The Way

 

Moses speaks, “For the Lord has told you, ‘You are not to go back that way again’ (Deuteronomy 17:16). He then goes on to tell them, “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there” (Deuteronomy 18:9).

There is a ‘way’ the people of God are given by Him to follow. Isaiah calls it a ‘highway of holiness.’ Isaiah 35:8 speaks about this way, “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way…. Only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

“I’m not going back, I’ll never be the same… I’ve been washed by the blood” sings in the background.

The way that is referred to in this verse is the Hebrew word derek, Strongs# 1870, and it speaks to not only a pathway and a journey that is moving forward towards something but a manner. Genesis 18:19 says, “and they shall keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right, in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”

As we move towards the Lord and receive His salvation, we are to leave our old ways behind. We are no longer to go that way again whether it is addictions, serving ourselves, idols, greed, hording money, fear, self-debasement, hopelessness, and on and on. We leave these all behind to journey on this new path with the Lord provides.

As we do, we journey on this way of holiness where we trade in hopelessness and despair, sorrow and sighing for singing His praise and not only for joy, but everlasting joy. When we are on this path, our desert and parched lands turn to bloom as a garden to the Lord. The land literally changes under our feet as we journey on this ‘way’ with Him.

It is promised that if we stay to this path that no terror or ravenous beast can devour us. We are in a place of divine protection and care. It is represented in the Old Testament by a cloud by day and fire by night that guide us. We no longer need to fear what might happen to us as all things are worked for our good and the Lord protects us.

Angels are released that help us along this journey as well. There is always more with us than against us. I once had a dream that my mother was going to be making many stops but she had this whole entourage of angels and this one lead angel clearing the path for her. She had VIP treatment in my dream. Then that year, she had several health difficulties, but in every one of them, God had the final say. It worked out the best it possibly could in every situation. I could feel and see the protection around her.

I also had a dream about getting this really huge angel that guarded my door. As he came in to protect me, I was certain that I was safe. And these two other angels came, bringing him that looked like FBI operatives. They pulled me aside to tell me to not be fast to respond to email, giving time to hear what is really said and listen for the Spirit. They said it with such love and looking out for me.

And as mentioned in Genesis, not only this blessing and protection come from following the ‘way,’ but as we keep to this path, as mentioned in the verse in Genesis 18:19, it brings this blessing upon us of being in a position of covenant with the Lord. We are blessed and cannot be cursed.

We know this from when Balak wanted to get Balaam to curse the Israelites because they were flourishing and growing in number. Balak could not get Balaam to curse them as they were walking in ‘the way,’ so he resorted to try to get them off their path. He tried to seduce them with prostitutes and idolatry. He seemed to know this spiritual principal of blessing being the result of being in the way. If they were to step off the path in following other ways, they would be stepping outside this covenant blessing and protection.

So what does this covenant blessing look like? In Isaiah 35:5-7 speaks about when God comes with vengeance, with divine retribution, that He will come to save His people. It says, “then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grace and reeds and papyrus will grow.”

Jesus, when He came said that He was ‘the Way.” He was this divine path forward that brings us into a position of covenant. Through Him we are blessed and not cursed. We are protected and no harm can overtake us. We can sing for everlasting joy and flourish. We are also promised divine healing and restoration. We are to seek first this Kingdom way, and everything else will be added to us as well (Matthew 6:33).

It seems too good to be true sometimes. “The splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.” (Isaiah 35:2) What a wonder! We are in the Way and are not to forget all His benefits, He who forgives our sins and heals all our diseases. He redeems our life from the pit and crowns us with love and compassion. (Psalm 103:1-4)

“You don’t have to come, but You always do. You show up in splendor and You change the whole room” sings in the background.

“Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder. No one living in Zion will say, ‘I am ill’’ and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.” (Isaiah 33:23-24)

Ever notice that we sometimes seem to just be hanging on? We receive Christ but we just don’t receive what He has for us. We flounder around, not believing that He is that good and we have been given that much. We take less than what is available to us as we don’t feel deserving of His full benefits.

Last night I had a dream that this spirit of depression tried to come upon me. I used to struggle with severe depression and thought about suicide every day. In my dream, this depression was wanting to come back upon and settle upon me. In my sleep, I refused it. I said no thanks, I have Jesus and receive what He has. It was that simple. The spirit that tried to come upon me went away. I am so grateful for joy. I am never giving it up or going back. No thanks, no way!

All that to say that we have that much authority and power. We receive forgiveness and salvation by faith. What an incredible miracle! We know we are going to spend all eternity with Jesus. So, as Jesus noted as He called a paralyzed man to walk, which is harder? To forgive sins or cause someone to walk? When we have been given eternity, why do we struggle to believe in faith for the paralyzed to walk?

We just need to fight for it the good fight of faith to get our minds, will and emotions in line with Kingdom realities. Receive it and refuse to let it go. Day after day, we need to bring our mustard seed of belief before the Lord and ask Him to help us exchange our unbelief for faith. I am doing this with sickness right now and I have not been sick in some time.

I am praying for and confessing supernatural immunity based upon Deuteronomy 7:15 where it says, “The Lord will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt which you have known.”

I used to get sick all the time. Then I saw my two best girlfriends were never sick. When I asked them about it, they just said they refused to receive it. In the same way that I refuse to receive depression, I can refuse to receive sickness.

Luke 10:19 tells us that we have been given “authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.” As it sings in the background that He is the God who fights for me, how much better could we have it? What more could we ask for? A Good Father does not give us a gift that leaves us in lack in any way. He gives us the full benefit and full blessing.

At the same time, this blessing must be received by aligning ourselves with the Kingdom and walking in faith. I love how God helps me out, “In Christ alone…Here in the power of Christ we stand” sings in the background.

When we get off course is when we get away from making it about Christ. Just like Balek, the enemy would continually try to not only draw us back to receive depression, anxiety and such; But, he would try to get us off course with tempting us to go a different direction so we are not in a position to receive or walk in the full authority we have been provided.

This is why is to so important we stay focused singular on Jesus. “All my heart is Yours” sings in the background. We need to love Him with all our strength, might, soul and spirit. What He has been speaking to me lately is to guard my heart not only for turning away but for complacency in going through the motions.

Wisdom in Proverbs1:32-33 tells us, “For the simple are killed by their turning way, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to Me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Complacency is easier to fall into than we think. Some pastors that have fought to keep the faith, went through difficult trials in God’s strength, and then at some point, tell themselves they have ‘made it.’ In doing this, they have set themselves up for a downfall. David with Bathsheba is an example of this as well. Having achieved the kingdom and the success he hoped for, telling himself that he made it, complacency got him to hang back from a battle. This led him right into sin.

The Way is a journey that is set to take us home. We are on this adventure until the day we die. Our sights need to be upon more than ourselves or our own success. We cannot be central to our vision or we will lose our way. If we can get tempted into becoming complacent and/or becoming wayward, we will not finish well. Like Moses entering the Promised Land and Abraham having children as many as the stars, we need to have a vision that extends beyond us.

“where you go, I’ll go, what You say, I’ll say, what you pray, I’ll pray” sings.

If His people called by Him will humble themselves and pray, He has promised to flood the land with His glory. This is a beautiful vision and something God wants to do in our time as well as the future. He wants to draw us into living out of Kingdom realities coming forth for ourselves and all around us.

I had a dream about there being all these gifts that were being dropped down three floors by my mother (from the spiritual realm into the natural realm). She said that I could have any of them that were not picked up. Since she dropped a few cans of my favorite expensive healthy soda down, I ran down there to grab them and rummage through the gifts. At first there were tons of unclaimed gifts but then they all disappeared. One after the other, they were claimed. It turned into this very large blue bed (a place of residing) in receiving these gifts (miracles) from God.

It was just these few gifts left under the bed, one or two for this young man that goes to my church and has been struggling as he was kicked out of school. I picked it up to give it to him. He is one that I wondered if I should let hang with my boy because concerns about influence. He has had a tough life and had more than his share of problems. When I woke up from the dream, I texted him and asked if he saw our weekend service this past weekend on miracles (as this is what all the gifts were about in my dream). He had saw it so I shared that I had a dream that there was one for him. He had been praying for a miracle in his life and for things to get better. I am believing with him that he will be able to fully claim this miracle and it will be more than he could anticipate as it unrolls (it was pictures on a scroll) maybe even a few!

We have to get to is a place where we are no longer playing defense with sickness and difficulty all the time but where we are standing in the fullness of offense in taking the land for the Lord. Where we are not only walking in His power for ourselves, but for others around us. And we have to begin to see the storm, not as something that will take us out, but an opportunity to walk on water.

Dear Jesus, lead us on the Way into the fullness of all that You have for this time and hour. Help us not to get complacent or distracted. Fill us with Your power so that we can bring your Kingdom to our lives, our families lives and all those around us.