I felt compelled to write more than just a Facebook post, so here I am back at the only place I know to write this story. Michael had a dream last Friday night, April 27th, 2025. We had been worrying about finances and some things going on that we had no control over. He has someone in his life that has caused him a lot of pain, stress, and grief. It has overtaken him like a dark cloud for years.
As pressure was mounting on us as we tried to wade through rough and uncertain waters, we were struggling to keep the faith that things will be ok for our futures. At some point, Michael tells me, "Whatever the cost, I am willing to pay it, because spending my life with you is worth it all." It made me feel better, but I hated how he was being taken advantage of. The night before, I settled into idea that perhaps this person will forever plague our happiness and we just need to make the best of it. But fear still had a hold of us.
"Why does it bother you so much?" God asked me that night.
"I just hate to see him suffer so much. I hate to see him being taken advantage of. I hate how his love is exploited for personal gain by those who hate him and take advantage of him. I hate how he does the best he can and still can't catch a break. Always made out to be the bad guy even though it's not the truth. I hate how his future is bleak when he deserves so much more! I hate that he is suffering for going above and beyond!"
"Is this about your pride? Or yourself?" God asked.
"No. I know it's not. If there's something in me that I need to fix, Lord, show me. This isn't about me. I'm angry because he's undeserving of the treatment he's getting. It's not right," I respond.
"Then this is righteous anger," He says.
I knew I wasn't worried about me. This was about Michael. I had been having revelations in prayer walks recently, I've been maturing, and realizing more and more through prayer and scripture that GOD desires to be ACKNOWLEDGED more than He desires to receive apologies and sacrifices from us. That is what he meant when he said,
"For I desire mercy (steadfast love), not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6
This is the way it was when I was a child. When I was young, my father used to tell me, "Don't do bad when no one can see you. GOD sees everything. There's nothing you can hide from HIM. I can't be everywhere you are. I can't tell you no. I can't make you do good all the time. You have to know that God is watching everything you do so you can remember this: when you're doing bad things, you're not getting away with it. God sees you and He sees what you are doing. Don't do things thinking they are invisible and don't have consequences. They're not invisible and they do have consequences eventually, even if it's not right then."
As a child and adolescent, I thought my dad was just telling me this to scare and control me when he wasn't there. I thought it was a tactic. Only now, in my late 40s, am I realizing He was trying to protect me from God's wrath. I'm realizing now that it's my lack of acknowledgement (ignoring) of God's existence, God's sight, His closeness, His holiness, His love of me and His love of those I might be wronging that God hates. When I ignore His opinion and His commands yet claim I love Him, God hates that and ultimately my sin punishes me. Now as an adult disciple, I am learning God actually would rather give mercy than see the punishments of my sins, then see my sacrifices in order to get right with Him again. He'd rather me ask for forgiveness and give me mercy because I acknowledge Him than anything else. When I acknowledge my own faults, the fact that I'm a sinner... that makes him glad. If my arrogance takes me to the point I have to go through something drastic and then have to turn from my ways with much suffering in order to return, it hurts.
God hates it when people act on their own evil desires while claiming they believe He exists. He hates it when people say they believe in God but they imagine He doesn't exist enough to be watching them closely. God hates that people feel they can be "The Judge" for other people while their own sin stays hidden or excused and justified by themselves. They think THEY are God, and they do not act humbly, as if HE is their King. No, they lead their own lives and commit their evil without any remorse or acknowledgement that God, The Creator, the King of Kings and Lord or Lords, exists and is watching them.
I didn't realize how much this bothers Him until I started reading the scriptures. "For I desire mercy not sacrifice" can be found in Hosea chapters 6-11. When you read this, look how God is angry and DONE with arrogant people who are unfaithful to Him, who don't give Him credit, whose love for Him disappears at the drop of a hat, who lie and carry out evil schemes, who rob and delight in their wickedness. These people want to be the judges themselves and their senseless deeds and rotten mouths show how far they have strayed from Him. They are looking to satisfy themselves over everything. It's these people and their sins and crimes he intends to expose in the end. God is DONE with wickedness, lies, and evil - the evil that resides in the heart and mocks His majesty.
Michael was afraid. He went to bed on Friday night with fear in his heart.
It was about 4am when I heard Michael talk in his sleep. "What does it mean he called me by name?"
Michael does NOT ever talk in his sleep. That night he did, and his speech was clear. Usually people mumble. It was as if this question was burning in his heart to ask me, and sleep wasn't going to stop him from asking. Immediately I knew this was important. I know the holy scriptures. I know exactly what God was doing. My eyes popped open and I looked over at him and saw his eyes were closed. I dared not disturb his dream. I knew God was blessing him in that very moment and I was thankful God had appeared to help him.
I went back to sleep anticipating what we would talk about the next morning.
When I woke up in the morning, Michael was asleep. I immediately picked up my phone to look up the scriptures that reference God's message to Michael in order to answer his question. When I did, I saw a text message he had sent me after his dream was over. His text read, "had dream and they said, 'he will call you by name'. what does that mean?" I know what that means. I know God called Him by name. I wanted to answer Michael in God's own words, so I looked up the scriptures.
The first passage was so inspiring and beautiful.
But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
who have ears but are deaf.
All the nations gather together
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”
Isaiah 43: 1-13
The second was beautiful as well:
This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
so that gates will not be shut:
I will go before you
and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.
I will give you hidden treasures,
riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
For the sake of Jacob my servant,
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
though you have not acknowledged me,
so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the Lord, do all these things.
Isaiah 45: 1-7
And lastly,
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
The Jews who heard these words were again divided. Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
John 10: 1-21
I texted these scriptures to him and waited for him to wake up. When he did, I didn't wait. I asked him about his dream.
"The view at first was from the sky, looking down. The sunset was yellow and you could see over the land. It was green grass and patches of lakes or ponds. There were planks that connected all the way across towards the sunset and they were very thin - only wide enough for one foot. There were people walking, but I could only see from behind. They all had the same kind of drab clothes, like robes a monk would wear, so I couldn't tell if they were male or female and they were nondescript. I was one of the people walking, but I was viewing the scene from above. I felt as though we were all walking toward the end of life, off into the sunset, and I was scared. A woman's voice was soft and came from behind and above me saying, "Do not fear. He called you by name." Once I heard this, I felt relieved. It calmed my fear but left me confused. What does that mean, 'He called me by name'?"
He looked at my face and I was smiling. It was odd because the night before we went to bed anxious, fearful, and stressed. "Why are you so happy?" he asked, in true confusion.
"Because this is exciting! God spoke to you, Michael, and I am SO happy for you. I am SO happy you got to experience a message from God. He is trying to tell you something," I responded. I knew the message, but I wanted Michael to soak it in himself through the scriptures. I didn't want to tell him myself.
"You're happy for ME?" he asked. The concept seemed so foreign to him that I would be excited. I guess in the past, anything good that happened to him was met with jealousy.
"Of course!! I am so glad now YOU know that God loves you too, not just me. You needed that, and God provided it for you. I am so happy for you. This is BIG!" I exclaimed.
I pulled up my phone and the scriptures I had already sent him by text. When I read the first scripture aloud to him...
“DO NOT FEAR, FOR I HAVE REDEEMED YOU;
I HAVE SUMMONED YOU BY NAME; YOU ARE MINE.
WHEN YOU PASS THROUGH THE WATERS,
I WILL BE WITH YOU;
AND WHEN YOU PASS THROUGH THE RIVERS,
THEY WILL NOT SWEEP OVER YOU...
I had to stop. It was proof that his dream was a message to him, and I looked at his face to see if he realized what I already knew. He began to cry. I went on.
WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE FIRE,
YOU WILL NOT BE BURNED;
THE FLAMES WILL NOT SET YOU ABLAZE.
I stopped again. The emotions overwhelmed him. It was what he needed to hear. In our bible class at church recently, we studied Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three of God's faithful servants who were thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar for refusing to bow to an idol (Daniel 3), but they were unharmed. They were not burned. Michael was given the same promise. I was ecstatic for him. We read some more and I finished all the verses.
"I think God is telling us that it's going to be ok," Michael said. A peace washed over him only God can give.
"Yes, He is, and he's telling YOU so much more. You are one of God's chosen. You are HIS! You are amongst those who are walking the narrow path to heaven, and He has called you by name, Michael. You are blessed and you are being watched and protected. We can't control what happens, but GOD is in control and he doesn't want us to be afraid. Whoever comes against you and whoever aligns with your enemies may as well be heaping hot coals upon their own heads, because God will protect you against them. Jesus laid down his life for YOU and HE is your Good Shepherd. GOD has got you covered, and I am proud to be with you. I knew you were special in God's sight. You have taught me so much about walking the narrow way. I am glad I can help you see just how much God loves you. I am doing my best to support you, but you have nothing to fear. God is with you." Amen.
