NIGHTMARE

Danna Shirley

I believe God gives us dreams and visions as blessings and warnings.

After my husband died I prayed, "God, I have to know he's okay." God graciously gave me a dream of Ron as a young man in his Navy dress whites smiling at me. That dream was my blessing of assurance to know God had answered my prayer—Ron was with Him in heaven.

Then there are dreams of warning. I heard an elderly woman relay this one to me:

“I saw darkness all around me as I struggled to climb up a very steep hill. I don’t know why I wanted to climb the hill because there was nothing but a door at the top. It seemed like I could never reach the door. Somehow I knew it was locked. I searched and searched for the key but could never find one. It was very disturbing to be in the dark and to be anxious about I didn’t know what. It was such a nightmare.”

As this woman described the dream I immediately saw the Gospel being played out before me. Darkness all around (hell), struggling to climb up a hill (to heaven), the door was locked (to the unbeliever), couldn't find the key (to the door of salvation; which is only in Jesus Christ), without Jesus, eternity will be a nightmare!

I asked her, “If you think that was a nightmare, what do you think hell will be like?”

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17)

(Women, men, sons, daughters equal mankind.)

Don’t dismiss dreams and visions.

It may be that God Almighty is trying to get your attention. J