It’s especially hard for 21st century Westerners.
Our background is hostile to the kind of spiritual awareness it takes to be even a decent Christian, never mind a prophet. Everything in our souls is bent and twisted far away from the ancient human defaults. We know the disciples of Jesus struggled less because their minds were already on the right track, ready to obey and not get in the way of the Spirit.
Today I was taking an extra long, 30-mile bike ride to help clear some space in my brain for obedience. A spoke on the rear wheel broke about half-way. While it didn’t stop the ride, it did blow my concentration and certainly the relaxation factor. I had to slow down and take it easy just to get home. That distance on a warped rim does ruin the metal, so the wheel has to be replaced.
But wasn’t that an answer to prayer? I took the time to research and discovered that my 32-spoke rim is cheap and not designed for big boys like me. It needs a 36-spoke at least. Expensive, but pay day is fairly close, so I can probably just about swing it. I was praying for some guidance on something that has been flogging me day and night for the past few days.
There is no doubt NATO will try to attack Syria. God only knows whether any of it will work out as expected. But whatever happens, a part of the fallout will affect me. No, I don’t have a clue how. That’s the reason for turmoil. My spirit through my convictions has warned me that something is coming, something that will arise from our military action in Syria, and it will mean significant changes for me. I’ve done the work necessary to clear my mind and make sure this isn’t some bogus emotional influence. It doesn’t arise from mere logic, because I have no clue, and something warns me I could never guess if I tried.
I had been asking God for just a nibble, some small something that would make sense to my poor churning mind. A few moments later the spoke on my wheel popped, and I sense it was a part of the answer. I’ll be needing that bike a lot in coming days; I need to make sure it can carry the load. That’s about all I can conclude right now. Even that isn’t really what’s important here. It symbolizes something bigger, something with a lot longer reach across my soul. That’s all I know.
Given that we have committed so many military resources, I find it hard to imagine NATO won’t do something nasty. It will not work out as anyone expects. God has His own plans for this. I’m not sure we’ll get any honest reports, but I suspect whatever it is won’t remain secret very long.
Or, I’m going completely nuts and you can have a good laugh at my expense in a few days. That’s how it works when you’re a prophet. Something gets too big and strong to be silent. So you let it out and you have to be ready to play the fool, but being silent is not an option.
I’m praying you are ready for whatever it means for you.
