The last couple of days, I could sense that the Lord was inviting me to spend some time with Him in a creative way, so I took some time this afternoon to do just that. I asked God for a scripture reference and He gave me Matthew 4:12, which extended to verse 17. Without having looked it up yet, and as I was writing the reference down, I saw in my mind a picture of Jesus walking. Purposely, walking. The words I heard were “I have come…[@more@]I have come to bring light.” I knew in my heart what I was seeing was where Jesus had come with purpose and determination to set the captive free, to free each of us from our bondage, fear and debt. To set us free in every capacity. That when we can say “The I Am has come” into our lives and we walk in Him, then we will have freedom in every situation we encounter.
I looked up the scripture and this is what it said: “Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested and put in prison, He withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the country of Zebulun and Naphtali, to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: The land of Zebulun and the land of Nephtali in the way to the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people living (enveloped) in darkness have seen a great Light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a Light has dawned. From that time on Jesus began to preach, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
How exciting! First to read what God was showing me and then to have Him expound on it even more. Of course, you may be thinking, how exciting can these scriptures be? John is in prison, Jesus leaves and then it gives a list of all these names I can't pronounce much less spell. Well, let's look at it all bit by bit…
John is imprisoned. He is the one chosen to prepare the way of the coming messiah. He knew the time of his ministry was coming to a close and the time set for the messiah was just beginning, but was this the way it was to end? He was known as the “one crying in the wilderness”. In the natural, it looked like something had gone very wrong. What a picture of what we, as God's creation, had become—ones lost and crying in the wilderness and now imprisoned!
Jesus, knowing that now was His time, began walking. Not, toward John, but away from. He headed into Galilee. The word Galilee means “circle or region” as in “the heathen circle”. Capernaum means “a village (as protected by walls), an abode”. Zebulun, means “habitation” and Nephtali, “my wrestling”. Starting to get the picture? Jesus was walking into the habitation and walled territory of a lost humankind. The place where humans have wrestled with God to be in control. In Genesis 6:3, God says “My spirit shall not always strive [contend with or to judge, to rule or be sovereign] with mankind.”
That is the fight! The fight between spirit and flesh. Who is in control? Who is sovereign? Who is God?
Jesus was walking straight into His destiny… “For this purpose was the son of man manifest to destroy the works of the evil one…”. God was not going to continue to strive with us, He was coming as Jesus to break down the walls of bondage, He was coming in the flesh to free us from darkness, sin and death.
He would bring us into our destiny.
When we let the Messiah, the “I Am” come walking into our lives, into our darkness, into our situation—He will bring us into light and into freedom, breaking the power of death and darkness! In Him, is our final destiny, the fullness of our purpose and design.
When we let go of fighting to have control over everything in life and trying to make something happen and turn each thing over to Christ…when we have ceased to strive with God for ownership and have recognized Him as the sovereign ruler in our lives, then we can walk into that destiny He has created us for.
Jesus said that He spoke only what He heard the Father God speak and He did only what He saw the Father God do. He prayed “not my will, but yours”. He had given the control and the trust for His life over to the Father God and in so doing, walked into His own destiny, making a way for us to walk into ours!
Ours is to be or exist in Him as He is in the Father! Only in Him; hidden, dwelling, abiding, making ourselves pliable to His will, is where we will find our purpose. This is where we find His desires in us. This is where we find repentance, forgiveness, humility, cleansing, healing and deliverance. A complete rebirth! Allowing God, Himself, to be formed in us.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness…for in Christ all the fullness of the Deity (Godhead) lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him, you…having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him…since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is…for you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God…put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed…you used to walk in these ways.” Colossians 2:6, 9-12; 3:1-7 (NIV)
“Used to walk”, that is the key.
“For once you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of the light-lead the lives of those native-born to the Light. For the fruit-the effect, the product-of the Light, the Spirit, consists in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart and trueness of life…But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear…Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully…not as the unwise and witless, but as wise-sensible, intelligent people…Making the very most of the time…ever filled and stimulated with the Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 5:8-18 (Amp)
God walked in the garden to spend time with Adam and Eve (Gen3:8). When Cain was being sentenced by God for murdering his own brother, Abel, he cried that his punishment was too great because he was afraid to leave the presence of God and become a wanderer or vagabond (Gen 4:13-14). Enoch walked with God (Gen 5:24); Noah walked with God (Gen 6:9); Solomon was exhorted to walk before God just as his father, David walked before God (II Chr 7:17). And as the kings of Israel are listed in the Old Testament, it is noted whether they walked before God or if they walked in the way of their natural fathers which was contrary to the way of God.
There are promises to those who choose to walk in the way of God. Promises of having “hind's feet”, of treading on serpents, scorpions, lions and the cobra, and even our enemies. (Shoes have been found with the name of the owner's enemies embroidered on the soles!) Promises that our steps are ordered by God, Himself, and they are guarded by angels, our ways being made straight and not crooked, and the high places made low and the low places made high…
There are just too many to list here! But look with me at one more passage of scripture, in Isaiah 58. This is where God is telling us what a true fast is before Him and the resulting promises. Look at the end of verse 12. Part of the promise is that you will be called “Restorer of Streets with Dwellings”. Wow, I really liked the “Restorer” part, but “Streets with Dwellings”? Why, Lord, is it streets with dwellings and not just streets? Because these are streets of Abiding! Dwellings are where people stay. Streets with souls! God wants to restore the places of Abiding with Him!
That's the whole purpose—restoring souls to a place of abiding with God!
This passage is a picture of what life becomes when following after Christ and “keeping your feet from breaking the Sabbath” and “honoring it by not going your own way” which is all about true submission to God, total abiding, surrender, rest and trust in Him (John 15; Hebrews).
Oops, now we're back to who is in control, us or God!
He sets before us death or life and then tells us “choose life”!
Where have you walked? Where are you walking? Where do you want to walk?
Father God, let us receive Your Son of Light who will guide our feet into the pathway of peace. Let us walk in that Light, abide and rest in that Light! As we clothe ourselves in the righteousness of Jesus, and the garments of praise, and as we put on the whole armor of God, let us not forget to put on our feet the “readiness of the Gospel of peace”. The way of peace, not as the world gives, but as Jesus gives! Ready our feet, Lord, to follow after You, to walk in faith, walk in newness of life, walk in high places, walk in the Spirit and walk in Love! Restoring souls to a place of abiding in You, which is our destiny, Lord. Bring us into that destiny! Enoch walked with You and then was not, for You took him to be with You! Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly!
Vickie Hieb, Texas, USA
Also read "Recognize and Evangelize" by T Zapata. Both articles were wrote at the same time and we didn't even know the other was writing! God is so good!