I just found a really great climbing tree! Lots of evenly spaced branches and a crown right at the top that made a perfect sitting spot, where I could look out over the top of the leaves, swaying backwards and forwards enjoying the uneven rhythms of the wind. Surprisingly it also felt quite safe, despite the height, the wind and rain. Sometimes the safest place to be is right in the midst of the storm, because you're being held secure by something (someone!) much stronger than the wind.
And that's what this entry is about. Because when I asked God last year what he had in store for the world at this time I had a sense of tectonic plates shifting - the very things which underlie 'our reality' creaking and groaning and moving. A sense of uproar and the uprooting of things that seem secure. Scary stuff!
When I asked God what the opportunities were for the Church, I felt an overwhelming sense that His agenda is to show people that what they've put their trust in isn't as secure as they might think. In fact there's only one place that's really secure, and the Church should know exactly where it is. That's the opportunity for us - we can point to the One who is always faithful, always secure, right in the midst of the storm. The Rock.
I had a series of similar pictures about things like boats' anchors coming loose - the same message really. When I shared all this with a friend from a Church in Sheffield he told me that a lot of people at his Church were hearing very similar things in regard to the UK. There were various pictures and prophecies going with it: one was a huge wave sweeping across the UK. Dangerous and destructive but hugely exhilirating for those prepared to get their surfboards out and ride it. Will God's people step up?
I think God has been preparing us for exactly this. I've been told about a few Joseph prophecies circulating around the last few years - about God raising up people to help Him build 'storehouses' for a coming time of difficulty (read Joseph's story in Genesis 41). I had a very similar picture. I saw England, with oases springing up across it - pools of water. Then as I watched the land around became a desert. Our Father had prepared the oases in advance.
And what are they, these oases and storehouses? I think they are communities of God's people who are truly sold on living all out for Jesus. Seeking His Kingdom first, praying for it and living it as best they can. In step with the Spirit. When the wave comes, these communities will be the surfboards that allow people to ride with Jesus. When the desert springs up these oases will be where people flock for life-giving water.
So the question is: are we ready? Are we completely yielded to Jesus and His love? Yielded to His challenge? It may not be comfortable, but sitting at the top of a swaying tree in the middle of the storm isn't always 5 star luxury. It's not meant to be.
Ps. I've had a new album on whilst writing this post, and as I finished, a song called 'Rain Came Down' started. Guess what it's about? A thunderous storm, and a house built on the rock. Who'd have thought it?!
