Brought To The Great Heights

Last week, I felt a nudge to record a prayer post for a steadfast mind, inspired by Isaiah 26:2-4. As I began to pray in the Spirit, this is what I saw.

At first, I saw Jesus embracing the Earth. Then the scene shifted, and I noticed a deer with large antlers standing on a rock, gazing up at the sunrise. After that, I saw Jesus standing on a path, and a herd of deer ran toward Him along the path. The vision concluded with the Earth surrounded by swirling red flames.

As the enemy sends a barrage of mental torment to the true sons and daughters of God to hinder and suppress their rise to their high places, the heavenly Father is using this to make their feet swift, firm, and steady like a hind's feet. He is using this, not the one causing it, to train their hands for war.

And, as I was writing this, I stumbled upon Nate Johnston's post, which I feel is a good description of what's happening. "I am convinced that dark night seasons of mind warfare are always the springboards for the wildest breakthroughs. It's where legacies shift and cats become lions. It's where the enemy comes hard at you to take you out, but it only leads you into greater freedom and fire. So if you are right now at midnight, know that dawn is coming and with it an anointing that will break yokes and set captives free." End quote.

I believe that the true sons and daughters will rise as they triumph over the torments sent by the enemy; they will find themselves standing firmly planted and rooted on the Rock of Ages, that is, Jesus Christ. And in this onslaught of mental torment, God remains faithful. He is showing Himself as the True Shepherd, directing His flock, or in this case, the herd of deer, towards Him, so they can triumph over this. And they will emerge as deer with strong, firm, and steady hind feet. Or, emerge as a lion from being a cat.

And this is the Heart of the Heavenly Father. I am constant and unchanging. I am the rock of ages, established at the foundation. It will stand as your everlasting refuge, so stir up your expectant faith. Keep in perfect and constant peace, and be steadfast in your focus on My faithfulness and goodness. Wash away every fear, anxiety, and worry with My Word. For My Word and My truth will never fail; it is the very thing that created the heavens and the earth. It is the essence that upholds, maintains, and propels all things seen and unseen.

Set your eyes on Me, the true Shepherd, and watch the world fade away. Watch as torment turns into joy. Watch as worries turn into praise. Watch as anxiety transforms into great expectation, because no darkness can sweep in as you turn to the light. As you gaze into the light of My face, know that darkness has been overcome, and you too will overcome by the brilliance and radiance of My Son's glory shining in you.

Arise and shine from spiritual depression. Grab hold of the sword of My Word and trust that I have trained your hands for war. You will swing and will not miss, and watch as the lies break before you. I have not given you a spirit of fear, nor do I delight in seeing you bound by fear. Nothing in My Word should cause you fear, for I have good plans for you, to prosper you and not to harm you. Anything else is but lies—constructs of men and the enemy to keep you caged.

But you are not made to be caged; you are made to run free. You are to leap over walls and mountains, overcoming obstacles set by the adversary. Stand steady and firm on the Rock of Ages, for elsewhere you will be shaky and double-minded. Run towards the higher places I have set before you, and see My glorious face shining upon you. My favor surrounds you, for I have nothing but blessings for you. I only have good and perfect gifts for you.

Stay on the narrow path I have prepared for you. Trust the training ground set before you, for I am transforming you from glory to glory. You can leap high to the lofty places I have set before you and go down low to desolate places, bringing My glory with you. I have called you to arise and shine as My child and as My mighty warrior. The new life you have received is meant to overflow for the world to see, for it glorifies and delights Me to see your greatness shine across the earth. The time has come that the knowledge of My glory shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. This is the Heart of the Heavenly Father.

Here’s more information to process this word.

Lyrics from Chris Rice’ version of Rock of Ages.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee. Let the water and the blood from Thy wounded side which flowed be of sin the double cure—save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labor of my hands can fulfill Thy law's demands. could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, this for sin could not atone—Thou must save and Thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling. Naked, come to Thee for dress. helpless, look to Thee for grace. foul, I to the fountain fly—wash me, Savior, or I die. Wash me, Savior, or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, when my eyes shall close in death, when I rise to worlds unknown and behold Thee on Thy throne—Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself, let me hide myself, let me hide myself in Thee. Let me hide myself, let me hide myself, let me hide myself in Thee. Let me hide myself, let me hide, let me hide myself in Thee.

Excerpt from Hannah Hurnard’s. Hinds' Feet on High Places.

From the heights we leap and flow To the valleys down below, Sweetest urge and sweetest will, To go lower, lower still. Suddenly she understood. She was beholding a wondrous and glorious truth. “a great multitude whom no man could number” brought like herself by the King to the Kingdom of Love and to the High Places so that they could now pour out their lives in gladdest abandonment, leaping down with him to the sorrowful, desolate places below, to share with others the life which they had received. She herself was only one drop among that glad, exultant throng of Self-givers, the followers of the King of Love, united with him and with one

another, each one equally blessed and beloved as herself. “For he loves each one of us,” she said to herself, “as though there were only one to love.”

“He brought me to the heights just for this,” she whispered to herself, and then looked at him and nodded. At that he began leaping and springing down the mountainside before them, bounding from rock to rock, always choosing, however, leaps which were within their power to follow, and sure footholds for less experienced feet. Behind him went Grace and Glory, with Joy and Peace beside her, leaping down, just as the waters leaped and sang beside them. They mingled their voices with the joyful music of the many waters, singing their own individual song: Make haste, Beloved, be thou like an hart On mountains spicy sweet. And I, on those High Places where thou art, Will follow on hinds’ feet. As close behind the hart, there leaps the roe, So where thou goest, I will surely go. That, as perhaps you know, is the last verse of the Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. But for Grace and Glory it was the beginning of a new song altogether.

Here are some verses for this word.

Isaiah 26:2-4 AMP

“Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful and trustworthy. “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character, Because he trusts and takes refuge in You with hope and confident expectation. “Trust confidently in the Lord forever He is your fortress, your shield, your banner, For the Lord God is an everlasting Rock the Rock of Ages.

Psalms 18:30-36 AMP

As for God, His way is blameless. The word of the Lord is tested it is perfect, it is faultless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but the Lord? Or who is a rock, except our God, The God who encircles me with strength And makes my way blameless? He makes my feet like hinds’ feet able to stand firmly and tread safely on paths of testing and trouble. He sets me securely upon my high places. He trains my hands for war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds and sustains me. Your gentleness Your gracious response when I pray makes me great. You enlarge the path beneath me and make my steps secure, So that my feet will not slip.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 AMP

Though the fig tree does not blossom And there is no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fails And the fields produce no food, Though the flock is cut off from the fold And there are no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will choose to rejoice in the Lord. I will choose to shout in exultation in the victorious God of my salvation! The Lord God is my strength my source of courage, my invincible army. He has made my feet steady and sure like hinds’ feet And makes me walk forward with spiritual confidence on my high places of challenge and responsibility. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.

2 Samuel 22:26-41 AMP

“With the loving and loyal You show Yourself loving and loyal. with the blameless You show Yourself blameless. With the pure You show Yourself pure, and with the perverted You show Yourself astute. You save the afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty, whom You abase. For You, O Lord, are my lamp. the Lord illumines and dispels my darkness. For by You I can run upon a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is blameless and perfect. the word of the Lord is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge and trust in Him. For who is God, besides the Lord? And who is a rock, besides our God? God is my strong fortress. He sets the blameless in His way. He makes my feet like the doe’s feet, firm and swift. He sets me secure and confident on my high places. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your help and gentleness make me great. You enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped. I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and I did not turn back until they were consumed. I consumed them and shattered them so that they did not rise. they fell under my feet. For You have surrounded me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who stood against me. You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me in retreat, and I destroyed those who hated me.”

Hebrews 1:1-4 AMP

God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in the voices and writings of the prophets in many separate revelations each of which set forth a portion of the truth, and in many ways, has in these last days spoken with finality to us in the person of One who is by His character and nature His Son namely Jesus, whom He appointed heir and lawful owner of all things, through whom also He created the universe that is, the universe as a space-time-matter continuum. The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of our awesome God reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine, and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His Father’s essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things the entire physical and spiritual universe by His powerful word carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal. When He Himself and no other had by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down revealing His completed work at the right hand of the Majesty on high revealing His Divine authority, having become as much superior to angels, since He has inherited a more excellent and glorious name than they that is, Son—the name above all names.

Habakkuk 2:14 AMP

“But the time is coming when the earth shall be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.

Matthew 4:18-22 AMP

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He noticed two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea. for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example. And going on further from there He noticed two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. and He called them to follow Him as His disciples. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example.