One night in the week that has just flown by, I had some unusual dreams. I dreamed about snakes for two consecutive nights. I did not remember much of the details of the dream on the first night, and this left me quite uncomfortable as I hate snakes. It also reminded me of the times that I used to dream about them as a child. Fortunately for me, those dreams never plagued me once I learned the power of prayer.
However, when I had the dream for the second consecutive night I found that the details of the dream were very vivid in my mind. A summary of said details follows:
I was at home when suddenly some very venomous snakes were found in the house. I tried to capture them and managed to kill them all, but it wasn’t easy to do so. In fact, one of them bit my hand as I killed it but I did not suffer any ill effects. Eventually all the snakes were dead, or so I thought. Then I saw a black python. It was by far the biggest snake of all, but it had stealthily crept away and was hiding somewhere. I looked for it in vain. My family told me to stop looking for it, but I continued nevertheless. I searched every nook and cranny of the house in my search for the elusive reptile. The dream ended with me on the border of sleep and wakefulness, wanting to know what this dream meant.
In a split second, I was given an understanding regarding the meaning of the dream. I heard a voice in my mind say: “The snakes symbolize the sins in your life.” I then realized that the snakes I had killed represented sins that I had managed to conquer with much difficulty. However, there are still some big issues in my life that need to be dealt with. I may not even know they exist, but they are there. I need to search my heart and life just I had searched for the elusive python in the dream. I knew that I needed to take this seriously because if I didn’t, it could ruin me. I could not rely on the fact that others had told me to stop searching; the sins in my life are a personal matter between me and my Saviour.
We all have sins in our lives. Sometimes, they take the form of destructive habits which are hard to escape but we should remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13). Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We must not hide from Him, but let His piercing gaze search the depths of our hearts and remove all the impurities. We must come before Him in contrition and ask His forgiveness, for He has promised to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. As He forgives our sins, He gives us the power to “go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)
We should not harbour cherished sins in our lives as these separate us from God. Maintain a continual spirit of repentance and an ongoing desire to be in right standing with God.Unconfessed sins will not then be your downfall. Remember, He calls you to be perfect and His grace is not license to sin! Be covered by His robe of righteousness.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Scripture refs: John 1:29; 1 John 1:9; Ps 139:23-24; Is 59:2,20; Ps 51; Jude v 4 (Jude has only 1 chapter)
Your Task: Read the Scripture verses above and also read the story of the woman arrested for adultery and Jesus' response to her in John 8:1-11. What do you think of His response? Ask God to search your heart and reveal your sins to you. Confess them to Him and ask for a heart of repentance, seeking His forgiveness. Ask for His Holy Spirit to transform you into a better person. Thank Him for His grace and the victory. Then resolve to go and sin no more. When you feel tempted to sin, pray and ask God for strength and victory. Read your Bible daily, and remember God won't allow you to be tempted more than you can handle. (1 Cor 10:13)
