Joel 2 Archives - Sherry Stahl

Joel 2

God Created You To Dream

Today’s #soulh2o devotion God Created You To Dream, is a topic taken from the Soul H2O Radio – Episode #3 Learning How To Dream Again releasing this Saturday on Joy Radio. It’s with TV Host and Life Coach, my lifelong friend; Wendy Pauls but it’s not really one focussed on in the show and really talks about things the episode doesn’t even touch on. I really feel that this Soul H2O Devotion is going to be a HUGE key or mind-shift to unlock hidden things for many of you.

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God Created You To Dream
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The boy Samuel served the LORD in Eli's presence.
In those days the word of the LORD was rare
and prophetic visions were not widespread.
1 Samuel 3:1 HCSB
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Have you ever woken up and got moving along in your day when all of a sudden you remember the crazy dream you had the night before? Ever thought it was so weird that you’d be embarrassed to tell anyone the details because they’d send you straight to counseling session… or am I the only one? Chances are, you’ve had an outrageous dream before too and trust me, you’re in good company.

In my research, I could find about 26 dreams recorded in the Bible and some of them were off-the-charts insane.

I found there were dreamers who were kings, a farmer, two guys named Joseph, a couple of Pharaoh’s, prophet dreamers, wise men, soldiers, pastors, evangelists, some guys in prison; one a cupbearer and the other guy was a baker but only one chick in the bunch! I’ve gotta say, I found that last fact shocking because my girlfriends have had some doozies.

The point I’m trying to make here is that God created EVERYONE with the ability to dream.

It doesn’t make a difference if your home is a mansion, you’re staying in a stable or if your current living arrangement is a jail cell—God created you to dream… and I believe that more often than not, He’s trying to talk to you through them.

Think, if God was giving an important message that would save millions of people’s lives through a dream of skinny cows eating fat cows, then maybe, just maybe He’s trying to communicate with you through what you might be deeming as a “too-much-pizza-at-night” dream you can’t forget. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about here, make sure you listen to this week’s episode.)

GOD WANTS YOU TO DREAM

If you’re still wondering if God created you to dream, I hope today’s verse will help you to see that He does simply because God really doesn’t like it when people don’t dream. The verse talks about a time in history when society wasn’t having dreams and visions from God. Samuel writes about this as a problem,

“in those days the word of the LORD was rare and visions were scarce.”

This isn’t how God wants it and in case you’re still not wanting to take my word for it, why not take God’s? That God created you to dream, so you can hear from Him is such cornerstone message He wants you to grasp that He repeats Himself in the Old and New Testament to make it crystal clear.

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Joel 2:28

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”
Acts 2:17-18

It wasn’t good that people weren’t dreaming and hearing from God when Samuel was young and you see in the next few verses after this statement above how God began to speak to and through Samuel from that point on. It all started with a crazy “dream” hearing knocking at the door.

I want to encourage you to consider that the dreams you’ve been having, those inklings or random thoughts you keep thinking might be God trying to speak to you. Don’t dismiss everything and assume God speaking to people was only for Bible times; He hasn’t changed, God still speaks and I believe He’s increasing His prophetic voice in our world today as the hunger to hear increases.

DREAM DECODING

If this devotion has piqued your interest in understanding dreams, I encourage you to read a book that has greatly helped me stop dismissing and start understand dreams or thoughts I thought might have been from God (I’ll have to explain that one in a future post). The book is, Seeing The Voice of God by Laura Harris-Smith. Laura’s ‘Dream Dictionary’ in the middle of the book but is so helpful but I encourage you to read it all to understand how God speaks.

PRAYER

Father… I’m so thankful that You speak to me. Your Word confirms this truth. Sometimes I struggle to believe this reality and dismiss Your voice in my life. Please forgive me for this and help me to consider and better discern when You’re speaking. Help me to become increasingly aware and attune to Your voice. In Jesus Name…Amen

[tweetthis]God created you to dream, so you can hear from Him![/tweetthis]

In Saturday’s Soul H2O Radio – Episode #3, you’ll get to virtually meet a lifelong friend and one of my BFFL’s, Wendy Pauls. The Teaching Segment and interview all deal with the same struggle, Learning How To Dream Again. Wendy’s Interview will ispire you as we share the key to learning how to dream again!

You can find the details of the show posted the Saturday the episode airs here: http://www.soulh2o.com/3.
1. 1 Samuel 3:1
2. Joel 2:28-29 / Acts 2:17-18
3. Proverbs 29:18
4. Deuteronomy 7:9
WHERE YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP MY BLOG WITH OR PLACES WHERE MY WRITING HAS BEEN FEATURED

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God Speaking through

A CHILD’S HEART ART

My friend Danielle sent me this wonderful piece of heart art. To me, it’s a masterpiece! During a prayer time at Braeside Camp this summer, I told Danielle’s mom about my husband Todd’s heart problems. Well, Grandma told her grandson Keaton and Keaton’s art delivered the message to his momma, Danielle.
You see, Keaton is a big prayer warrior and has his own prayer journal. One night, Danielle went to pray with him before bed and saw this ‘heart art’ in the front of his prayer journal. She asked Keaton who Todd was and what the picture meant.
I hadn’t talked to Danielle about Todd’s heart problems yet, but she put two and two together and began to join in prayer with Keaton for Todd. When my Danielle told me about the heart art in Keaton’s prayer journal, she said to “expect miracles, because he’s a serious prayer warrior and God moves when he prays”!
I am expecting nothing less than the miraculous!

[tweetthis]I am expecting nothing less than the miraculous for my life![/tweetthis]

Last Saturday morning I was up doing my devotions and praying for Todd. We met with the surgeon and it was all a little overwhelming. Hearing of the possible issues that can follow a heart valve surgery was disarming. Up to this point when we talked to people we have only heard positive reports about how better people felt after valve repair or replacement. We didn’t understand the possible complications, but the doctor made us fully aware of them! Maybe a little too aware of them!

THE ORIGINAL HEART ART

ART ACHE (c) Todd Stahl

The night before last Saturday morning’s epiphany, I had made a quick comment to Todd, my artist hubby, about how much more his Heart Art entitled, “Art Ache” means in light of his current health issues and the fact that he painted this masterpiece back in 2009 or 2010…five to six years before his heart problems! Back then, God was speaking to Todd about the inner healing He was doing on his heart after divorce. Now, this painting is holding a whole new meaning!
As I prayed I couldn’t stop thinking about Todd’s Heart Art, so I went and got it off the wall. As I looked at the painting, I felt a sense of peace coming over my soul. Fear was washed away with faith. I could have broken out in the song “It Is Well With My Soul”, but everyone was sleeping and they would have woken up thinking a cow was dying in our house…singing is not my gift 🙂
God began to speak to me about all the messages He had intended to come out of the art; some Todd understood as he created, while others are still being revealed.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE MESSAGES FROM TODD’S HEART ART

The Band-Aid is on the left side of the heart…the same side of the heart where Todd needs the valve repaired or replaced!
How cool is that! In Todd’s painting where the healing is taking place under the Band-Aid, is beginning to glow yellow. God is at work where no one can see what He is doing. It’s hidden from others. Healing happens in the secret places of our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t see things happening we assume God isn’t doing anything about our problem. God is always at work!
[tweetthis]Healing happens in the secret places of our hearts <3 [/tweetthis]
The bottom of the heart is black. All those things that have happened in life to bring hurt to the heart and create unwholeness weigh us down. The heart has strings around it. On the unhealed side the strings are woven tight and close together like they are holding the heart bound. The strings on the healing side are coming loose, setting the heart FREE!
[tweetthis]God wants you to live FREE![/tweetthis]
The side that is being healed turns red as God created his heart to be. A red heart symbolizes LOVE in our culture. The healed heart is full of God’s love! Healing doesn’t just affect one area of your life. Healing spreads!
[tweetthis]The healed heart is full of God’s love![/tweetthis]
As the healed heart begins to pump healthy blood properly, love is beginning to flow to the other side. The colors are beginning to lighten up as it turns to purple. Even under the black, you can see yellow: a visual showing how God is at work in the darkest places of our heart. The darker the heart, the deeper the wound, the longer the healing process. Allow God time to heal your heart.
[tweetthis]Allow God time to heal your heart.[/tweetthis]
Soon the whole heart will be filled with God’s love.
You can see red starting to peek through around the edges showing that the heart is not destroyed. The heart is going to be healthy again as God originally created it to be!
The verse that comes to my mind is: Joel 2:25
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“I will repay you for the years the loctusts have eaten…
 you will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the LORD
your God who has worked wonders for you.”
Joel 2:25(NIV)
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We don’t understand all that Todd has had to go through or what he possibly is going to have to face, but we will walk forward each day in the confidence that God is at work in places we don’t see.
We trust God is giving Todd a new heart to accomplish all of the great things He has for him to do—That book needs to hit the shelves and more artwork needs to be painted! We know that God is with us. Whatever way God chooses to bring about this miracle of a new heart, we know He’s going to do it! We in boldness proclaim the promise of God that when this is all over, God will have repaid Todd for all that has been taken away to the point that he is walking in abundance of life and health, prospering and praising God for His goodness!
Waiting for a miracle,
Sherry
xoxo

Todd going into surgery

This post was originally written on July 24, 2014, before Todd had his surgery and made a miraculous recovery from complications after the surgery!  Then, I wrote a post called Heart Art Music from some of the songs you all sent me to encourage me.
Since then, Todd is back playing hockey, firefighting and creating art in many forms. Within a year of surgery, his first book, 40 Days In The Mancave was published by Word Alive Press! To hear Todd’s retelling of this miracle check out his site.
To see more of Todd Stahl’s art, Check Out:
Todd’s website: http://www.toddstahl.com
His facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ToddStahlArtist
The page dedicated to Todd’s testimony:  https://www.toddstahl.com/the-significance-of-art-ache/
To read a sample from Todd’s Devotional, 40 Days In The Mancave: Click Here: https://toddstahl.com/devo_06_sample.pdf
To Buy his book on  AMAZON, Click the word Amazon

[tweetthis]I am expecting nothing less than the miraculous for my life![/tweetthis]

[tweetthis]God is at work in places we don’t see![/tweetthis]

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