When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.  Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes,  Lord , like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. – Psalm 126:1-6

“Those who dreamed…”. For some reason this phrase caught my attention and imagination. What distinguishes a dreamer from a destroyer….one who builds and one who breaks down?

Some of the people that exemplify the term “dreamer” to me are: Martin Luther who dreamed of a different way to follow God; Mohandas Ghandi who dreamed of Indian independence and a powerful path of nonviolent protest; and Martin Luther King who adapted Ghandi’s nonviolent methods to dream of a time when all people would be judged not by the color of their skin but the content of their character.

This Psalm challenges us to be dreamers about what God can do if we give Him space in our lives and our communities. God can “restore our streams” both corporately and individually. God assures us here that even “Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them”

Followers of the way of Jesus (Christians) should be the biggest dreamers of all. We follow a God who dreamed of a way to get through to a very stubborn bunch of lost sheep.

Prayer: Thank You God for loving us and showing us how to dream big.

SDG