This is the Way--Walk in it!
Hi Friends,
I am enjoying the bright sunny day. It is still very chilly, but beautiful. I am happy, for it is the Lord’s day, and there is nothing I enjoy more than being in the Lord’s presence. God is good and He is faithful!
Today as I was praying I received two visions.
The Visions
A Ball with Three Tongue depressors
In the vision I saw a white ball that appeared to be a snowball. Inserted into one side of the snowball were three tongue depressors that were parallel, aligned vertically and separated approximately ½” from each other.
A Pirate
In the second vision, given less than a minute later, I saw a man dressed in 18th century garb, wearing a black tri-cornered hat, a full beard, long hair–unbound, and a white cravat and jacket. I believed him to be a pirate. A close up was shown of his cravat, made of a lightweight white linen or organza. It had sharp vertical pleats that fanned out, and tapered from the center outwards. There was no lace or embellishments.
I believe that the two visions are to be interpreted together, since one followed so closely behind the other.
What the visions mean
In the first vision, I saw what seemed to be a snowball and tongue depressors. As I thought about the vision, I remembered a particular snowball that I threw at my sister when I was about 9 or 10 years old. The snow was falling and I was outside with my older brother and two younger sisters. I made a snowball and threw it at my sister. She immediately went inside to complain to my mother. I thought I was in trouble. But instead she said to her, “If you are going to play in the snow, you’re going to get hit by a snowball.” She stated it as a matter of fact, not with any emotion. I was elated! That was a snowball that I would never forget! And I understood grace at that moment!
Inserted into the snowball were three tongue depressors. It is usually a doctor that tells us to “stick out our tongue.” Because we trust his judgment, and his position of authority as a doctor, we are obedient to do as he says. He then takes the tongue depressor and looks deep into our throat for inflammation, swollen glands or white spots. This takes trust on our part. By comparison, a four year old child would be much more cautious and might refuse to open his mouth.
As I prayed for understanding about the vision, the following scripture came to mind:
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job 13:15
This was a quote from Job, who was innocent of the charges his friends made against him. They believed he must have surely sinned for God to punish him so severely. If you remember, he lost all his wealth, and the lives of his children all in the same day. Later, God gave Satan permission to test Job with the stipulation to not cause his death. Through Job’s test of faith, he suffered immensely.
Job also suffered the accusations of his friends, but he remained faithful to God and did not sin. He believed that he was innocent, and that God loved him, and would restore him. If for some reason the Lord would not restore him, Job resolved to remain faithful to God.
No matter what snowballs may come our way, we must continue to trust God, even if we are afraid to suffer pain or loss. When God gives us a task, or asks us to “open our mouths,” we must be obedient. We need to trust him, for we are in his good hands. God is faithful and he knows how to heal, restore, deliver and set free.
But just like Job, we will all be tested. Jesus told us that we will experience tribulation, persecution and hatred because of his name. He warned his disciples that they would suffer all kinds of trials. And today we are no different, though the persecution takes many different forms, and comes from individuals, groups and institutions. Years ago, the Lord gave me a vision that demonstrated a time of testing and persecution, perhaps in my own lifetime. Through it, God showed me that it would be dangerous to carry a Bible. If you would like to read about this I wrote about it in a blog post entitled: “Huis Clo—No Exit.”
“For everyone will be salted with fire.” Mark 9:49
We will all be tested, but it is for our own good as James declares:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
Jesus spoke very bluntly about the topic of persecution, for he is truth. Yet he knows how to comfort us. He said that he would never leave us nor forsake us and that he would be with us in every circumstance.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
He also helps us to put everything in its proper perspective:
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:28-33
Someday we may be forced to deny the Lord and our Christian faith, or suffer the consequences. What will we do? What will we say? The Lord gives us the answer.
“But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19-20
The word tells us that we will not be tested beyond our ability to endure. And God wants and expects us to be obedient, for he was obedient to the Father even to the point of death. And he warns us:
“But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:33
This is a very serious message. We need to take note, even if we feel secure in a nation that protects us against religious persecution. We must understand that we could lose our freedoms within a single generation. Will this next generation support law and order and the Constitution? Or will they go their own way and forge a path to the left, towards anarchy and lawlessness.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12
In the Second Vision…
I saw a man dressed in the style of the 18th century, and immediately believed him to be a pirate. He was not wearing the garb of the wealthy aristocracy, but his neckwear, a cravat, shows him to be stylish, and proud.
The cravat had sharp folds, having been pressed, but his hair was shoulder length and just hanging down. It was not neat or pulled back. Nor was he wearing a wig, as men of nobility might have worn in his day.
I generally look at visions to see if there are definite clues as to its meaning. I instantly recognized the man to be a pirate. Was this a word of knowledge from the Lord? Or could it be that I demonstrated the actual point of the vision, for this next scripture came to mind:
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” John 7:24
We can make snap judgments and snap decisions. This is what is considered prejudice: making an assumption based on preconceived ideas and having the propensity to pre-judge. It can be unfair, and the conclusion can be entirely wrong, but it happens nonetheless.
Making snap judgments and decisions is actually a survival mechanism given by the Lord to help us avoid sudden traps or dangers. Our bodies are very remarkable and our defense systems react instantaneously. If we were to step on something sharp, our foot pulls back immediately. If we burn a finger, we quickly pull away. Instincts like these are absolutely essential to life.
But we should be careful in our assessments of other people and situations. Our heads must be clear, and our spirits attuned to God, for we do not want to misjudge a person or his intentions. We want to be led by the Spirit of God when it comes to what our eyes see or our ears hear. We know that the Word of God warns us that our hearts are deceitful. If we use our hearts to judge, rather than being directed by the Holy Spirit, we may engage a dangerous person and not be aware. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us and look to the word of God as a guide to test a person’s character and motives.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
Because we can be deceived by our own eyes, ears, or heart, we must rely on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to fill in what is missing. We may suddenly receive a check in our Spirit that something is wrong with the situation. It is a warning that comes from the Holy Spirit that caution is needed.
We also need to check our own motives and the thoughts that come to our minds. When making a judgment, a decision or a plan, we need to know that seeking God should come first. We are emotional people, and our emotions can overrule the mind and the Spirit. When we are in the “valley of decision,” and our hearts are full of questions, we should stop and ask the Lord, “How should I consider this? What is truly important? Is there something I am overlooking, or something upon which I am placing too much importance? We need the Lord’s perspective. How might this decision affect my walk with God? Am I able to keep this commitment?
We must also be aware of the enemy who would love to “trip us up,” and convince us to take a wrong turn, or make a bad decision. The enemy will plant thoughts and fears in our minds that will lead us into a labyrinth of “what ifs.” But the Word of God tells us what to do with thoughts that do not have their source with God, or do not line up with the Word of God.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
Once we take captive these negative or fearful thoughts that misrepresent the truth and play havoc with our emotions, we turn to the Lord and ask him to reveal to us what is true, and what is his perfect will. The Lord is faithful. When we seek his counsel, he will make his will known, by bringing to remembrance a scripture or through other means. We are told in Romans to transform our minds to understand the will of God.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
If we seek wisdom from friends and family that are in the world, who are aligned with its culture, and its ideologies, then what we will receive from them is the world’s wisdom. The Lord considers this folly.
“Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 1 Corinthians 3: 18-20
For true wisdom is from God and comes to us in His Word and through the Holy Spirit in prayer. If we take our cues from the world, we will become its sons and daughters. If instead we abide in God and in His Word, we will be transformed, taking on his character and his ways. We become his sons and daughters. This is God’s way for us. As God has spoken: “This is the way. Walk ye in it.”
He will surely be gracious when you cry for help; when He hears, He will answer you. The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself—with your own eyes you will see Him. And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.” Isaiah 30:19-21
Isn’t that what we all want? The Lord’s direction: “This is the way. Walk in it!”
Jesus promised that he will not leave us as orphans, but will give us the comforter, the Spirit of Truth to be with us always. He is with us if we have made Jesus Lord, God and King over our lives. If we are born of the Spirit of God, then the Holy Spirit lives in us! Hallelujah!
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
We have his assurance that he will never leave us nor forsake us. He will be with us in our trials and in our difficult decisions. He will be with us as friend, teacher, Lord, healer, deliverer, provider and guide. What a blessing the Lord is. Can we bless him by surrendering our lives, our souls, our bodies, and our wills to Him?
Let’s say “Yes, Lord!” Just as Jesus said to the Father, let us commit to him today:
“Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42
Please share this post with others, for we all may face trials, tests of faith and decisions that need the Lord’s divine guidance, his provision and deliverance. God bless you all!
