In early December I had a dream whose impact is still reverberating in me, and I continue to grow in my understanding of all that God is saying to me through it.

I went to a huge mansion to work as a cleaner. The master of the house met me at the door. He was pleasant and seemed happy to see me. He was young and tall and had longish curly black hair. I didn’t feel much respect toward him really. I deemed him privileged, pompous and condescending. He followed me around from room to room as I worked, talking and asking me personal questions. He seemed genuinely interested in learning all about me.

The second time I went to work at the mansion I felt grumbly and superior. I just wanted to be left alone to do my work. As he greeted me at the door I was surprised to see a young girl with the master. She was mentally and physically handicapped, very sweet, and happy to see me. The house was messy with toys strewn everywhere, and this time it was the little girl who followed me from room to room in her walker. I felt a great affection for her and knew that I would be taking her home to live with me one day; that she belonged to me in a sense.

When I finished my work and was heading for the door, the master came and kindly expressed his gratitude and appreciation. He placed a gift in my hands. I received it with much surprise, protesting just a little. As he watched me open it he discerned in his heart that there was something else I’d seen in the house which I had greatly admired. He asked me to wait a moment and then went off to find it. The master returned holding out the very thing I had seen and desired more than anything else in the house. He proudly offered it to me as a gift.

In the next scene of the dream I was in his bed chamber. The young master and I were sitting up in his bed, fully dressed and with the covers over our legs. We sat together talking like close friends while the little girl played happily in her walker next to the bed. (There was absolutely no physical or sexual contact between us in case you are wondering.) As I left to go home, I felt loved and very close to both the master of the house and the little girl. I knew that I would be seeing them again – but not as a servant.

I am sure that the dream is about my relationship with Jesus. I don’t feel secure in any relationship unless I have something to offer besides friendship. So I think the main message for me is that Jesus wants a friend, not a servant – not that I shouldn’t serve Him, but that I don’t have to serve Him in order to earn His love and friendship. I believe that the scene in the master’s bed chamber symbolizes the kind of intimacy that Jesus desires, not just with me, but with His bride: all those who love and follow Him. He wants friendship and intimacy, not just service. He wants to give us the deepest desires of our hearts.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15

Recently while reading a daily devotional book I was prompted to read Song of Songs 1:4. And there, written in the Bible is a picture of the very thing I had dreamed:

The king has brought me into his inner chambers. We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine…
Song of Songs 1:4 Youngs Literal Translation

PS: February 21,2019 – Oswald Chambers’ devotional reading for today from My Utmost For His Highest speaks beautifully on this theme: https://utmost.org/