Daniel 1:17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Do you believe that God speaks to us through dreams and visions? If you answer is yes then I would suggest that you one believe God and secondly believe in dreams. Allow me if you will to use this verse in Daniel to point out that these first two points neither one render interpretation of dreams. That takes discernment.

In my lengthy experience with churches of various types, I have found none that touch adequately on discernment. It is difficult to define and one cannot be trained in this gift. Over the years I have observed many who are trained and adequate in the interpretation of dreams. Those dreams however were not a product of God communicating with His creation. They were merely psychological in nature and had roots in unresolved personal issues.

Rare is the gift of discernment. I’ve witnessed it a few times and the same thing could be said of any individual who has the gift. They do not claim it. They use it and it is evidenced in the illumination of truth into circumstances. Many claim to possess discernment, and I would hope for their own sake that they were being honestly yearning for that gift. In none of those I’ve met has it been evident.

Discernment is not wisdom. Wisdom is freely given to all who earnestly pray for it. Wisdom is experience, it is learned. Discernment is a gift, there is no manual. You cannot be trained up to use this gift. What it does take is a solid relationship with God and obedience to faith that allows the Holy Spirit to use you at any moment, a surrendering of self in a moment and allowing the truth to shine for itself.

We are called to be servants and we recognize a cooperative effort is required on our part. But this one gift only requires the momentary empty vessel, empty of self, to be used by God.

Romans 12:1 (in part) present your bodies a living sacrifice

Job 1:8a And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job,

From the story of Job we glimpse into the visitation of angels and their curiosity about man. The observers do not know the heart of man. Then I thought of those science fiction movies where the aliens observe earth. What would they think about the way man acts today?

Those fiction stories are almost always written from a view of good and evil. The Day the Earth Stood Still was written from a view that the earth was good and that man was an evil infestation doing it harm and therefore man should be eradicated. From the alien point of view who could blame them, observe the battle between good and evil on earth. Evil has a compelling argument in the eyes of some. Good has to have overwhelming firepower and tactics which in use are destructive without compassion. Even the good voice speaks opposition to those uses.

In fiction the alien sees things from his own needs. It might well be that evil serves the observers needs better than good. Evil might feel more natural to them. There is no such thing as a neutral observer. It is our good luck that the observer of this life we live is not a neutral observer. He has skin in the game, as they say. It is also lucky for us that God does not judge actions but rather the heart of a man.

We say judge not. How’s your heart? We say love the sinner not the sin. How’s your heart? We say forgiveness is the road to healing. How’s your heart? Is it fiction? How’s your heart?

Paul said he would not even judge himself. I haven’t been as faithful in that as Paul. I understand that I am a biased observer. Do I have to trust God keep His promises and conform me, mold me, lay His hand upon me and not stop when I squeal.

Jeremiah 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Not fiction, friction.