Nightmares Series

Job 20: 1 ¡V 29

Nightmares

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: 2 ¡§Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer, because of the turmoil within me. 3 I have heard the rebuke that reproaches me, and the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer. 4 ¡§Do you not know this of old, since man was placed on earth, 5 that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment? 6 Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens, and his head reaches to the clouds, 7 Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse; Those who have seen him will say, ¡¥Where is he?¡¦ 8 He will fly away like a dream, and not be found; Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night. 9 The eye that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place behold him anymore. 10 His children will seek the favor of the poor, and his hands will restore his wealth. 11 His bones are full of his youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the dust. 12 ¡§Though evil is sweet in his mouth, and he hides it under his tongue, 13 though he spares it and does not forsake it, but still keeps it in his mouth, 14 yet his food in his stomach turns sour; It becomes cobra venom within him. 15 He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly. 16 He will suck the poison of cobras; The viper¡¦s tongue will slay him. 17 He will not see the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. 18 He will restore that for which he labored, and will not swallow it down; From the proceeds of business he will get no enjoyment. 19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor, he has violently seized a house which he did not build. 20 ¡§Because he knows no quietness in his heart, he will not save anything he desires. 21 Nothing is left for him to eat; Therefore his well-being will not last. 22 In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress; Every hand of misery will come against him. 23 When he is about to fill his stomach, God will cast on him the fury of His wrath, and will rain it on him while he is eating. 24 He will flee from the iron weapon; A bronze bow will pierce him through. 25 It is drawn, and comes out of the body; Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall. Terrors come upon him; 26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. An unfanned fire will consume him; It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent. 27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. 28 The increase of his house will depart, and his goods will flow away in the day of His wrath. 29 This is the portion from God for a wicked man, the heritage appointed to him by God.¡¨

Nightmares ¡V don¡¦t you just hate them? A nightmare is a very distressing dream which usually forces at least partial awakening. The dreamer may feel any number of disturbing emotions in a nightmare, such as anger, guilt, sadness or depression, but the most common feelings are fear and anxiety. Nightmare themes may vary widely from person to person and from time to time for any one person. Probably the most common theme is being chased. Adults are commonly chased by an unknown male figure whereas children are commonly chased by an animal or some fantasy figure.

Just about everyone have them at one time or another. The majority of children have nightmares between the ages of three or four and seven or eight. These nightmares appear to be a part of normal development, and do not generally signal unusual problems. Nightmares are less common in adults, though studies have shown that they too may have nightmares from time to time. About 5-lO% have nightmares once a month or more frequently.

There are a number of possibilities. Some nightmares can be caused by certain drugs or medications or by rapid withdrawal from them, or by physical conditions such as illness and fever. The nightmares of early childhood likely reflect the struggle to learn to deal with normal childhood fears and problems. Many people experience nightmares after they have suffered a traumatic event, such as surgery, the loss of a loved one, an assault or a severe accident. The nightmares of combat veterans fall into this category. The content of these nightmares is typically directly related to the traumatic event and the nightmares often occur over and over. Other people experience nightmares when they are undergoing stress in their waking lives, such as difficulty or change on the job or with a loved one, moving, pregnancy, financial concerns, etc. Finally, some people experience frequent nightmares that seem unrelated to their waking lives. These people tend to be more creative, sensitive, trusting and emotional than average.