Have you recently found yourself battling age old foes?
Are you currently facing familiar struggles or temptations?
Do you find yourself staring in the face of what you thought was vanquished or overcome some time ago?
You’re not alone.
A few weeks ago, the Lord had given me the following dream to help make sense of what many of us have been facing lately.
In this particular dream, I was in some sort of auditorium. I remember having the sense that I was there to learn. I had the posture of a student who was prepared to take notes and I was excited to be there.
What I am about to say next is going to sound odd (which dreams often are!), but before I do, we must remember that dreams are like night parables. They are loaded with symbolism and are not always to be taken literally. There are hidden meanings that we must seek to discover with the Holy Spirit. It’s He and He alone that holds the interpretation.
While sitting in my chair in the dream, I had my feet propped up on a relatively large glass aquarium. My ankles rested on the rim, which left the heels of my feet exposed over the opening. Inside this enclosure was a large lizard. It appeared to be harmless and minding its own business when suddenly, it bit me on the heel. Thankfully, I quickly shook it off and I did not appear to be visibly affected by it.
In the next scene of the dream, the lizard had escaped from the aquarium and was wandering around on the floor. Suddenly, someone appeared that was familiar with the lizard and knew what to do. He was successful at both wrangling it and disposing of it.
That was the end of the dream.
Just the other day, the Lord shed light upon and helped me to understand the meaning behind this dream. This is what He said…
"The Achilles Heel."
Although this term has its origins in Greek mythology, it refers to an area of weakness or vulnerability within a person. If not dealt with, this potential weakness can lead to a person's downfall.
Here's what I believe...
I believe that we are in a season of growth, learning, and depth. This is why I was in that auditorium taking the posture of a student.
For lack of a better way to say it, it appears as though we are in the ‘to’ season of transitioning from glory to glory.
As is usually the case in seasons of transition like this, we often feel vulnerable.
Things feel unsteady, unsure, and confusing. We feel naked.
Jesus is forming more of Himself in us than ever before and we are learning what matters most. He is teaching us about things like humility, purity, holiness, and love and they are becoming our desire.
I also believe that the enemy has been taking cheap shots lately during this process and has been attacking people with familiar weaknesses.
This is why many of us have felt old fears.
This is why many of us have been experiencing doubt.
This is why many of us have felt tempted to feel rejected, abandoned, and alone.
This is why many of us have felt tempted to react in pride and jealousy.
This is why many of us have been experiencing pressure.
It’s the lizard biting at your heel.
It was in a glass aquarium because it’s something we’ve seen and experienced before.
The enemy appears to be agitated and is pulling out all the stops. He senses what God is up to and what He’s doing in His people.
Now, here’s the good news you don’t want to hear: The Lord is permitting these attacks because they can work in our favor if we allow them to.
Here's a word of encouragement:
“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” — 1 Corinthians 10:13
Readers, He is the way of escape.
He is our hiding place.
He is our strong tower.
We hide in the shadow of His wings.
When the people were going to take Jesus by force and make Him king, He withdrew to the mountain by Himself (John 6:15).
In other words, in the face of the temptation of receiving glory from people (pride), Jesus retreated to be with His father.
We must learn to do the same.
Although the Achilles Heel speaks of an area of weakness, we can allow weakness to be the very thing that perfects the power of God in our lives (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Your weakness is never something that God intends for you to overcome on your own. Rather, it’s the means for His power to be completed in your life.
The very thing Paul sought to pray away was the very thing God was using to teach Paul that His grace was sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
I have been asking the Lord for more than a year to form His humility within me, to give me His attitude, to purify my heart, and to love Him more.
What if the very things we are walking through are the catalysts for what it is we want to see formed in us?
Let what has been the Achilles Heel in your life cause you to humble yourself before Him.
Begin to embrace what humbles you and causes you to hide yourself in Him.
Let your weakness attract His strength.
Remember, the dream ended not with me confronting and dealing with the lizard. Someone else did that… someone who knew how to handle it.
It’s God who fights the battle and leads us in victory. It’s by His grace and His grace alone.
- Brian Connolly, Faith Like Birds Ministries
コメント