Shakespeare’s popular play of this title depicts a comedy of errors in the truest sense of the phrase. From complex love triangles, ardent lovestruck pursuers, and mystical fairy kingdoms to love potions gone awry and pathetic playwright performances, this tale is nothing short of a comical, convoluted, cacophony of characters; in my words, “way too much drama!” or in more delicate Shakespearean terms, “Much Ado About Nothing!” – all occurring in the span of one lovely midsummer night!
Crowds & Clouds
Such was not the case with childless Abram, who God brought outdoors to envision the grandeur of the starry skies and the vastness of sandy seashores, all so he could mentally capture the picture of his immense future of multitudinous offspring. His Midsummer Night’s Dreams were far from comedic or illusional. They were pivotal destiny-defining occurrences that detailed certain historical events long before they happened, transforming his life and the whole trajectory of human history,1 even though such dreams would have appeared ludicrous in his hopelessly infertile state.
Similarly, Joseph the dreamer had recurrent night visions of rulership that seemed laughable, being the beloved, pampered, second-to-last son of a father who would never let him out of his sight long enough to venture into any of life’s rigors. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he was a favored child with his head in the clouds, naive and often clueless regarding the incendiary effects of his lofty fantasies. He could never have foreseen the lowly hardships that cultivated the character and skills necessary for the high-level governance his dreams depicted.2 As amusing as those grandiose dreams may have seemed at the time, his journey towards their actualization was anything but.3
Stealth & Wealth
Jacob the swindler had a destiny-defining dream where he interacted with God and His angels. Known for his sneaky and supplanting ways, this first recorded encounter served as a global positioning point in his life and paved the way towards other life-defining moments. He experienced God personally and established the tenets of his covenant with Him, distinct from the familial covenant He had already established with his grandfather Abraham. Several years and encounters later, the full effects of that dream were flagrantly manifest in his life and are still evident in his legacy today, the former culminating in a paradigmatic shift into guilelessness, strength of character, and a destiny-refining name change. While God sustained him through the hard times and gave him many reasons to celebrate during his years of hard labor, his journey to dream fulfillment was not via the scenic route.4
Solomon, the unexpected result of a sordid season of idleness and immorality, had his illegitimacy and inexperience obviated by an incredible visit from God. That encounter set him up as the wisest, wealthiest, and most war-avoidant king of his time, sealing the course of his uniquely peaceful reign.6 His Midsummer Night’s Dream resulted in lifelong accomplishments, unparalleled fame, and exceptional mental acuity, marred only by his infidelity to God through debasing himself in the worship of false gods.7
Divine & Consigned
Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, had a dream that accomplished what only a divine encounter could – the acceptance of a bride with a far-fetched claim and a child supposedly conceived by supernatural means. This singular act of faith conferred upon him one of the greatest earthly privileges of all time – the opportunity to raise, provide for, and mentor the Savior of the world!8 Later dreams would reveal ways he was to protect his family from danger and ensure the fruition of Jesus’ rescue plan for humanity.9 The directives from those dreams did not lead to fun-filled walks in the park, but required a fervent, focused journey of faith.
Jesus’ passion and trial were fraught with tension and anticlimactic moments, culminating in Pilate’s wife’s dream that was no laughing matter. She felt constrained to confirm Jesus’ innocence and to strongly admonish her husband to refrain from involvement in his wrongful conviction.10 The latter washed his hands off the matter (literally), consigning Jesus to the vicious hands of the religious leaders. While we glean no further insights into her life beyond this, her obedience likely yielded personal benefits as consequences of deference to a divine mandate.
Other biblical examples abound, but suffice it to say that God-inspired dreams are no casual concept. They are avenues for divine encounters and destiny-defining moments. While Shakespeare’s narrative is fraught with frolic, fanfare, and fiction-filled hilarity, your God-given Midsummer Night’s Dream will be anything but, yet no less engaging, intriguing, and compelling. Be sure to keep your spiritual eyes and ears open to those God-inspired dreams, for as sure as day after day utters speech, night after night will reveal knowledge11 – to the sensitive, sincere seeker of God and His glorious life plans.12
Dear friend, you and I were created to encounter the living God, come to know, love, and serve Him, and to live out His purposes for our lives. Have you downloaded those purposes through the visions and dreams He placed in your heart? Are you living or pursuing those dreams, or have you forgotten or relinquished them? Are you merely existing in life’s rat race – eating, drinking, sleeping, working hard, paying bills, and doing it all again the next day, with little to no sense of divine excitement, fulfillment, or meaning, or worse, doing your thing void of a superior calling or responsibility?
Your God-inspired Midsummer Night’s Dream is anything but comical or delusional. Dreams from God are noble, notable, and achievable! Have you believed, received, and imbibed them as food/fuel, setting them before you as inspirational roadmaps to (your next phase in) destiny, pursuing them with all your heart, or are they tucked away in the back burner of busy, lackluster, or self-gratifying living? At every season of life, God expects you to dream, eat, and live the visions He gives you for your future.
DREAM, EAT, LIVE, REPEAT!
**For questions on how to get to know God personally through Jesus Christ, find a firm footing for His plan for your life, or for other inquiries, please email: graced@thewordofhisgrace.com
For Your Midsummer Night’s Dreaming Pleasure
God Will Work It Out (Maverick City Music/Naomi Raine/Israel Houghton)
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=URuIldVKk9U&si=hUagMOER5Z-wp7iM
More Than Able (Elevation Worship/Chandler Moore/Tiffany Hudson)
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ1xxoP7NJk&si=Fj1EUURfC0P7pTml
References
1. Genesis 15, 17 & 22
2. Genesis 37
3. Genesis 39-42
4. Genesis 32:22-28; 27:37-42
5. 2 Samuel 11
6. 1 Kings 3:3-4:15
7. 1 Kings 11:4-14
8. Matthew 1:18-25
9. Matthew 2:12-23
10. Matthew 27:18-20
11. Psalms 19:2
12. Jeremiah 29:11