My Process…
God often works through me on very personal levels. What I mean is, before an event will occur on a grand scale for the world, it is as if He allows me to experience it on somewhat of a smaller one, so as I live it and only through Him overcome, I can share with others when He allows me to. On your journey with Jesus, you may ask: “how do I know when to share what God has shared with me/allowed me to experience?” The answer to this question is: the story I am about to share with you occurred months ago, yet now that it is time to release it, I see the title of this post EVERYWHERE. I am not always sure regarding releasing Words, so I will ask God for confirmations. I began to see the word “bait” then the frequency of seeing this word increased as time got closer. In my experience with the Lord, this is the difference between: “the world has time before they will experience the event you have lived” and “NOW. TELL MY PEOPLE NOW.” A study on the lives of the Prophets of Old (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel comes to mind) will give you insight into this process of how God communicates.
Originally dated 5/1/22
I've had a situation for the past few weeks. I was firm in my stance not to oblige based on the information I had. I prayed both in my natural language and in tongues regarding this situation. I always figure that if I miss something considering my human frailties, Holy Spirit won't. In the midst of the next phase of this issue, it was as if time stopped and God spoke to me. He gave me clear understanding in milliseconds of why this situation was happening to me. He was using me to illuminate flaws in the very system I was in opposition to—essentially, a system of oppression. Be that as it may, I immediately decided to stop fighting because I'd be fighting God's plan to get whatever results He desires from this situation. I instantly stopped pleading my case and made the decision to do what I was being asked to do in the natural. I’m not sure why I trusted that regardless of whatever came afterwards I would be okay, but I did—I trusted that Yahweh had my best interest at heart because He knew more than I did. Nevertheless, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being used as bait—strategically positioned to catch bigger fish, if you will.
Helpful Scriptural Reminders…
Luke 12:11-12 NIV
11“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”—Jesus
Acts 18:9-10 NIV
9 “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.” 10 For I Am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
V11 “So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the Word of God.”
And so, God’s work was able to continue. The greater goal is always worth what we will face. It also doesn’t hurt that as we do His work, we are never alone.
A Change of Perspective…
Feeling like bait is one thing, knowing that I was being used to further God’s plan (whatever that is) made the discomfort this situation caused, worth it. Isaiah 55:8-9 has been my go-to for comfort during times when I just don’t understand. I have come to find peace in this truth: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” I am humbled by God’s BIGNESS.
The Lord was and is still trying to do something bigger regarding this situation. At some point before the beginning of time (Isaiah 46:10), He decided that I was the woman for this task even if I didn't know the requirements beforehand. Consider how BIG He is to have done this.
Patterns of God…
Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV reminds us of this: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).” These verses are true. If you take time to study Scripture, pay attention to how patterns are repeated over and over throughout hundreds or even thousands of years. Characters may change, but the patterns remain.
With that being said, it is not unlike the Lord to say, "Go" without the next step(s) until we arrive wherever He has sent us. In the Book of Genesis chapter 12, God told Abram “Go… (v1-3).” In the Book of Exodus chapter 3:10 NIV, God said to Moses: “So now, go. I Am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.” God did not give Moses all of the details until it was necessary for Moses to know what God needed him to know. Yet again, in the Book of Luke chapter 10 which recounts Jesus sending out the seventy-two disciples, verse three begins: “Go (NIV)!” These few examples of which there are many, helped me a great deal earlier on in my prophetic journey with Jesus.
A Tale from Not so Long Ago…
I cannot tell you what I was doing on this particular day in 2019 to prompt this encounter, I don’t recall, but the Lord said to me: “Go. Make it work and I will be with you.” My pastor sent me back to ask God a few clarifying questions and God answered me. However, let me say again, it is not unlike God to place us in situations without previously consulting us. Nevertheless, when He brings clarity to those moments, I have to say that I have been more grateful than upset with Him for using me as bait—the outcome was always worth it.
We are human… In my natural ways, I am unlikely to go if I don't have the details. My loved ones can attest to this. God knows this about me very well. I know this also sounds strange, but if I knew that my reputation/integrity so to speak were going to be up for question because of this aforementioned situation that started this whole ordeal, I would've avoided it. As I type this, there is slight humor as I'm recalling God's thought process for leading the Children of Israel AROUND rather than THROUGH.
Exodus 13:17-18 NIV
17 “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.”
You see, till this very day, we still mention Yahweh next to "The Red Sea." All GLORY, honor, and praise be ascribed to God Most High. Again, I’m not sure if you would find this humorous or not, maybe if you were among the Children of Israel crossing the Red Sea, you may not find this as funny, but the long way that God took them left them no other option but to go forward once they reached the Red Sea. It just so happens that forward was a massive body of water prior to God instructing Moses to lift his staff which would part the Red Sea. What other option did they have at the last moment when they realized the Egyptian army was approaching from behind them? Current Events…
In light of the current times that we are in: crossing through the Red Sea on dry ground (Exodus 14:22), do you think Moses would have continued on if God had initially given him all of the details? Probably not. Please recall that Moses didn’t consider himself fit for this job (Exodus 4:10-12), yet THROUGH him, God got His glory. The Lord back then used a self-proclaimed weak and foolish person to confound the powerful and wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). He still does this.
I believe God is relying on the arrogance of pharaoh (the pharaohs) once again. This time around however, it would seem that we are the bait that He plans to use not only to lure the army of the enemy into the Red Sea to their demise, but once again to assert Himself as GOD ALMIGHTY for HIS GLORY.
I Leave You with Some Hope…
In 2021, God communicated “stand firm” to me in a time when the world was still in the midst of this dramatic “change (Word from 2019)”. These are still current Words. A few months ago, He said to my heart: “hang in there.” This is also still a current Word, as well as this one:
Exodus 14:13-14 NIV
13“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Challenge
1 Seek God: speak to Him, praise Him, worship Him, spend time with Him, ask Him questions, thank Him, LISTEN.
2 Study what comes next in Scripture. As there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9), please expect what was, to be again—sometimes unfortunately: “What was Supposed to Take 11 Days Will Take 40 Years.” Please see this inspired Word from 2020 for more.
3 In reference to challenge number 2, I do not know if it will take forty years for Jesus to return: sooner or later. Please remember that time to us, isn’t the same for God. For Him, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day (2 Peter 3:8). The takeaway from the aforementioned 2020 blog post is this: pay attention to the patterns, especially the ones that did not work out for the Children of Israel after crossing through the Red Sea on dry ground with walls of water to their left and right—a miracle in and of itself. DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES THAT THEY DID. Instead, learn from them. God has handed us a blueprint: His Word (The Bible). Use it.
4 There is hope. If there was not, I do not think God would go through all He is to make sure that we follow the straight and narrow path to Mount Zion which is where I KNOW His heart intends for us to go at this time. Hope has always been Jesus and He loved you first (1 John 4:19). He still does and always will (Romans 8: 31-39). Get to know Him.
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