The Christian lay
awake in the middle of the night, restless, anxious, and troubled. Pains from
the past, disappointments in the present, and fears for the future had occupied
his thoughts that day, and had sent him spiraling into depression and despair;
feeling attacks from perceived failures, and worries from the weight of
responsibility that weighed heavily upon his shoulders. He was often tormented
by this. He also knew his torment affected not only him, but his wife as well.
He arose and paced for
a short time before kneeling down and surrendering his despair to the Lord, as
he had so many times before. He simply prayed, “This is more than anyone can
bear.” Then he laid back down and fell asleep.
Next he knew, the
Christian was in what seemed to be the hallway of a castle dungeon. The floor,
ceiling, and walls were of large, grey stones, and the passage was illuminated
by firelight. He saw a man—a guard—standing still, not far away, by a door. The
man wore interlocking armor; not great plates as a knight, but rather more
flexible for melee fighting. In one hand was a spear, in the other a shield,
and upon his head a helmet.
The Christian drew
near the guard, who was standing by the door—which appeared made of wood and
very strong. Without prompting, the guard spoke, “Let me take you to Him.”
Next he knew, the
Christian was ascending grey steps, which seemed to be hovering in a void. The
steps seemed to switchback at periodic intervals. Nothing could be seen except
the steps, and the guard beside him; all else was black or not visible. There
seemed no end to the steps as they continued upward. The guard spoke again to
the Christian, “You have access to Him through the keys to the Kingdom.”
The Christian knew
without thinking, or a doubt, that the guard was an angel. He was also aware
that, even as he was being led, both he and the angel knew he could have gone
on his own. Yet the words were not intended as a reprimand; simply a statement
of truth. Upon hearing the words, the Christian immediately felt awash in
warmth and peace.
Next he knew, the
Christian found himself in the presence of his Lord, the Almighty. He saw
nothing other than part of the base of a great throne. He did not know if he
was awake or asleep. He spoke, “Please deal kindly with me.”
Then the Christian heard, “Son, know I have set you free, and you are free indeed. You are more than a conqueror.”
The Christian
immediately felt complete confidence, and the complete absence of depression
and confusion.
The Christian knew it was
enough. Although not his desire, he knew it was ending. Again, he spoke, “Lord,
please bless my wife. She’s a faithful woman. Please give me a blessing to
speak to her.”
For a moment, he
thought it was over. Then he heard, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard
seed.” And it was over. He knew he was awake.
He did not understand
the last part, at least not in terms of what it meant for his wife. He assumed
she might understand once he told her. But then he was prompted to look up all
that had been spoken to him, for he recognized all the statements, besides the
guard’s first, were from Scripture. Upon doing so, he understood the
interpretation of the last. It corroborated what another had spoken days
earlier.
Upon arising in the
morning, the Christian shared with his wife all that he had experienced. They
could not recall anything like this ever having happened to them, although
something similar had happened once to the father of the Christian. The two
were greatly encouraged by the encounter.
Grace and peace to
you.
