A Cat, a Turtle and a Little Dirt
Hi Friends,
I am writing today about four visions that I received several days ago. They are each single images, but they describe a different aspect about our relationship to God. I hope you will read each one.
The Visions
A Small Grey Cat
First I saw a small grey cat simply looking up at me. I could tell that he was asking for something. Perhaps he wanted me to pick him up. Maybe he was hungry. Maybe he wanted my help.
As I prayed about this vision, I began to see how needy the cat was. It was looking for something that he could not provide for himself. We usually think of cats as independent—they can take us or leave us, no love lost. But in this case, the cat seemed to desire human attention, affection, or the provision of food.
I believe that God has given me this vision to show us how we act towards him. When life is going well for us we can feel quite independent, and capable of providing for our own needs. Success in our personal lives, causes us to feel confident. We do not seek others opinions, we value our own opinion and we choose to make our own decisions.
On the other hand, when things go wrong or we face unexpected difficulties, we begin to look outside ourselves for help. We see this among the young adults of today. They anticipate the freedom of going on their own. Yet they may suddenly hit a wall, when they discover that the degree they gained through hard work and perseverance, may not necessarily translate into a job that provides the needed income, to go it alone. They may find themselves moving back in with their parents after they have graduated.
The Lord wants us to be prepared for life, to be capable, and independent as well. “...make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business, and work with hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anyone.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
The Lord is a good father. He wants us to prosper and to be in good health. He would like to give us the desires of our heart. However, he is not so much interested in our financial success as he is in our spiritual growth. He wants us to grow in the knowledge of him and his word, and to know his heart. As we trust him and come to know him, we will discover that true joy, peace and fulfillment are found solely in him. This is quite a different approach to life and purpose than that of the world. The world values a person’s achievements, education, physical abilities, talents and of course, material possessions. But that is not what God values in the individual. The cars we drive, the houses we own, the influence and prestige we possess do not impress the Lord. We are not the plaques on the wall, and the trophies in the case. If we have been purchased by the blood of Jesus on the cross, then we are far more valuable to him than our status in the community or the world.
We are the Lord’s bride, and like Israel, we are the “apple of his eye.” He wants us to love him, and to be devoted to him. He wants to have an intimate friendship with us. Like a father he wants to teach us his ways and for us to gain wisdom and understanding. As we walk with him and get to know him, we desire his love and his companionship, all the while respecting him as Lord and Sovereign King.
It seems a great shame though, when I think of all the people in the world that choose to keep the Lord at a distance. They refuse to draw close, for they are so wrapped up in the world, their careers, their families and their private concerns, that they never experience the one true God.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.” Psalm 34:8-9
We have to see that as long as we feel that we need nothing, and that we can take care of ourselves—by ourselves, we will never know his love. If we humble ourselves and seek him, surrendering to his will and to his authority, then he will reveal himself to us.
Although by the grace and mercy of God, the Lord declares through the prophet Isaiah: “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call my name, I said, ‘Here I am!’ Isaiah 65:1
But look at the next sentence: “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations— Isaiah 65:2
The Lord is patient, with us, not wanting anyone to be lost. Yet we must understand there will be a day of reckoning, so if we continue in our pride, and arrogance, willfully excluding him from our lives, then we will forfeit his presence and his eternal peace.
“So as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways. So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.” Hebrew 3:7-12
Now, returning to the grey cat in the vision, we see that the cat knew that by drawing close to me, he could ask for my help or for whatever he needed. In the same way, the Lord wants us to draw close to him and call upon him when we need his help. When we choose to trust him, to pray and to seek his face, we enter into a special place where we can experience his presence. By placing our trust in him, he freely gives us his peace, his love, his provision, his healing and his power. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7
A Cooked Chicken
In the next vision, I saw a uniformly breaded baked whole chicken. It was so perfectly coated in cornmeal breading and baked to a uniform finish, that it appeared to be artificial. The chicken was smaller than normal, but not as small as a Cornish hen. The vision puzzled me. Why a cooked chicken? Especially because I have been a vegetarian for over 33 years. I would have to be starving to eat chicken. I am not offended by my family eating it, or anyone else for that matter—I just prefer vegetables.
But when I saw the cooked chicken, I questioned whether or not it was real. It was so perfect, that it really looked fake. But I think that is the point of the vision, can we judge something as being real or true by mere appearances?
Discernment is what is needed. We make sound judgments by testing, wading through facts, exposing lies and distilling the truth. Truth should be of the utmost importance. But unfortunately it seems to be of little value to some people.
Some are most concerned with how the facts work with their overall purpose. If the facts don’t support the purpose, they can manipulate reality by changing those facts, and twisting the story that they want others to believe is true. A person who lies in this manner has rationalized in their own thoughts that the end justifies the means. They will manufacture a narrative to promote their ideals, and their goals without any feelings of guilt or shame for lying. The Bible describes a person who lies or sins with no remorse as one having a seared conscience. “Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:2
Those that lie, use it to create the illusion of truth. What is important to them is to control what other people believe. This happens to be the very tactic the devil uses to manipulate people and circumstances.
Jesus compared the leaders of his day, the Pharisees, with the devil, when he said, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
This can be said of many our leaders and the news media today who spin a story to alter people’s perception of the facts. They do this to thwart criticism, to point the finger of blame on some other group, or to divert attention away from what is actually happening. There are many examples of leaders giving a false report for their television audiences, but when under oath they tell a different story.
Everyone needs to know the truth. We need discernment. Without discernment we are led astray. Decisions made upon lies, and distorted facts, cannot be good decisions. We need to pray for wisdom, discernment and knowledge. And thankfully the Lord is the one who provides what we need. “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
We must also be aware that our enemy is not flesh and blood, but the demonic powers associated with the devil. So we do not curse, or wish people harm, instead, we are called to pray for those who are being used by the devil.
“For our struggle is not against 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
”Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:14-21
We as the church are to be the watchmen on the wall. We are to be watching and waiting upon the Lord. We are to pray that the wicked plots of the enemy are exposed and rendered null and void. We are to pray for those who are used by the wicked one to advance his purposes. We pray that their eyes would be open, and that they would turn to the Lord in repentance, and so be saved. We also intercede on behalf of those captivated by sin and unaware of the schemes of the devil. We pray that all people everywhere will experience the love and mercy of God and surrender their wills to his.
And so the vision of the chicken is about the need for discernment to know what is true and what is false, what is good and what is bad.
Grey Soil
In the next vision, I saw a small amount of grey soil in a ¼ cup measuring cup.
So I have prayed to understand the meaning of this vision and to know what the soil represents. In the parable of the sower, the Lord used soil to represent the condition of a person’s heart.
“And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:3-9
Later, he explained the meaning of the parable to his disciples: “This is the meaning of the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” Matthew 13-23
By this parable, the Lord teaches us the importance of having a heart with the right attributes: a tender heart, a discerning heart, a heart that is receptive and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. We need a teachable heart, a heart that can receive instruction and correction.
There are other passages of scripture that likens the condition of our hearts to to the condition of the soil:
“For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.” Jeremiah 4:3-4
“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12
In the vision, there was only a tiny amount of soil—only a ¼ cup. What can you do with such a small amount? Then, I remembered:
Years ago, my father sent away for a soil testing kit from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. He had had trouble growing grass in our front yard, and thought there might be a problem with the soil. The testing kit contained several test tubes with various liquids and powders in them. A tiny amount of soil to be tested was added to each test tube and then shaken. I believe that he then returned the vials to the state, and waited for the results. After testing the soil for its composition, quality and condition, he would then have received the departments’s findings and recommendations.
I somehow knew all along that there was really nothing wrong with the soil, but the problem was the lack of sunlight due to the shade of a very large sycamore tree in the front yard.
Most living things need sunlight! Eventually he decided to grow a low-light ground cover.
I believe that this vision not only concerns the condition of our hearts, but I believe that it also suggests there will be a time of testing. “For everyone will be salted (tested) with fire.” Mark 9:49
Not only will our hearts be tested, but our work for the Lord will also be tested: “...each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” 1 Corinthians 3:13
A Turtle
In the last vision, I saw a box turtle walking on water. He was not swimming in the water—but he was walking very slowly upon the top of the water’s surface. A box turtle can swim, but most of the time he would prefer to be on land. Pond turtles are better swimmers because of their shape and their webbed feet.
A box turtle walks very slowly because of his short legs. He has no natural ability to walk or float on water. He would sink just like the rest of us.
In the children’s story of the tortoise and the hare, the tortoise won the race because he was determined to continue even at a slow and steady pace. The faster rabbit lost due to his inability to stay focused on the goal.
In the Biblical account of Jesus walking on the water, Peter saw the Lord from the boat, and asked to join him on the water. “Then Peter called to him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’
‘Come,’ he said.
So Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord save me.’
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind died down. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” Matthew 14:28-33
In the vision of the turtle, we can see that we are very much like a box turtle that can swim. But can we walk on water? In his enthusiasm, Peter was able to walk on the water, but when the wind kicked up and startled him, he took his eyes off Jesus, and began to sink.
The story of Peter walking on the water is a lesson for us to know that with God all things are possible. This vision of the turtle, doing the same thing, is a reminder of that fact. With faith in the Lord, we can say with confidence: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
And by keeping our eyes and our hearts focused on the Lord, what seems impossible, will be possible. Instead of sinking, we will walk on water, and being at peace, even when the wind howls. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3
In Summary
The Lord wants us to trust him, and abide in him. He desires to have a close and intimate friendship with us. He wants us to have discernment, to be able to distinguish between truth and lies, and to value the truth.
The Lord is concerned with the condition of our hearts, as it will make such a great difference in determining our values and what we hold dear. The condition of our hearts affects our very relationship with God. And everything—our faith, our beliefs, and our love for the Lord will be tested.
If we keep our eyes upon him, trusting his word, and abiding in his love, then we know that all things are possible for those who believe!
Thanks for reading. Please share this message with those that the Lord places upon your heart. God bless you and your loved ones, and God bless our nation.
