Word of the Lord Jan. 1, 21

What we hoped and waited for in 2020 will be brought to perfection and completion by God’s grace in 2021.  By way of reminder, last year I saw an image of a man’s arm above the water with a sparkler in his hand; the rest of his body was under water.  As it turned out, that vision ultimately had to do with the 4th of July fireworks when COVID-19 was raging and the world as a whole had become immersed in an environment of fear, quarantine and isolation because of the deadly disease.  We are more than ready to leave 2020 in the rearview mirror as we press forward with great effort to get our lives back to normal.

Philippians 3:13-14  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I keep seeing people who look at themselves in a mirror or see their reflection in a window or take their picture in a photo booth in an effort to remember what they look like.  In the wake of the pandemic some have lost their sense of identity, and it will take some soul searching and internal work before they begin to see themselves through the eyes of the Spirit.  I heard the word “recalibrate”, and I believe that many will have to deal with condemnation and self-deprecation before healing can take place and confidence can be restored.  Recalibration has to do with resetting the instrument of navigation, or doing things differently.  This adjustment will take place when we move from living in the flesh to walking in the Spirit.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

A sign read “The Same Old Thinking; The Same Old Results.”  We must not lose track of our need and ability to explore possibilities that will take us beyond the mundane and ignite a spark of hope for the future.  I keep hearing in my spirit the phrase “drop in the bucket.”  When life seems bleak and uninviting we need to remember that our time on earth is nothing more than a drop in the bucket compared with eternity.  Remember that when we believe, know, and accept Jesus Christ, He gives us eternal life which is forever and ever and ever.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

In asking God what we can expect in the days ahead, I had a vision of a cocoon.  Similarly, we are wrapped up in silky webs like caterpillars waiting to emerge spiritually from our cocoons as butterflies.  We cannot fly until we are ready.  We are in process and in transition.  I also continue to see bridges of all kinds that span both long and short distances.  These too symbolize transition.  It will take patience and perseverance, but breakthrough is inevitable if we just keep pressing on and don’t give up.

In a vision I saw a train station with people on the platform waiting for the train to arrive.  The passengers were together in their purpose, but separated into groups of two or three and some singles waiting to get onboard.  The train represents, for lack of a better term, the Glory Train.  Train people as a whole are those who have an honest and vital relationship with the Lord and are living and walking in the Spirit.  They are the real deal.  And they are ready and waiting to begin the next leg of their spiritual journey.  The door is opening to a new and promising season ahead.  Even though our path forward will be illuminated by the Holy Spirit, it remains narrow and sometimes treacherous.  We will have opportunities to either stay the course or to stray from it.

I have repeatedly had a vision of prophetic watchmen on a rock pinnacle, which allows for greater clarity and a 360-degree view.  I believe that this year of ’21 there will be a “coming of age” or maturity for those who have a prophetic gifting or who exhibit other gifts of the Spirit.

Finally, in my spirit I heard the first four notes of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and realized that the notes were also Morse Code (dot, dot, dot, dash) for “V”.  We will be victorious!