The Greater Work
Hi Friends,
I hope everything is well with you. I have a three piece vision to share with you today. I am so grateful because the Lord is faithful. Even when we seem far from him, and busy with things in our lives that crowd him out - he is there. Within minutes of sitting down, closing my eyes and grateful to have the day to pray, his presence was with me. How we are so greatly blessed! Sometimes I wonder how can God be so personal? How can he be so involved with our very lives. He just wants us to love him and spend time with him.
As I am writing this, I remember a book, that my mother-in-law gave to me to read to my children. There is no way to read this book and not shed tears. But the message in the book is a true expression of sacrificial love. It is called, “The Giving Tree.” There are only two characters in the story, one is a little boy and the other is a tree. I hope you might have a chance to read it and be blessed.
The story is about how much the little boy loved the tree, and how the tree loved the little boy. As the boy grows up and goes through the various stages of his life, he seems to only come back to the tree to get something from it. The tree lovingly gives of itself to the boy, now a grown man. The tree would long for the boy to sit with him, or play in its branches, but the boy is too busy. In the last stages of life, the boy, now an old man, comes back with no more requests, but just wants to sit a while. Finally, the tree and the boy are together again.
I believe this is how God must feel about us at times. When we are little, we learn a song about Jesus, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…” When we are young it is so easy to tell the Lord, “I love you.” We pray for simple things, bedtime prayers, saying a “thank you” before eating, and praying for A’s on our report card. As a child, we might pray for a sick pet, or a hopeful prayer….”I hope! I hope! I hope!”
Then comes the teenage years, when we are fighting to keep our faith in spite of the ideas that are new to our ears, and challenge our beliefs.
Temptation comes in the college years, morality slips and busyness overtakes our commitment to the Lord.
In adulthood, we try to go it alone, to find our own way, only to discover that we can no longer be the captains of our own ships. We discover that without Jesus at the helm, the ship is going under.
Finally, we relinquish control of our lives and give our hearts to our Creator, our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, and now our Friend, Jesus. Our lives come full circle, and we can enjoy the Lord’s presence once again. Now promising to never leave him, no matter what trouble, or circumstance comes our way. This place is the best place of all - in fellowship with Him.
The Vision
First I saw a baby, perhaps 4-5 months old. The baby was given, three small sprouts to eat. The sprouts were very fine, as thin as a strand of thread. The head of the sprout looked like a tiny daisy, with yellow petals and a dark center. The baby had the sprouts on his lips, and tasted them. The texture seemed odd to him and he was unsure whether they were to be eaten or spit out. The look on his face was bewilderment. He puckered up his mouth, showing that he found them to be distasteful. He didn’t know what to think about the sprouts.
Next I saw a wolf in a parking lot. I knew that he was watching me, but for some reason, I was not frightened, even though it followed behind me. I was simply aware of its presence.
Then, I saw a young female gymnast preparing to run. She ran hard, hit the springboard, vaulted over the vault, and finished well.
What does the vision mean?
The Baby
First I want to say that there can be more than one interpretation to a vision. And if you see something - pray about it, for God may be showing you something that pertains directly to you. These visions came as a result of my praying for revelation about two specific things:
First, I wanted to know if the Lord wanted me to pray in the early morning at a church I have been attending since April. I wanted to know whether praying at home or praying at the church was God’s preferred plan. Prior to this, I had been praying from 6:00 to 8:00 five mornings a week, for over two years. But now after leaving that church, I have missed the special time of prayer. And even though I am still praying at that hour, it is not the same. I enjoyed the quiet morning with the Lord, without distractions.
Secondly, I was seeking the Lord's direction regarding a vision he had given me about 15 months ago. The Lord showed me a circuit riding preacher on horseback, turning around in his saddle to look at me. He asked me, “Are you coming?” I have since wondered what God really wanted me to do. Did he want me to preach the gospel? To become a missionary? To become a chaplain? Or to simply do what I have already been doing, reaching people through this blog?
I had already been doing what my heart had told me to do. After I was saved, delivered, and baptized in the Holy Spirit, I simply wanted to be like Anna, who prayed continually in the temple of God. To be in the Lord's presence, for me, is like having a bit of heaven on earth.
“Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:36
But now, I wondered if God was asking me to do something new, something that I had not expected. It was never my plan to do anything but pray and seek the Lord. Even writing this blog, was not in my sights. But God’s desire is to stretch us, and take us out of our comfort zones. We must be willing to say, “Not my will but yours be done.” Luke 22:42
So I spent three days in prayer, asking God to help me understand his will. The Lord confirmed to me now a second time, that I was to begin again to pray at the Church in the early hours. "Amen and Hallelujah!" I was so excited about this. I was in tears when I understood the confirmation. I had asked that he show me the words “send” or “sent,” so he gave me both! “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” John 20:21 Isn't He wonderful?
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and wonderful things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3
However, I was still in the dark about the idea of following the circuit riding preacher. I thought to myself, "Should I become a chaplain and visit nursing homes and hospitals? Do I need to go back to school and get another degree?" After more prayer, I came to realize that what God had told me four years ago concerning continuing education in my professional life, I was to apply to ministry. He said, "No more certifications.” He wanted me to know then, as he confirmed again today, that it is not education, certifications, or man's approval that I should seek, but to stay the course that he had set for me long ago. His original plan for my life was: "I don't want you to do. I want you to be."
I would like to share from My Utmost for His Highest, "The Key to the Greater Work" by Oswald Chambers:
"...I say to you, he who believes in Me,...greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." John 14:12
"Prayer does not equip us for greater works--prayer is the greater work. Yet we think of prayer as some common sense exercise of our higher powers that simply prepares us for God's work. In the teachings of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle of redemption in me, which produces the miracle of redemption in others through the power of God. The way fruit remains firm is through prayer, but remember that it is prayer based on the agony of Christ in redemption, not on my own agony. We must go to God as His child, because only a child gets his prayers answered; a 'wise' man does not."
"....Wherever God has placed you and whatever your circumstances, you should pray; continually offering up prayers to Him. And He promises, 'Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do...' (John 14:13)
"When you labor at prayer, from God's perspective there are always results. What an astonishment it will be to see, once the veil is finally lifted, all the souls that have been reaped by you, simply because you have been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ."
Today as I was praying, I received my answer. He said, "Just pray." Thank you Jesus, that I do not need to go anywhere, or do anything, I just need to be with you and simply pray.
The baby in the vision represents innocence. It can also represent inexperience. In some areas of our lives, we can lack the basic tools or skills to do a job. I can put gas in a car, and perhaps add oil or antifreeze when required, but otherwise, one would say that I was inept, or lacking in some important skills in taking care of a car. But does that stop me from driving, and meeting my obligations, simply because I can’t change a tire or change a headlight? No. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
The baby had no prior experience to tell him that the sprouts were either edible or non-edible. He was bewildered. We can be in that same place, feeling that we are not ready to do that which the Lord asks of us.
Gideon, was a man who felt that he was inexperienced and under-qualified to be useful to the Lord. The angel of the Lord visited Gideon while he was hiding from the Midianite raiders, threshing wheat in a wine press. The angel of the Lord said, “The Lord is with you mighty warrior.” Gideon was also bewildered. Then the angel of the Lord spoke again, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
Gideon did not see himself as a mighty warrior, but made excuses for himself, saying, “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:11-15
God used Gideon to defeat the Midianites, but not with Gideon’s strength or his army’s power. It was truly the Lord who fought and defeated the Midianites.
God wants us to know that it is not with our natural talents, skills and abilities, that God accomplishes his purposes. But rather, he uses our obedience, and our willingness to submit to his authority. He uses our willingness to commit our ways to the Lord’s will. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” Zechariah 4:6
The spouts in the vision were rather interesting. They have a mature head with petals on one end, and a very new thin filament or root on the other. Sprouts are not an appropriate food for an infant of this age. Milk is the only acceptable food. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." 1 Peter 2:2-3
The other scripture that comes to mind is: “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness, But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5:13-14 6:1-2
The sprouts were a dichotomy: mature and ready to seed at one end, and brand new ready to take root at the other end. This is perhaps the perfect spiritual food for a mature believer that is still hungry for the Lord. If we have first received the primary, or elementary teachings (milk) and have grown as a result of the word taking root in our hearts, then the deeper things of God come as we spend time with him. The Lord reveals his will and his purpose as we draw close. His word begins to transform our character.
As we continue to hunger for the word of God and for his presence, the soil within our hearts grows rich. The sprouts take root, and the flowered head with petals and seeds in its center, matures. When the petals fall, the seeds will dry and the wind will scatter them, hoping once again that these new seeds fall upon rich soil.
I remember seeing a film of communities around the world that were transformed by prayer. The film was in Spanish, so a friend interpreted it for me. I saw a community that was impoverished, with drunks lying in the streets. A Christian man and his wife came to that town to plant a church. He and his wife prayed everyday, and soon others joined in the prayer. They began to speak blessings over their community, and soon a miraculous transformation took place. The bars closed. The drunkards gave up alcohol and became born again. And the impoverished town started to produce crops, not just one season per year, but three! There seemed to be a continuous flow of trucks going up and down the road to their town everyday, picking up produce and taking it to the cities. The vegetables were enormous. I remember seeing a carrot the size of a man's forearm! The little town that seemed to be under a curse, became so blessed.
When they prayed in earnest for their town and for the salvation of their neighbors, the Lord poured out a blessing they could not contain! They were faithful with a little and God blessed them with much!
The Lord said, "See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven, and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,' says the Lord of hosts." Malachi 3:10-11
And it all came about because a man and his wife came to town to pray.
The Wolf
When we are seeking God, there will be opposition. The devil wants to stop the work of the kingdom of God from going forth. If we are living to please the Lord, others will notice. But our enemies are not flesh and blood, although it may seem like it. We must remember that it is the Lord's enemy, that is our enemy. "For our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
The wolf was looking for an opportunity for me to slip up. He was waiting for a mistake, for an open a door that would allow him to walk right in. The wolf was simply following me, waiting for an opportunity to attack. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
After 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted by the devil, yet did not sin. After the devil was not successful at tempting Jesus, the Bible says that, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:13
The devil can be patient and persistent. He knows when we are weak, and he knows our very weaknesses. Where there has been an open door before, he will try to enter there again. That open door may be an offense, a hurt, or something or someone you are unwilling to forgive. “And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
We should always pray, just as the Lord prayed: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive others, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:12-13
We must not hold on to offense, and unforgiveness, for it is a direct invitation, and a wide open door to the enemy. "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27
The Young Gymnast
The young female gymnast was prepared. She had practiced her vault many times, and was about to execute a perfect vault. She ran with all speed, hit the springboard, and rotated in the air over the vault, landing on the mat opposite the apparatus. Unlike the baby in the vision, who did not have much experience with any type of solid food, this young girl had quite a lot of experience and training in her sport or art.
I believe that God is showing us by this vault, that he can provide the perfect springboard for us to overcome any obstacle. He can plant us where he would have us be. As I was seeking God to understand where and how I was to minister, or to follow the circuit riding preacher, I believe the Lord's answer was in this vision. “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
One of the first books I read after becoming born again, was about a woman named Kathryn Kuhlman. The Spirit of God moved powerfully with her. She KNEW the Lord. She KNEW the Holy Spirit. She KNEW her Lord and Savior Jesus! She was an evangelist who loved the Lord and was so devoted to him, that people were healed around her all the time, even though she would insist that she didn't pray for them. There were simply spontaneous healings because the presence of the Lord was with her.
In the vision, the young gymnast performed a perfect vault, springing high into the air, rotating over the apparatus and landing without a fault. This is what can be physically achieved in the natural with much practice and training. But God can do this and more in the supernatural. She overcame the obstacle, the vault. But with God we can overcome every hindrance. "With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26
As this relates to my question, I know that I don't need the credentials of man, or the approval of man. If we are following the Lord and have his approval, then we have everything!
I hope you see yourself as God's workman. A man or woman approved of God for good works. And remember that prayer is the greater work!
Be blessed!
