Recently the Lord gave me a very personal dream in which He was saying to me, ‘come up higher in Me.’
For several days after the dream, I sought the Lord on exactly how I could do that…go higher in Him. The answer to that question is not a quick answer, it is a process and I am so excited to begin that process.
I was first reminded of the book of Revelation where John was compelled to ‘come up here so I can show you some things.’
John was to come up higher for revelation or to learn more of what Jesus wanted to show Him.
I began to ponder on this and ask God ‘show me how to come up higher, to a place where I learn the hidden things of God.’
He spoke a verse to me.
Matthew 11:29 says, Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jesus is saying ‘allow me to lead you and guide you and teach you, be like me, humble and gentle.’
As He spoke this verse to me, I remembered the dream He gave me about the running the race, and how humility was the key factor. If we are ever going to arise, we must first humble ourselves.
To learn of Me means to increase in knowledge, to learn by use and practice and to be in the habit of allowing Jesus to be your daily bread…daily bread.
The Lord then reminded me of Mary & Martha. He showed me that to learn of Him, I must sit at His feet. A humble heart will also desire to sit at the feet of Jesus, and there, we will learn of Him.
Now, we all know that Mary literally sat at Jesus feet. While we can’t physically sit at His feet there are ways we can spiritually sit at His feet.
John 1:1-2 says; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
Jesus is the Word that came and dwelt among us, therefore if we want to learn of Him, the best way to begin is through the Word of God. We must daily spend time in His word. Sitting at His feet by sitting at the feet of the Word of God.
As I studied the scripture in Matthew 11:29, I decided to follow some of the references in my Bible and I am so glad I did. Where they took me was insightful and delightful!
I was first taken to Jeremiah 6:16, one of my favorite scriptures!
Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.’
Do you see it? Jesus said the same thing! Do this and you will find rest for your souls.
The old path is the path of steadfast daily devotion to the One you are in covenant with. The old path is the way of the Word of God. It is the way of daily sitting at the feet of Jesus.
My Bible then took me to Jeremiah 18:15; Because my people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
Oh, my goodness! God’s people decided to walk in a way that was not up. They strayed from the ancient path, the old path, by going a way that was not going up in their spiritual walk.
In both scriptures in Jeremiah, the Hebrew word for path is derek. The word ‘derek’ means manner, journey, habit, course of life and character.
Our path is our journey yes, but it is also our habits, our course of life and our character. Those things determine if we are going up or simply moving forward without going up in God.
In John 14:16 we read; Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus IS the Way. He is the old path. He is the ancient path. No one gets up there except through and by Him.
There are only two paths – life or death. Jesus is the path of life and we must choose life.
What did I learn from all this? There is only one way up and that is down.
Stay on the path that is Jesus, take His yoke upon you, become meek and lowly in heart.
Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will lift you up. Sitting at the feet of Jesus. Sitting under His life-giving word. That, my friend, is the way up.
Prayer for Today: Father, we humble ourselves before you today. Take us up we pray. In Jesus name. Amen.