A prophetic encouragement by Rachel Yarwood 30 Jan 2022
Two days ago I referred to a couple of specific instructions that God gave me about his re-setting, but only shared one. I will be sharing the second one soon, but today I wanted to share something that God spoke to me for those who are pioneering and breaking new ground in this season…
It started with me expressing frustration/ confusion to God over the things that I am seeing so clearly about His ‘New’, and that I have been carrying for a couple of years, since the beginning of lockdown when He first called His Church to ‘leave the building’. I tend towards self-doubt, so it does not come naturally to assume that what I am seeing is the only right way – but when you know God has spoken, you know, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else says or does, that knowing remains. However when what God has said to me seems to conflict with what some other leaders are saying, I can get stuck in a cycle of continual questioning. So today, feeling the tension of that place, I asked God why the things that are obvious to me aren’t obvious to everyone else. I expected to be corrected for an error in my attitude/ thinking, but His answer seemed to carry a weight that I felt needed to be released to other pioneers who may be feeling weary/ confused at this time.
I heard the words (for me and all who are pioneering), “It’s conditioning. People are conditioned to think a certain way and it takes years to unlearn it. Beloved, there is still much that you assume and must be set free from, but your willingness to immediately abandon the old and strike out without knowing where you are going is rare.”
Immediately I saw a picture of a slowly-capsizing ship (like the Titanic, but in less frigid waters) and a person letting go of it to start swimming into open water, while others kept clinging to the sinking ship.
God continued, “People will see. People MUST see. But many of them need to see someone else doing it first so they can picture what it looks like. As you let go of the capsizing ship that you were clinging to (I knew he was referring to the old structures of the Church), and started swimming into the open ocean it looked foolish and scary – even deluded and self-destructive to others who had only known the safety of the ship and were not ready to let go. They were more afraid of the unknown than of the inevitable sinking of the ship that will drag down all who are clinging to it.
But many are watching you still, as you swim out where I lead you. For I AM leading you. It is a long and lonely journey, but I will not let you drown. I will keep the sharks away. At times you need to stop swimming, and rest to catch your breath – just floating on your back. And other times I will prompt you with a direction and you will swim again. But do not lose hope – even though you only see open ocean all around you, safe harbour is coming. I am leading you to the promised land that your heart desires. It is unoccupied now (other than the demons that will try to oppose but have no authority over you), but other pioneers are coming. Others have struck out who have no agenda to recreate the old. Find them and stick with them. For a later wave is coming of those who hoped for the new but had no vision of their own, and they will try to recreate the old when the vagaries of the New become too uncomfortable and challenging. But My grace is not on them. Do not let yourself be distracted from the purity of the vision that I have given you. Keep striking out and pressing in to pioneer in the new places I am calling you to – for there you will find my rivers of life, pure and unadulterated by religion. And those who follow in your wake will see Me too.”
As God spoke about the land He was leading to, I saw other ‘shipwrecked’ pioneers arriving at land all at the same time. They rejoiced, built fires, had sweet fellowship and encouraged each other. Then a new group of survivors came, but they did not rejoice as much, and instead started building a new ship, but on land. It was completely pointless but all they knew. It kept them busy but exhausted and unable to see the irrelevance of what they were doing, and refused to listen to the pioneers, blaming them for the discomfort of the new land. The first wave of pioneers were saddened but set out again, heading inland to find new sparkling rivers with fruit-bearing trees and countless new blessings – and the paths they forged made a way for others to follow.
So to all who have felt the call to pioneer and may be feeling tired or confused at this time, I’d like to encourage you: it may not look like others are seeing what you see or hearing what you hear, but just keep swimming. The path you are forging WILL lead to freedom for many, and God will not lead you wrong. Rest, if you are not hearing a clear direction right now, but don’t go back. Freedom lies ahead.
Shared, with consent, from the In the Secret Place blog by Rachel Yarwood