Daydreaming

I’ll admit it, I’m a day dreamer. In fact, I usually fall asleep at night thinking about something. Throughout the day, if I am not actually doing something, I am generally thinking about something. I’m guessing we all day dream. How often don’t you find yourself thinking about sports, your job, your family, or your favorite television show?
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Recently I have been day dreaming about building a garage. I may never do it, but I think it would be fun. The problem is that with my carpentry background, I do not just day dream about the size and kind of garage, but I also daydream about how to build it. Of course it would be better to use 2x6’s than 2x4’s, but is the extra cost justified? What kind of siding should I use? I could go with wood, steel, vinyl, or even cement board. Then there is the roof. Asphalt shingles vs. steel- steep pitch vs. flatter pitch- hip vs. gable- rafters vs. trusses.
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As I daydream on this one little subject, I quickly realize how long I could spend thinking about it and still have unanswered questions. Suddenly, my daydreaming led to a demand to find answers for some of my questions. How much does a 2x4 actually cost compared to a 2x6? How long of a 2x4 can I by? I was actually able to find these answers fairly easily. All I had to do was look at the Menard’s ad. Soon, my daydreaming had actually led to study. Not only did I have the Menard’s ad before me, but I also had a calculator and a piece of scrap paper. Soon I knew how much more it would cost to use the 2x6’s and that I could easily get a 20 ft long 2x4.
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As I said, I spend a lot of time daydreaming, but I do not always think about building things. I also day dream about God. I think about Him and what He has told us through His word. The Scripture uses the word “meditate” (to ponder--imagine) rather than daydream. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8. Psalms 77:12 says, “I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”
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When I daydream about the things of God, I often come up with questions that I do not have the answers to, just like when I day dreamed about building the garage. I obviously will not find the answers to the most important questions of life in the Menard’s circular. I will however find them in the Bible. Now the Bible is much bigger than the Menard’s add, so I may have to work a bit to find the answers. 2 Timothy 2:15 encourages, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
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It will take work and study to find Bible answers, just like it took work and study to find out the cost difference between 2x4’s and 2x6’s. In the garage example, I received help in my study from my calculator. I could have done it by hand, but it would have took a bit longer. There are also study helps for Bible learning. One of the most basic is the concordance. An exhaustive concordance is a book that lists all the words in the Bible. It then tells you which verses those words are found in. It is very helpful in finding what the Bible says on a particular subject.
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The other tool you should have is that piece of scrap paper. Write down the verse and jot a few notes as you study, then think about what you have learned. Meditate on it and then search for the answers for your new questions. As you do this, do not neglect prayer. Ask for God’s help in your study.
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If you have internet access, you do not even have to buy a concordance. You can find one online for free at places like blueletterbible.org. At this site, all you have to do is type in the word your are looking for, hit search, and it will bring up the verses. Then you can click on the verse that you want, and it will bring you right to that chapter so that you can look at it in context (this is very important to be sure you apply it correctly). Then you can also click on other study helps including the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge which is a link to other verses on the same topic. Take some time to use this tool, and you will quickly find that the Bible has more answers than you ever imagined. It will give you endless material to daydream about.