January 5, 2021
Do you go to bed wondering what good things tomorrow will bring? I usually plan what I will eat for breakfast and smile. Just before drifting into lala-land, I pray, kiss my wife good night, and feel mighty secure.
At age sixty-eight, there are not too many things that scare me. Last night as my eyes started to flutter and visions of sugar plums danced in my head, I had a dream where I met up with a faceless voodoo doll. It was knee-high small but very alive and it was able to move ridiculously fast. It had a black face with no eyes, nose, or mouth. The face appeared to be woven together by twigs and it wore a blue bandana; must have been a Crips hood doll. I chased after it, but it was so quick that it seemed to float as it went into another room. To my surprise, I quickly retreated when it came at me with a switchblade. I tried to rebuke this spiritual demon but in this nightmare my words were muffled like I did not know how to speak. I shouted out to rebuke it, but my words were below my vocal cords and only guttural noises came out. I knew in my mind I had to speak out, but the scriptures I shouted out were cemented on the other side of speaking. This nightmare made me feel 60 years younger and mommy, (a.k.a. my wife) had to wake me up as she heard my grunts and moaning. As I told her my dream, my heart was still racing, and I kept getting the chills. It was weird because I felt defenseless without the Word that I have hidden in my heart. The words of power, security and strength would not come out.
If Irma had not woken me up, perhaps the result of the dream would have been different. I always take pride in saying I always win in my dreams. We can never let anything so horrid have the upper hand in our life. The more we try to live better, follow the Word of God, bring loved ones and friends to salvation, the more the evil one tries to interject things that do not belong in our spiritual life.
Irma was there to wake me up this time. After we talked and prayed, it was awesome to fall asleep quickly as I felt secure with the love of Jesus and my wife all around me. I know there will be another time when she does not wake me up and the battle of the mind is my own. And I will win that battle!!
Occasionally my mind and sub conscience will wander:
· What if our country faces a major disaster where we lose all electricity, power, water, and the ability to conduct financial transactions?
· What if I get cancer, go blind or lose my mind?
· What if someone who I love dearly dies unexpectedly?
· What if this or what if that? Anything…everything!
Worrying about these kinds of things is like paying rent for something that may never happen. Any of the above worries would be devastating but guess what, I would still praise God. Focusing on the eternal rather than the temporary things keeps me balanced and confident. Peace comes from having a solid relationship with our Lord and Savior. On Christ the solid rock, I will stand . . . all other ground is sinking sand.
So, What if? And so, What? And Whatever? Be ready always, if you have a nightmare or spiritual attack, although your physical mouth is not able to rebuke it, the Word in your heart, the spiritual mouth can rebuke anything that comes against you. After all, the nightmare is subconscious and not in the physical sense.
It is usually the fear of the unknown that will bother us the most. Stay focused on things above. It is wonderful that God loves us so much He sent His Son to die for us so we can live eternally. As believers we have been: “chosen by God, who has given us this new kind of Life, and because of His deep love and concern for us, we should practice tenderhearted mercy and kindness to others.” Colossians 3:12.
Because of our belief, we can sleep soundly now in the comfort of His Arms and forever when we enter His Rest. In Jesus Name!!