Breakthrough

If you have felt repeatedly knocked down in the ring of life in the last few days, weeks or months, rest assured you are not alone. 

My spirit radar has been off the charts the last few months which has driven me to be diligent in interceding for all those who have crossed my path both past and present. The Lord has shown me a looming darkness that has been doing it’s best to derail God’s children and nullify His plans, purposes, wills and destinies for believers. 

The enemy has been very strategic in orchestrating scenarios that play on our deepest weaknesses and pains, which are the exact places God wants to strengthen and heal us in. However, let me reassure you as stated in Genesis 50:20-21 what the enemy has intended for evil, God will absolutely use as GOOD once you’ve made it to the other side of your current hardship, only then will you be able to see clearly the hand of God. 

God is allowing this season of enormous trial with the intention of purifying and healing the believer if we make the intentional choice to invite God into that painful place. Opportunity is knocking, loved one. But will you open the door and let Him in? What does opening the door look like? It may be being transparent and vulnerable with people we trust and love; letting them in to our area of pain. God very often works through a few trusted believers who are our tribe; our community.

Make no mistake, these potential opportunities for growth and breakthrough are cleverly disguised as walloping us wherever it both hurts and challenges us the most; our kids, marriages, spouses, family, friends, dreams, goals, financial provision, etc. Be encouraged: these things absolutely may be happening in the physical but they are simply smoke and mirrors trying to overshadow our Calvary that is indeed shielding us while giving us our marching orders in the skirmish.

“Opportunity is knocking, loved one. But will you open the door and let Him in? ”

Some of you have been in this walloping season for a llllloooonnnnggggg time and have many battle scars to show for it. When we are crawling through the valley asking Papa, “How long?” letting Him know we’ve had enough, throwing up our white flag of surrender and can’t go one more step; when we are bloody and ugly, freaking out and have lost all “Christian composure” coming to the end of ourselves, it’s at THAT moment…THAT is when He shifts the atmosphere and turns the tables. THAT is when breakthrough comes just as the dawn breaks over the horizon. It’s when we have nothing left, when we are at our weakest that He is at His strongest in us.

It’s like each trial is represented by a clock face with an hourglass attached. The Lord flips the hourglass and our trial begins. We cry, we freak out. We writhe in pain. We fall, we crawl, we get depressed, and have pity parties. BUT…if we have been around the mountain a few times, we begin to recognize the signs of yet another pruning. And we press in. We stop freaking out, recognize this new and unwelcomed season of growth and humbly ask God to remove in us what does not serve Him or ourselves. Even though this submission does not remove the trial, it does give us a different perspective and as the clock runs down, when we get to that place where we just can’t take one more breath, God comes in at 11:59 every. single. Time.

God’s ways are not our ways. And just because we have an idea of when we think breakthrough should happen or how it should happen, remember that is a spirit fueled by pride which conveys, “what’s in it for me? and why me?” I can answer that. What’s in it for you? Pruning. Every branch that does not bear good fruit, the Lord prunes and throws it into the fire. This is for your good; to make you a better person, to purify you of the habits, beliefs and actions that hinder you from walking in freedom and joy. And it’s ultimately to grow you more into His image. The “why me?” is that our lives were written before we were born. The Lord allows the trials specifically tailored to us to be the catalyst to little by little, grow us out of our caterpillar cocoons and morph us into the beautiful one-of-a-kind butterflies He purposed us to be from the very beginning. It’s a humble heart that is pliable, moldable and sensitive to the Lord’s healing measures; one that recognizes and presses into the painful season of growth inviting the Lord in and asking His will be done in you during the process.

I liken it to how badly we are willing to fight for what we believe in or for. God is ALWAYS right beside us even though it may not feel that way. If you have children, it’s like your little one learning to walk. You stand right there ready to protect him or her from falling into the coffee table or toppling down the stairs but you do let them fall within a safety parameter to help them learn. Once they fall, you help them get back up and they keep going and growing.

“THAT is when breakthrough comes just as the dawn breaks over the horizon. It’s when we have nothing left, when we are at our weakest that He is at His strongest in us.”

This Christianity is NOT about us sitting back in comfort expecting God to do all the work. This life is hard. It’s messy. And it’s FULL of sharp objects just waiting for us to fall on. But guess what? We all keep learning to walk all the while learning how to deactivates the enemy’s fiery darts imbedded with every lie about your situation you can imagine. 

Keep going. Keep fighting. Don’t give up. The valley is where our spiritual growth takes place. Our God will NOT leave us or forsake us in the valley. But He does let us “learn to walk” there. Determine to keep your eyes on HIM alone. Discipline yourself to not look to the left or the right or at your immediate circumstances. Speak out Romans 4:17 and call what does not exist at this time into existence. Find the scriptures and promises of God about your situation and read them out loud so the enemy hears you. He flees at the spoken Word.

When Peter realized he was walking on the water and took his eyes off of Jesus, what happened? Yes, he began to sink. This season is calling us to razor sharp focus on our God and His promises. The enemy will continue to run interference in order to distract your focus. Realize that he is the one who hates you and will continue to whisper words of helplessness, hopelessness and that we simply have been and always will be “less than”. Don’t listen to the lies. You are almost there!

Trust that your Father in heaven wants to make you aware of everything inside you that has hindered, lingered, held you back and hurt you. God does not want those things to remain in you after you’ve said “yes” to Jesus. We are NEW in Him.

When you say, “yes,” that yes gives Him permission to dwell within you. Your body has become a new place and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. As you invite Him in by saying “yes” He begins sweeping out the cobwebs, the dust, the dirt; ouch. He opens the curtains letting the light in for the first time - which hurts our eyes. He removes the dusty sheets that have covered all the unused furniture. He’s opening your house up one cleaning at a time. And it hurts. It makes us feel sick from all the dankness. The dust makes us sneeze and it’s like, “Hey! Holy Spirit! I was just fine in the dark with all my furniture covered! Stop messing with my house!” Oh, but friend, you said “yes” to Him, which gave Him permission to clean your house.

Loved ones, before you invited Jesus in, your internal home was a wet, dirty, dark dungeon. It stunk and there was so much rot in there, it wasn’t even visible because the there was only a sliver of light that illuminated your squalor. That was all of us before we said yes. Be patient. Cleaning out all your dirt, debris, and collections is quite the ordeal and takes a while. 

Have you ever visited or seen a dirty dark Temple? Me neither. Temples are beautiful! They are meticulously maintained, cleaned, honored, valued and preserved. You get where I’m going….

Let Him clean you up. Continue to say “yes” to Him. Just because you said “yes” the first time, doesn’t mean that was the only yes you’d ever say. Each new mess requires us to say a new “yes.” 

I’m saddened that so many Christians continues to live in their dark, dank dungeons unwilling to say “yes” to cleaning out their Temples.

Keep saying “yes.” It’s the most brave and courageous thing you can do. 

Own your mess and let Him clean you up. Yes, it feels like He is scrubbing us with sandpaper. And He is because we’ve got so many thick layers of gunk that won’t come off any other way!

The scrubbing (trial) won’t kill you. And when it’s passed, you’ll be a lot cleaner, healthier and stronger than when you started.