I was awakened and troubled by a dream I had the other night. In the dream, the “Abbreviated” Bible version had been released and was being sold. This Abbreviated Bible was a shortened version of Scripture, where almost half of the original phrasing had been eliminated. It was marketed as being the latest and greatest version, as the reader could ingest bite-size pieces of the Bible in mini-doses quite quickly. This version would appease the minimized attention span and the need for instant gratification of today’s society.

The frightening part was that I was really considered buying this Bible version, as the salesman so convincingly continued to praise its benefits. Suddenly, my husband, Scott, began to read a passage from the book aloud.  He realized that about 50% of the original wording was gone. He sternly suggested that I not buy the book. Then I awoke from the dream. 

As I processed this dream with the Lord, the Holy Spirit brought up 3 points that I wanted to share with you: 

1. Be alert for the enemy’s schemes to alter, remove, or distort what God says in His Word, no matter how charming or convincing of a salesman the devil may be. Determine to guard the entirety of God’s promises in your heart and mind.

2. Stay focused, determined, steadfast and grounded in God’s promises. Don’t try to take shortcuts to success. There is no abbreviated form of mind renewal or victory in God’s Kingdom. Through faith and patience we inherit the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12). This is a commitment of lifelong learning, growing and progress. 

3. Don’t be afraid to stand up for truth in today’s society, as Scott did in the dream. Remember that God’s truth trumps any so-called facts, and we are to be led by Holy Spirit not by fads and feelings. Truth is eternal, while facts are temporary!

Be blessed as you continue to chew, feast and meditate on the whole of God’s powerful word!