Go with the Flow of His Move

Several years ago I had a vision of a giant wave approaching that represented the move of God's Spirit coming in massive revival. I was thinking of that picture yesterday when I heard the phrase, "Watch out for the undercurrents!"

The dictionary defines undercurrent as "a current of water below the surface, moving in a different direction from any surface current." I was reminded of the times my family would visit the beaches of Florida when I was a child. There were places along the shore marked with signs saying, "Dangerous Undercurrents!" We knew that if we swam in those areas we were in danger of losing our footing and being swept away.

I felt that the Lord was warning His people that the enemy would also try to counter the wave of the move of God with his own dangerous undercurrents. He would like nothing more than to trip us up and cause us to move in the wrong direction, away from the refreshing waters of outpouring.

Some of the dangerous undercurrents highlighted to me are:

A Critical Spirit - We have a saying in the south that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. I would say that's pretty close to Eph. 4:29 which says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." If we really believe that our words are powerful, then we know that we have the power to bless or curse. Why would we want to speak death at a time when God is releasing so much life? Let's refuse to be swept away with a spirit of criticism.

Offense - The undercurrent of offense is one of the most deadly traps for believers. Satan subtly weaves his web of deceit entrapping hearts and lives through the disappointments and betrayals we all may experience in relationships. Prov. 18:19, says "An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city...." Skewed perceptions often caused by unhealed wounds of the past create blurry lenses that distort our ability to focus and see clearly. To avoid this trap we must walk in humility with a strong core value to love and forgive no matter what comes our way. We must pursue wholeness and healing for our own hearts so the enemy has no ground in us.

Selfish Ambition - Ambition is not in itself wrong. But selfish ambition lacks humility and seeks it's own glory instead of God's. The antidote to selfish ambition is found in Phil. 2: 3-4, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." It's a good time to lay down selfish agendas and wholeheartedly jump in the tide of God's purposes and plans. Let's not be caught up in the futile waters of selfish ambition. God has a way of giving us the desires of our heart when we have chosen to delight in Him. (see Ps. 37: 4)

Judgments - Our judgments may come in many shapes and forms, but one of the most dangerous forms can be judging a move of God. What if God chooses to move through someone who offends us? What if He blesses someone we don't deem worthy? What if the manifestations of revival we see offend our mind and heart? Remember David's wife, Michal, who watched his undignified worship dance unto the Lord? Scripture says "she despised him in her heart". Her judgments produced barrenness in her life(2 Sam. 6:23) and our judgments can, too. God is more than able to keep us from deception. He will lead and shepherd hearts that are submitted to Him. I pray that we will be a people with eyes and ears to see and hear what He is doing in this hour.

As the swell of God's waters continue to rise it is a time to be awake and aware of what is going on around us. I want to avoid the undercurrents of criticism, offense, selfish ambition, and judgments. I want to let go of control and ride the wave of all that He is saying and doing. It's a time to GO WITH THE FLOW of His move and His Spirit into uncharted waters. As the worship song by Jenn Johnson says, I want to be "beautifully in over my head".