When Nightmares Meet the Gospel

Friend, have you ever woken up from a vivid nightmare that left you bewildered and afraid?

For the last year and a half, starting around April 2024, I began having nightmares more regularly and fairly frequently.

Terri says these nightmares started shortly after the inclement weather season in early 2024. I honestly don’t know when they began, but I do know that I am having them regularly.

The other night, after several weeks of going without having one, I had a vivid nightmare, after which I woke up scared and shook up. Terri had woken me gently, as she’s come to do during these events, by rubbing me gently on my back. She’s signaled by the sound of me whimpering or making suppressed noises. It wakes her up and she tries to wake me from my nightmare. I shook it off and went back to sleep, albeit probably not as deeply as before my distressing dream.

In my dream, I found myself in a cell. It was dark, cavernous, and cold. A crown of thorns was pressed onto my head, and I was bound to a great rock and getting lashed.

When I awoke, I felt afraid and bewildered. Why would I, rather than Christ, be wearing the crown of thorns? Was Jesus there too? Why was I the one receiving lashes? Where was Jesus? Was He there? The vivid images unsettled me. It all seemed very confusing.

Jesus bore the crown of thorns and endured the lashes so that I would not have to. So what was I doing? Jesus took on shame, pain, and sin in my place. Why was I there?

My dream seemed to twist the truth, turning Christ’s sacrifice into my punishment. Why?

Friends, the Gospel tells us a different story: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”(Isaiah 53:5 ESV)

Peace and healed are two words that stand out to me in this well known verse that I’ve studied numerous times in the past. How about you? What words stand out?

While I am not a psychologist, I do know that sometimes our subconscious pulls from Scripture and life, creating scenes that can leave us confused or even a little shaken up. Dreams that leave us in fear are not meant to define our faith. Instead, they point us back to the One who is our peace.

The rock I was bound to in my dream still spoke loudly to me. I couldn’t escape no matter how hard I tried. Maybe I was just twisted up in our comforter. Terri says I wrap myself up like a burrito.

In Scripture, the rock often represents Christ Himself; firm, unmovable, our sure foundation. What the dream used as an image of bondage, the Gospel reframes as an image of safety.

Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

If you’ve ever woken from a dream heavy with fear or confusion you know how disorienting and unsettling it can be. Remember this: Jesus does not come to condemn or torment. He comes to save, to set free, and to bring peace.

Fear and bewilderment may come in the night, but so does the reminder of grace. Jesus carried what we cannot and because of that, we can rest in Him.

I’m unsure of what my nightmare means or why I have these bad dreams that wake up both Terri and I in the middle of the night other than that nightmares are a symptom of my post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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Prayer
Lord Jesus, when fear and confusion rise up in my heart, remind me of the truth of Your sacrifice. You wore the crown of thorns. You endured the lashes. You are my Rock, my refuge, and my peace. Help me trust You fully and rest in the freedom You purchased for me. In Your holy and precious name. Amen.

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There are days where I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress in my healing journey. Other days, not so much. I’m still learning about PTSD, its symptoms, and its effects. It’s another twisty turn in this adventure called life.

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Until my next post…

Be salty, stay lit.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™

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