I had the most amazing dream the other day. It was not only amazing; it actually came true literally. In my dream I found two or three pennies on the ground. Then I heard a voice which very clearly said, “Talk to me!” I woke up and felt that God wanted me to talk to him about this dream. I started to pray. In the process of praying through this dream, in a half awake, half asleep state, I figured that God was telling me that I’d find some pennies while I walked. I was to tell the very next person I saw that God loved them and that he wanted a relationship with them. Was this a dream from God or was I getting myself worked up? Frankly, it was a bit hard to tell. However, how often does one find random pennies when they are walking?

The next morning I found a penny while walking! Was it a coincidence? The next person I saw I walked up to them, gave them the penny and told them my story. I finished with, “God loves you and wants a relationship with you.” The person smiled, thanked me and stuck the penny in their pocket. I asked God what to do next. I felt he told me, “You’re done.” So I continued my walk. The following morning, I found another penny! I walked up to the next person I found, told them my story, gave them the penny, told them of God’s love and desire for relationship and moved on.

This was addictive. I had heard God’s voice through a dream. In the most improbable way he was fulfilling exactly what he told me he would do. How fun is that! I wanted to find a penny every day. Then I’d write a book entitled Pennies from Heaven. I could tell pennies from heaven stories and use them to illustrate ministry principles. There was only one problem. From that point on, I haven’t found any pennies. Are there more pennies from heaven? I don’t know. Does God want me to write a book? Apparently not.

But this does illustrate a point about walking in God’s will. God does like to tell us “this is the way, walk in it.”(Isa. 30:21). The whole idea of the new covenant is that we live by guidance of the Holy Spirit. God has many ways of communicating with us. He speaks; we just need to actively listen. But, like me, we have a very human tendency to tell God, “I’ve got it from here.” Once we think we know what God wants, we tend to take over. Did God tell me I’d find a penny every day? Did he tell me specifically to write a book? No. But I did tell him, “I’ve got it from here.”

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (I Jn. 1:7). One way to look at this verse is through a metaphor. God shines a flashlight in the darkness. He says “step here.” We walk in the light, and stay there until he shines it somewhere else saying, “walk here in the light.” However, when we get out ahead of God, when we step from the light that he has indicated, we are actually stepping out into darkness. In essence we are saying, “Thanks God, for the direction. I’ve God it from here.”

The new covenant is designed for constant, relational interaction with God. He may ask us what we’d like to do next and give his approval. But, we should never say, “Thanks, I’ve got it from here.” Jesus is Lord, and we are not. We need to walk in the light and bask in the presence and love of the Lord. However, like Jesus, we can only do what we see the Father doing. No more, no less.

UPDATE: Just after posting this blog I went to the store. I found a penny in the parking lot and spoke to a man who thanked me for giving it to him. Maybe I’ll write that book yet.

  • Which is worse, stepping out of the light of God’s direction or never bothering to listen in the first place?
  • What are other ways of God speaking to us?
  • Was that just an incredible coincidence or did God actually speak to me in a dream, which he later fulfilled literally? What do you think and why?
  • What would you do if you felt God spoke to you supernaturally?
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