Frogs, a Termite, and Trusting God: Lessons from Two Prophetic Dreams

Several years ago, I prayed that God would give me prophetic dreams. Not long afterward, I had two unusual dreams that stayed with me. I cannot prove that either dream was prophetic, and I do not believe that frogs or termites have one fixed spiritual meaning. I share these dreams because they led me back to biblical truths about trusting God, working faithfully, and receiving rest as His gift.

Dream 1: The Frogs

In the first dream, I saw two large, plump frogs floating down a river. They looked content. Both frogs smiled, pointed their heads toward the sky, lifted their feet, and simply enjoyed the ride.

When I woke the next morning, I felt that the Lord was reminding me to “go with the flow.” I have a hard time accepting circumstances that I cannot change. The picture of those frogs helped me understand surrender: I can stop fighting every current and trust God with what lies beyond my control.

When I say “go with the flow,” I do not mean following the world or becoming passive. I mean releasing the illusion that I can control everything while remaining faithful to whatever God asks me to do.

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”
— Psalm 37:3 (NIV)

This verse holds trust and action together. I am called to trust the Lord, but I am also called to do good. Faith does not mean doing nothing. It means doing what obedience requires and leaving the outcome with God.

The dream also reminds me of Psalm 131. The psalmist refuses to carry matters that are beyond him and says:

“But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.”
— Psalm 131:2 (NIV)

That is the kind of contentment I want to learn. I do not have to solve every problem, understand every mystery, or carry every possible outcome. I can quiet myself in God’s presence and trust His care.

Paul’s words about “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” are specifically about pressing onward in the pursuit of Christ (Philippians 3:13–14). They also challenge me not to remain trapped by the past. Proverbs 3:5–6 teaches me to trust the Lord rather than lean entirely on my own understanding. Jesus teaches me not to carry tomorrow’s worries today (Matthew 6:34). Paul also says that he learned to be content in both need and plenty (Philippians 4:11–12).

Trusting God does not mean neglecting my responsibilities. It means discerning what is mine to do, doing it faithfully, and surrendering what only God can control.

Dream 2: The Termite

A few days later, I had another dream. I watched a termite work for as long as it could. When it became tired, it stopped moving and went to sleep. As soon as it awoke, it returned to work.

At first, I understood the dream to mean that when life became difficult, I should remove every distraction, work until I was tired, sleep, and then repeat the cycle. That impression contained a useful call to focus. When responsibilities are urgent, I may need to simplify my life and set aside unnecessary distractions.

While that is true, on further reflection I understood two other truths. First, I can receive and enjoy rest as one of God’s good gifts before I drive myself to exhaustion. Second, my job is to trust God, not necessarily to maximize my productivity.

“Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.”
— Exodus 34:21 (NIV)

Plowing and harvest were among the busiest and most urgent seasons of the agricultural year. Yet God still commanded His people to stop. Rest is not only for seasons when nothing important remains to be done. Rest can be an act of trust precisely when the work feels most urgent.

Genesis 2:2–3 says that God finished His work of creation and rested on the seventh day. This does not mean that God became exhausted, because Isaiah 40:28 says that He does not grow tired or weary. God’s rest marked the completion of His work and established a holy rhythm for human life. Jesus also recognized His disciples’ physical limits and invited them to come away to a quiet place and rest (Mark 6:31).

Ecclesiastes adds another part of the picture:

“That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:13 (NIV)

The verse does not reduce life to work and sleep. It describes food, drink, and satisfaction in our labor as gifts from God. Danny Beech likewise describes biblical rest as rhythmic and as a gift that teaches believers to trust God’s provision. This rhythm appears throughout creation in day and night, seedtime and harvest, and growth and dormancy. We, too, were created for rhythms of work and rest.^[1]

There may be demanding seasons when I need to set aside video games or other distractions so I can concentrate on responsibilities, reduce debt, and care for the people God has entrusted to me. But recreation is not automatically sinful, and rest is not wasted time. God has also given me responsibilities toward worship, family, relationships, and health. The goal is not endless productivity; the goal is faithful stewardship.

Now the termite dream reminds me to work diligently while accepting my human limits. I can do the task God has placed before me, rest before exhaustion becomes harmful, and return to the work renewed. I do not have to reach the point of collapse before giving myself permission to rest.

What the Two Dreams Teach Me

The frogs reminded me not to waste my strength fighting circumstances I cannot control. The termite reminded me not to pretend that my strength is unlimited. Together, the dreams point me toward a healthier biblical rhythm:

Test every spiritual impression by Scripture.
Trust God with what I cannot control.
Do the good and necessary work He has given me today.
Receive rest as part of faithful obedience, not merely as a reward for reaching exhaustion.
Leave tomorrow and the final outcome in God’s hands.

A prayer:

Lord, give me wisdom to know what I should act upon and what I should surrender. Teach me to work faithfully without making productivity an idol. Help me receive rest with gratitude, trust You with tomorrow, and remain content in Your care. Amen.

The Serenity Prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.^[2]
—Reinhold Niebuhr

Sources

Danny Beech, “I’m Tired! A Look at What Biblical Rest Looks Like Today,” East Cooper Baptist Church, November 15, 2023. Accessed July 29, 2026.
Reinhold Niebuhr, “The Serenity Prayer,” Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Accessed July 29, 2026.

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