Your Biggest Enemy

You have an enemy.

You have several enemies.

These enemies want to keep you from Life and keep life from you.

It is the first day of my summer schedule. For the last few weeks I have been planning and setting up my summer schedule. Part of my summer schedule is to wake up at 5:30am to spend a quality, concentrated and focused time reading The Bible. 

As my alarm clock sounded this morning at 5:30am my hand stumbled in deep sleep searching for that snooze button. With my eyes closed, my fingers frantically searched for the little button on the side of my phone.

After what seemed like an eternity, and a rising frustration, I finally was able to press the button for snoozing. I relaxed in the comfort of my bed sheets and pillows knowing I had stalled the unattractive task of waking up early.

Without a second of hesitation, I drifted ever so quickly into sleep. However, that ten minutes of snoozing did not seem to like ten minutes to me as I was once again jerked out of my slumber by the sound of that alarm clock.

This time I used my experience to assault the snooze button like a heat seeking missile. With an instinct like that of a crouching tiger, my hand and finger launched to destroy that wake up alarm sound that was so rudely interrupting my coveted sleep. 

Once more, in less time than I could think or imagine, I was asleep....until....

Now at this point I was dreaming throughout these two snooze sessions...which so far had totaled about twenty minutes.  This dream was EPIC. 

I was with a group of people on what seemed like some type of tour. It might help to think of a group tour to Japan, or Europe, or the Himalayas...

This group tour was to a mountainous region and the others in the group seems to be people of the same faith. They all seemed to be some type or expression of believer and follower of Christ...some type of Christian. 

The trip was relaxing, yet had a scheduled which was available by through by selection of a track....much like a conference or seminar offering specific tracks of specialized interest. 

I remember seeing people here and there in the dream. I remember being with people and being alone. and the dream was almost like a journey. The group trip ahad a bit of a final destination goal to it. The dream seemed to have levels of achievement....like climbing a mountain.

Actually, the entire dream took place on a mountain that emerged from the sea. If you could imagine the mountains of the German Alps emerging straight up out of the Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful and fascinating dreamscape. 

I gradually began to feel this amazing place was not all it appeared to be. I sensed there was a hidden evil force at work. It was a force that seemed to distract those in the dream with new discoveries, much like a scavenger hunt. Some of those in the dream found certain attractions that seemed to keep them from moving on to more, while others would go back and forth revisiting the attractions they a had previously discovered. While others seemed to move forward inspiring the motivated to try and catch up. I noticed as time went on, people seemed to be missing. The group was gradually getting smaller. 

It was in a moment of moving forward that the third snooze button began to sound. As my consciousness began to melt into the reality of the dark bedroom, I started to move my hand and fingers toward that snooze button. As this happened it felt like everything was in slow motion...and I had the most unusual experience...

I was on a path leading up the side of a section of the mountain (and it was as if at this time I was moving to hit snooze). Suddenly to my right the side of opened. It was as if a door silently slide open. Quietly. There were bars behind the door. An image appeared behind these bars. It would be hard to describe this image with words.

Pale. Tall. Somewhat of a human form. A head with no mouth. No fingers. Somewhat smooth in appearance, like silly putty. Malleable. 

This creature reached through the bars to pull me into the mountain in an attempt to encage me. 

I knew instantly in my conscience that this was my enemy sent to keep me from my 5:30am appointment with The Bible. Seeing this creature and realizing its purpose was to 'steal' me away from The Bible was the very thing that caused me to throw of the covers, sit up and get out of bed while hitting the STOP button on my alarm. 

In my dream I had the suspicion, that there were obstacles to overcome and within the obstacles there were forces assigned to restrain me from moving forward. I know upon seeing this creature that all sops had been pulled and this creature was the big gun of the enemy. It was direct and no longer would the attractive faces of deception work against me. The creature appeared in urgency to take me, and failed. 

Your biggest enemy is whatever keeps you from your quality personal and focused time with The Lord.

If you are a believer, you have probably developed some type of routine for worship and devotion. I believe this is your lifeline. This is why I believe Jesus Christ was recorded as saying, "Man should not live by bread alone, but by EVERY word of God".