Friday afternoon the Lord came to me in such sweetness of presence I almost couldn't stand it. It was one of those times when you can't help but worship Him and lavish praise on Him.

HE WAS ASKING MY PERMISSION

Then I had the incredible awareness that He was asking my permission for something, and I suddenly knew that this powerful visit of grace was there for a reason; it was to carry me through the testing to come.

I STARTED CRYING

I wish I could say I bolted forward with my hand raised, ready to volunteer for anything, but I didn't. I just started crying like a baby, and begged Him to understand...that I've been through so much, I don't think I can face more. I begged Him to let me go a while longer with no more testings or fires.

I HAD REALLY HURT HIM

You know what the worst part was? He was so quiet. No argument, no struggle; He was just so sad...I had really hurt Him. Do you know, I actually sensed a bewilderment in HIM?---The same kind of mystified pain that a small child might have when someone they love is mean to them.

His presence started to lift from me, and I just cracked, I couldn't do it, I couldn't stand the thought of hurting Him; not like that. I repented so fast and so loud, I just thank God a million times it wasn't an object lesson from Song of Songs chap.5-- and He DID come back to me.

I don't deserve such mercy.

WHAT KIND OF GRACE?

I don't know what kind of grace came to me at that point, but I knew I'd rather face "whatever" than to grieve Him like that again. He is so innocent, so pure, it's almost, (if I may be so crude as to attribute such a weakness to Him) as though He doesn't UNDERSTAND how or why we would ever, COULD ever recoil from Him.

Then, as if my heart wasn't broken enough, He spoke to me, and said He had only come to bless me. All I could do was tell Him how foolish and sorry I was.

It was utterly useless for me to try to articulate to someone as Holy as that why I would even think of withholding from Him. At any rate, with that behind me, I will attempt to tell you what He's been showing me.

VISION OF SAMSON

For several weeks now, I have been seeing a vision of Samson, toiling at the mill stone, going 'round and 'round. The Lord spoke to me and said that the church has, for the most part, been in this place for a few years now. (5-6?)

Whether or not we got blinded from our own foolishness or not is incidental, and most of us wouldn't remember any way as it's been too long. What matters is, the enemy did it, we have been somewhat blind (not a lot of clear vision) and we have been going in circles.

OUR HAIR HAS BEEN GROWING THE WHOLE TIME

What we didn't know, and neither did the enemy, is that our "hair" has been growing this whole time! God has been strengthening our inner-man and doing such a thing that we will know it is Him and not us. That is why so MANY of us are being asked to do things we don't feel qualified to do!

Don't be proud, just say, "YES!"

GOD WANTS TO USE THE "UNQUALIFIED"

In fact, God wants to use a lot of "unqualified" people, just to reveal the pride and blindness of others who would sit there and judge us.

Are we willing to be used like that?

So back to Samson...

I saw a lot of "Samson's" going around in circles, full of self-pity, some saying they were just going to trust God for deliverance, (SO spiritual), some just dazed with the rut they were in.

Then I saw another Samson.

THE STRONGHOLD BEGAN TO COME DOWN

He called to a child, (no big deal) and asked him to put his hands on the supporting pillars.

Then he pushed!

He pushed with all his new-found might, and the temple of the enemy, that stronghold, began to come down. And that's where the analogy ends, because in my vision, Samson didn't die, (although a lot of our "self" may die before we're done) and his sight was restored to him.

HE WAS HEALED AS HE PUSHED

He didn't wait until he could see to begin pushing, he was HEALED AS he pushed.

I feel God is saying, "So what are YOU gonna do about it?"

It's YOUR turn to push. See, in the beginning years of this stuff, we all pushed like crazy! We tried to "see", tried to get out of the rut and the "captivity" we were in. (Lots of restless activism) We pushed to exhaustion and got no where, because we had been rendered WEAK.

And guess what?

It took the heart right out of a lot of people and they became just plain PASSIVE. The mind that ends up saying, "I've tried till I dropped and got no where, so I guess if God wants me out of this, He'll have to do it Himself."

Well, that's not how it is.

GET UP AND SHOVE THOSE PILLARS!

And I'm telling you, if you'll get up and shove on those pillars with a steady strength, and don't stop, they are comin' down.

Each one of us has our own blind spots and our own "pillars" to push against, and that will be revealed as we pray. Trust me, He is eager to show us what they are, or at least lead us into the truth of it.

But don't be surprised if He starts putting His finger on touchy issues, like the food we eat, the hours we keep, the TV time we burn up, etc. He's fixin' to meddle with us!)

Now is the season of OPPORTUNITY! Dare to believe for old promises and dreams that were from Him, and dare to see and believe for others. Don't judge in the natural whether or not you think you or someone else is qualified; Did you ever think you WERE!?

A lot of people with strong calls have recently been disqualified due to self and sin. Some know it, some don't--- most wouldn't care if you told them.

And a lot of closet "faithfuls" have been targeted for promotion, if they will just get off that wheel, find the pillars and PUSH! DO IT!

It may cost you a little, but in eternity, it is SO little.

God bless you,

Debbie