As I was relaxing yesterday afternoon a word seemed to call me to attention. The word was "Traverse". Having several meanings, my focus rested upon the idea of: moving across, over, or through an area.
In this defining moment ... the word opened with the meaning of: moving back and forth through a place; to reach across an area as to bridge; to move at an angle while descending and ascending, as to zig zag through rough terrain.
I often feel that people get quickly stuck in places (good or bad). Thus we have so many discontent people stuck in ruts with little or no progress in planet earth.
Jesus said, that the Spirit was as the wind blowing; we hear the sound but cannot tell from where it comes or where it may be going. ~ John 3:8 And it is not hard to find this pattern with Jesus. In His early life ... suddenly He was nowhere in the sight of His earth given parents. Searching they found Him in the temple, teaching and being taught.
You find Him disappearing in the crowds, and leaving one place to go to another spontaneously. He knew how to follow the wind of the Spirit. He was our example. Our lovely Host to planet earth.
While traveling through Samaria ... He reminds us that it was necessary that He go this way. Going this way He proclaims the truth to a woman at the well of water. Sharing her life story with her, (her past and her present). It is one thing for someone to tell you their life story, but quite another for them to tell you, your own story. The one you would rather have kept hidden. The one you were not so proud of ... the one of which you would like to be relieved.
It amazes me of how many people (religiously) want to talk about a third eye (spirit eye), but fail to understand that the all seeing eye is offered us in the person of Jesus Christ. Even so the Word tells us that He will guide us with His eye and lead us with His spirit within us.
So many have yet to understand the flow of the Spirit of God. To know the truth that makes them free. Jesus had understanding of this ... thus He like the wind moved about, driving out chaff and offering refreshing. Yes, as was stated previously, "people seem to easily get stuck" ... from their own flesh weaknesses (handicaps). But ruts can be mastered, as can the sin in our lives. If we will learn to traverse with the Spirit.
Recently I was out walking at a family owned recreational business. It was outdoors and there were patches of pavement, concrete, grassland and gravel. A precious lady with a physical handicap was there in her wheel chair. As she was moving along steadily, she settled into a patch of loose gravel. Trying to continue she only dug herself, and her chair in deeper (causing them to be stuck in a rut).
This dear lady had fire ... she was determine to get out of the rut and traverse to her destination. I turned and saw that she was stuck and that she was rocking that chair to and fro, back and forth, using every muscle in her natural body to get moving again. Of course I went over to see if I could help her. She was gracious and thankful, but a little skeptical that I would be able to move such a heavy piece of machinery with her in it as she was a very large woman. Being okay with her skepticism and my weakness I offered myself. Just as I got behind the chair to push ... along comes another and another. Together we got her out of the rut safely, but it all begin with her moving to and fro with a determination to get out of the rut herself.
There came a day when Jesus spoke to his disciples and said to them, "let us go over to the other side".
When the Spirit gives a command it is wise to follow ... the wind blows where ever it wills. The question is, "will we be move with the wind?" "Will we go with the flow of the Spirit?" "Will we willingly obey?"
A key reason people refuse to let go, leave a place or make relational changes ... is fear of loss. They are afraid of leaving their comfort zone. They are afraid of what they can or cannot see. They are afraid of what might happen if they let go. They are afraid of embarrassing failure. THEY ARE AFRAID!
In this fear they create ruts and it is not easy to get out of a rut ... sometimes you even need some help.
In the case of the disciples, they heard the voice of the Spirit tell them to traverse. When they began to travel across, they encountered a storm of great magnitude. To turn back would be to miss their destination. As the storm began to peak thoughts of loss surely flooded their minds and hearts. Winds of adversity blowing, water crashing in crushing swells. Fear!
Lord, don't you care that we perish? This word 'perish' holds the idea of being marred down (in a rut). It also denotes separation, then onward to destruction and death. In other words, one could be crying:
"Lord, don't you care that we are separated from the comforts of the familiar, and are concerned for our lives?"
(or)
"Lord, don't you care that our lives are in a rut?"
(or)
'Lord, don't you care about what is happening to us; our physical bodies are being crushed by the weights of the storm and we may die?"
Of course Jesus cared, and the truth is He was not afar off. He was very near to them. Storms do not mean that one is separated from God, nor necessarily that they are either in the right or the wrong place. Its simply means we have adversity with purpose. In this position faith is tried. Our faith will surly be tried as we travel through this land. However, it is up to us whether we move on with the Spirit or retreat to our old ruts.
To move with the Spirit does not mean that storms and fears will not arise. To move with the Spirit is to stand through adversity. Eph. 6:10-18 details our victory stance. The word stand in this sense is to hold fast to our covenant promises, to remain established in truth, to be committed.
There are times in life when ruts and fears and storms seem to challenge us even unto the point of death. But don't fight the storms. Don't fight the winds. Simply do as Jesus would have done. Rest in the midst ... rise and speak and watch the storms calm. Then continue on your directed journey.
As long as one holds fear in their boat it is bound to sink or at best float aimlessly on the seas. You must learn how to release fears and anxieties. Both are useless to your success. Both are dangerous to your well being.
Life is subject to test and trails. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord, He brings them through them all! He will not leave nor forsake one who believes in Him. He is faithful.
It is time to trust Him. To travel with Him. Traverse together. It is time to let go and flow. Time to move with the winds of the Spirit instead of fighting the winds of the Spirit ... or beating the air of adversity.
Let go and you will flow ... don't and you won't!
Jesus moving with the Spirit grew, and was used mightily, expressing to us that all the works that he did and more we would do. How? Being led by the Spirit.
Jesus was led to the temple to teach and be taught. He was led through Samaria where He operated by the Spirit to speak into another persons life. Then the disciples being schooled in the Spirit were taught how to traverse with the Spirit.
It is time to let go ... time to flow. Time to learn to traverse. To go in and out, to and fro, across and onward to Spirit led places, to cultures and faces successfully! It is not enough that only a few have the opportunity to know Jesus, to learn by the Spirit who they really are, and be free to live outside of religious rituals and restraints!
