised them, 10 saying, "Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives." 11 Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there. (Acts 27:10-12)
Once at sea, a terrible storm caught up with them, called a Euroclydon. These were violent storms that blew from the northeast in the Mediterranean Sea; cyclonic tempests common in autumn and winter. It lasted for many days, and continued to intensify until they feared their lives were at an end. Eventually, however, the Lord sent Paul additional word that they would not pay the ultimate price for making a big mistake.
21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 But now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must be brought before Caesar, and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island." (Acts 27:13-14, 18-26)
They made a blunder, but because Paul fasted, prayed and sought His God, word came to him again in the form of an angel, who informed him that their lives would be spared. They made a mistake, but the Lord would account for it for Paul's sake.
A friend recently sent me a dream* that suggested I was making a mistake myself where another brother was concerned. He had fallen on hard times spiritually, and I was supposed to be praying for him. But instead of watching out for him I had gotten too involved in more superficial things like personal concerns and doctrinal debate. The following is a Replacement Dream, and I recognized immediately that he was talking my place, and his dad was taking the place of my Heavenly Father:
I was alone with my brother and watching him for Dad. I was outside playing chess and walking around carrying my board around the yard as I play chess by myself somehow. I go in the house and much to my surprise there is Dad standing there. I tell him I did not see him come home. Dad told me I was asleep in the house in one of the rooms when he got there. I had no memory of sleeping, but I believe him. Dad was not happy with how I was watching my brother. I never saw my brother in my dream.
The brother who sent me this had no way of knowing it, but I had been spending an inordinate amount of time in playing a type of "mental chess" in my head lately. There were complex issues I was having to work through in mind regarding my personal life, involving moves and countermoves. I was also spending more time than I usually do involved in online debate over doctrinal issues. As a result, my mind was tied up, and I was not concentrating on my brother or praying for him but playing chess with others in my head (and in reality with myself), even though I could tell he wasn't doing so well.
I corrected this behavior. I exited the doctrinal debates I was involved in, and rid myself of being concerned about the personal issues that were bothering me to renew my focus on praying for my brother, and helping him along spiritually. This likely would not have happened, however, if I had not received correction from the Spirit of God. We can sometimes get caught up in our own concerns, and lose track of the things that value most to God.
Blessings in Christ.
Hidden In Him
*Dream supplied by Talons at SWF.
