URC Daily Devotion 15th October 2025

St Matthew 2: 19 – 23
 
When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,  ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.’  Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.  There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’
 
Reflection
 
Have you ever woken from a dream and wondered what it was all about? If I can remember enough of the dream, I’ve often found I can trace aspects to events of the previous day, or things which are on my mind. Indeed Freud said that the dream is about the dreamer.
 
In today’s passage we have one phrase which appears twice; ‘. . in a dream . .’. Both are dreams Joseph experiences as he’s trying to do the best he can for Mary and the young child for whom Joseph has taken responsibility. Both are messages about re-locating for the good of his family. Joseph hears the messages and follows them. He was clearly certain the dreams were of God. 
 
This is, of course, not the only place in the Bible where God speaks through a dream. That was then, though; what about now?
 
Some years ago, as head of a hospital chaplaincy, I was responsible for the appointment of a new team member. We advertised, read the applications, prayed, interviewed, and I informally offered someone the job. That night I woke in a cold sweat having dreamed that the person was a charlatan. And so it proved to be! I believed then, and now, that God was speaking to me in that dream. Without the dream, things would have been very different. Thank goodness for the support of HR enabling me to withdraw the offer. 
 
Sometimes it is when we are asleep that we can most clearly hear the voice of God breaking through the busyness of our lives. Dreams we can remember are always worth holding to God and praying through – they just might be God calling. 
 
Prayer
 
Here I am, Lord, Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me. 
I will hold your people in my heart. 
 
(Daniel L. Schutte (b1947))