We Will Not Be Shaken
Hi Friends,
I am writing today about three visions the Lord gave me over the last few days. I think it is important for us to take inventory of our commitments, and our priorities. We need to be aware of what drives us. What motivates us, and why do we do the things we do? In every life there will be crossroads where decisions are made. Which way do we go, and why?
The Visions
The Fox
I saw a fox chasing a rabbit from an open area into a wooded forest. There was a rise in the woods that went to the left. The fox continued his chase only until the top of the rise. He suddenly stopped and went no further. He stood there as if he was thinking about whether or not to pursue the rabbit or give up the chase.
The Door
I saw myself with my hand on the handle of a door that I was attempting to close. The door was not shutting easily, because the wood had swelled. I decided to put forth more effort, and pulled hard on the door. It closed firmly.
The Trailer
I saw a small trailer with no wheels. It moved slowly along the ground making a horrible grinding sound as the concrete surface scraped against the undercarriage.
These visions were given at two different times of prayer. The fox was given alone, then three days later I received the visions of the door and the trailer. Yet, they seem to be describing decisions and the ramifications of decisions.
What the Visions Mean
The Fox
The fox I believe represents all people, whether in the church or not. The fox was pursuing his dreams, his goals or his career. He started the chase well, and then made the turn to the left without hesitating. He chased the rabbit up the short rise, but then suddenly stopped. Something changed. He did not continue. He seemed stymied. I could see that he was thinking about what he should do. He had to make a decision whether to continue or give up the pursuit.
At the beginning of the chase, the fox showed that he was highly motivated to catch the rabbit. We can be very much like the fox. Just out of high school or college, we can be very excited to begin our new careers. We can be thrilled at the thought of starting a new project or beginning a new adventure. We can be excited about buying our first home, and having our first child. We are highly motivated to do well. Our minds are full of imaginations, in anticipation of our dreams becoming a reality.
In the vision, the fox ran into the woods, and immediately turned left. A left hand turn in the vision I believe means a turn away from God, or towards sin. In life there are times when we either knowingly or unknowingly sin. We can sin by giving into our lustful desires, leading to multiple problems, grief and spiritual bondage. We can make excuses, and justify our decisions and behaviors. Other times, we can rush into sin, without thinking of the ramifications.
The fox, after turning left, was met with a steep but short incline. The fox didn’t let the rise stop him, for he was still on the pursuit. Many people will quit at the first sign of difficulty, and would have stopped at the base of the rise. But others will continue for they see it as a short term inconvenience. The fox did not think at all, he just ran up the hill. And we can do the same thing. We can consider a goal so important, that we do not see the barriers, and the challenges. We just plow through and keep going.
Then at the top of the hill, the fox stopped. He went no further, but stood, contemplating what to do. Why did he stop? What did he see or hear that changed his course of action? Did he reach the edge of a cliff? Did the rabbit disappear into thin air? Was he afraid of going further? Was he confused as if waking from a dream? Did he just run out of gas, too tired to continue?
The fox had already climbed the hill. As I looked at it, the difficult part was over. But I couldn’t see anything more from my vantage point. Perhaps that is the point.
Before I was saved,
I was trying to find my way in life. I had already seen that being an interior designer was not my ultimate goal. As a matter of fact, I had already grown weary of it and felt that I had become so specialized in my field, that I had painted myself in a corner. I was trapped and would simply have to continue on that path, having no other choice.
But the Lord had other plans for my life. He knew that I didn’t want to continue to design, draw, plan and spec interiors to satisfy clients’ egos and their desire to impress people. I was tired of such materialistic endeavors. It seemed empty and worthless.
So at an Episcopal retreat, I was born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and delivered of a demon. Wow! I had a monumental shift the direction of my life. I was like the fox chasing a rabbit, then suddenly stopping. What did the fox see? What did he hear?
What did I see? What did I hear? It was God’s unfailing love, his grace, his forgiveness, and mercy, the authority of God over the demonic powers of this world, a true victory of deliverance, understanding and experiencing the Holy Spirit’s direction, the power of God, and salvation. I saw all of this! I now had what I had longed for: a new beginning and the opportunity to walk with God, as I once did as a child. Hallelujah! I saw the ever faithful Lord, the one who loves me and came to my rescue! No one can see what I saw, but now I am changed forever!
You may be like the fox in the vision. He was in the pursuit of his goals and dreams. Like he, you may have made a left turn that leads you into sin, or into confusion. You may have had many uphill challenges, battles and difficulties. But when you reach the top, and you hear his voice. Will you stop and listen? Will you choose to continue the pursuit, going your own way? Or, will you instead stop, and hear the voice of God calling you to his side?
What will you choose to do?
The Door
The door in the vision was ajar. It needed to be closed. But it was not closing easily. I decided to pull harder and make it shut. And it did.
The door represents an opening. In prayer, we speak of open doors, as opportunities that the Lord gives us to fulfill his purposes. “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Colossians 4:3
A door can also mean a door that has been opened to the enemy of our souls, by way of sin. “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’” Genesis 4:6-7
The door in the vision was ajar and needed to be shut. This is the door that was opened by sin, giving access to the devil and his demons. It is sin that opens the door and sin that leads to spiritual bondage. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
The way to close the door is to ask the Lord for forgiveness and to repent. Repent means to change one’s mind. If sin opened the door to the devil, then to close the door we must change our minds to sin. We must submit to God first, and acknowledge that we have sinned against him and against others. Then we must make a 180 degree change, to turn away from sin and turn towards God, seeking his righteousness to shine in us. There is no other way to keep the door closed.
If we repent, and ask for the Lord’s forgiveness, he will help you to keep the door shut. And should you fall back into sin, the Holy Spirit will convict your heart guide you back to God. However, the Lord is looking for a true commitment, not a half-hearted effort.
In the vision, the door did not close easily. Turning one’s back on habitual and lifestyle sin, like adultery, greed, drunkenness, drug abuse, stealing, lying, cheating... is not easy. But “With God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
Keeping the door closed requires determination and a love for God. The Holy Spirit who indwells us as believers, creates a hunger for the Lord and his presence. He gives us the desire to please him, and to avoid sin. With the Holy Spirit we have the strength to resist the devil and to flee temptation. With him, we can close the door and keep it shut. Hallelujah!
The Trailer
The trailer in the vision had no wheels. It had no ability to move on its own. Like any stationary object it can only move if it has an outside force acting upon it. In the vision there was no hitch. There was no car or truck. The forces moving upon it would have been gravity and the underground movement of an earthquake.
Years ago, I made arrangements with a church to rent a room in the building to hold exercise classes. I decided to freshen up the room with a coat of paint. So on one particular afternoon, I was on a tall ladder painting the trim near the ceiling. Suddenly I heard a very loud grinding sound, like someone dragging a heavy metal cart over the floor above me. It lasted a good minute or more. I stayed on the ladder, wondering what was going on upstairs. Then a minute or two later, the secretary and the associate pastor ran downstairs and into the room where I was painting. The secretary asked me, “Did you feel the earthquake??!!”
I said, “No, but I heard a loud grinding sound.”
She said that she was sitting at her desk when suddenly her chair began to roll away on its own. I told her that I didn’t feel anything at all, and that perhaps standing on the ladder kept me from feeling any movement.
I experienced the earthquake, as a loud grinding sound, coming from the movement of the building’s structures against each other. In the vision, the trailer moving against the concrete created that same sound.
Now, what does the vision mean? Is the Lord preparing us for more earthquakes? This passage of scripture concerns the last days: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginnings of birth pains.” Matthew 24:7
I do believe that we are in the last days. We are seeing things change so quickly. Things that we had never imagined are happening before our eyes. This is a call for us to prepare. This is the time to leave our sinful ways and get right with God. This is the time to draw close to God, to repent and to forgive one another. “Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:15
As I contemplated the vision, I wondered why the Lord used a travel trailer as the main object. Perhaps it is because we have purchased one just recently. We are not alone—the number of people buying trailers this past year, 2020, was record breaking. People wanted to flee the lock-downs, the masks and the virus, and to take advantage of virtual classrooms and remote work. They chose to travel and see the nation’s natural beauty rather than being shut inside their four walls. It was a good choice for many.
The travel trailer in the vision represents the idea of escape. No one likes the lock-downs and the mask and vaccine mandates. The travel trailer allows one to be like a turtle, who takes his house wherever he goes. The travel trailer is a way to escape all the fear mongering, the political turmoil and the _______. I will let you fill in the blank!
However the vision also speaks of the friction between the ground or earth representing the world and its values, and the travel trailer which represents those who love family, freedom, nation and God. An earthquake is caused by the earth’s plates moving against each other. The quake or shaking we are experiencing in our nation is caused by the friction between people groups. Simultaneously there is a battle being fought in the heavenlies. It is a war between good and evil, between the forces of darkness and the angels of the Lord.
“For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.’” Haggai 2:6
“So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.” Ezekiel 38:20
“Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His burning anger.” Isaiah 13:13
The Lord will shake everything. He will shake the earth and the heavens because the people of this world have aroused his anger because of their wickedness. He will shake the earth because he is God and all people should fear him. And he also shakes the earth so that people will turn to him in their distress and seek mercy, forgiveness, salvation, and restoration. He wants none to be lost. He does not take pleasure in destruction. He wants ALL to come into his kingdom. But unfortunately, many people ignore him and have no fear of him.
“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Matthew 13:15
But there are some who fear the Lord and trust in his name. For those who seek his face, he will be their rock and their strong tower. They will not be shaken:
“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” Psalm 125:1
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2
“I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
“Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.” Psalm 112:6
The Lord gives us the freedom to choose him over the things of the world. He gives us the freedom to choose right or wrong. But because most people choose wickedness and because the end is soon approaching, the shaking will continue. But as children of God, we must stand firm on his promises, be true to his word and not waiver in our faith. The time a testing is near. We must be prepared. God bless you and keep you!
Please share this important message and continue on with the Lord! Be blessed!
