When the Dream Feels Like a Nightmare
Scripture
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”
— Psalm 34:19 (NKJV)
Devotion
Pastor Darren said he often tells people, “I’m living the dream,” then admitted some weeks it feels more like a nightmare. That’s honest. Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean life turns into a permanent highlight reel. Righteous people still have “many afflictions.”
Joseph’s “dream” from God led him directly into rejection, slavery, and prison. He had to live through years where God’s promise and his reality did not match. That tension is where faith is tested. Satan wants you to interpret hardship as proof that God has abandoned you. Scripture says the exact opposite: hardship is part of the journey, and “the LORD delivers him out of them all.”
Notice: it doesn’t say God keeps us from all trouble; it says He delivers us out of it. There will be nights you feel like you’re in the desert crying for water. You may wonder, “Does the Lord even still speak to me?” Those are the moments to cling to what you know rather than what you feel.
Your dream may currently be going through its “nightmare phase,” but God’s presence hasn’t changed. He is as faithful in the prison as He is in the palace; as real in the desert as He is in the sanctuary. Living the dream in Christ means staying with God when life feels wonderful and when life feels unbearable.
Reflection
Prayer
Lord, I confess that when life feels like a nightmare, I’m tempted to doubt Your love and goodness. Forgive me. Your Word says the righteous will face many troubles, but You deliver us out of them all. I choose to believe that today. Help me endure this season with faith, trusting that You are with me and that deliverance will come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”
— Psalm 34:19 (NKJV)
Devotion
Pastor Darren said he often tells people, “I’m living the dream,” then admitted some weeks it feels more like a nightmare. That’s honest. Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean life turns into a permanent highlight reel. Righteous people still have “many afflictions.”
Joseph’s “dream” from God led him directly into rejection, slavery, and prison. He had to live through years where God’s promise and his reality did not match. That tension is where faith is tested. Satan wants you to interpret hardship as proof that God has abandoned you. Scripture says the exact opposite: hardship is part of the journey, and “the LORD delivers him out of them all.”
Notice: it doesn’t say God keeps us from all trouble; it says He delivers us out of it. There will be nights you feel like you’re in the desert crying for water. You may wonder, “Does the Lord even still speak to me?” Those are the moments to cling to what you know rather than what you feel.
Your dream may currently be going through its “nightmare phase,” but God’s presence hasn’t changed. He is as faithful in the prison as He is in the palace; as real in the desert as He is in the sanctuary. Living the dream in Christ means staying with God when life feels wonderful and when life feels unbearable.
Reflection
- Have you ever assumed “If God loved me, I wouldn’t be going through this”? How does Psalm 34:19 challenge that?
- Where have you seen God deliver you in the past—big or small?
- How can you remind yourself, “This is not the end of my story,” when present circumstances are painful?
Prayer
Lord, I confess that when life feels like a nightmare, I’m tempted to doubt Your love and goodness. Forgive me. Your Word says the righteous will face many troubles, but You deliver us out of them all. I choose to believe that today. Help me endure this season with faith, trusting that You are with me and that deliverance will come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.