Taking the High Ground

On my journey, I have found that as I grow and contend for breakthrough, I receive many words, encouragement, and vision. At the moments right before my breakthrough, many times I find myself “hitting a wall”, fighting feelings of defeat, as if though I’ve lost something. I even feel blind. I’m sure you can visualize this with me. It is a big stone wall. No doors or ways around it. It feels hard, cold, big and impossible. Then you hear the Lord say, “Lift your eyes and come up here”.

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

A few years back, I received a huge breakthrough and shift in my season of leading worship. It was a defining moment for me at True Life. I remember leading worship “blind”. It may sound like a bad thing and normally it is, but the Lord was teaching me to rely on his voice. I remember sharing this with my Dad, some of my frustration with my new season, knowing God had promised breakthrough and I was not seeing it. A few hours past after that conversation and my Dad called me back. “Rosie (my nickname), you are getting an upgrade to a new level, but in every new level you need a new level of trust. He is going to give you new vision for the new season.” Just like that, I felt like God gave me a vision upgrade to rely on Him in the new place. We can “get good” at our seasons, especially when we have walked through similar things before. God wants us to trust and partner with Him every time. I am learning when to recognize when its time to “Take the High Ground”.

I had been praying for what was next. What was on His heart for us? I felt the invitation to come up higher. He is giving new perspective and new vision to see. In this past season, God has been telling me to dream again with Him. To dream as if all the dreams I am currently contending for came to fruition. It’s bold and scary, but I believe it’s putting me straight into God’s heart for me. He is reinforcing identity to influence, to dream big and not settle. I’ve heard about taking the high ground before, but this time I felt it was double fold.

In the Bible, the high places were places that kings and men set up idols. The high place was also the place God wanted to meet with men. He desired for the idols to be torn down and for those places to be a place to worship and meet with Him.

The high place is also a military strategy. It allows you to see further than your enemy. It’s harder to be attacked if your enemy is below. If advancing, you have the benefit of momentum rather than moving up hill.

I felt like the Lord said He wanted to dream with me, to come up higher, to the new ground and see what He sees. Also, He wanted to tear down anything false or things that are undermining me, or my connection with Him, even the things that appear to be good things. Sometimes our dreams, if they are separate from the Lord, become idols. What do we do with those things?

Surrender has been a huge key in this season. He has shown me that in this season surrender is my greatest weapon. You may think that surrender sounds like weakness, but it’s in letting go that His strength is perfected in us. You may be required to lay things down to take the new higher place. If you are contending for breakthrough and all you see is a wall in front of you, then it may be time to look up and go up!

The Lord wants our hearts and He wants us to see more of Him. He is giving revelation for the new season. Ask the Lord what that looks like for you? Is it your time to take the higher ground?

Isaiah 58:14: “Then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.” triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”