In the morning on December 14, the presence of the Lord was very strong in my office as I completed my study in the Word of God. When I went upstairs, the air was heavy with His presence. As I spent time giving Him thanks, worship and praise, I was given a couple of open visions.
I saw a great fire sweeping across in front of me. I prayed for the Lord to bring revival fires and to rebuke destructive fires in the natural. After a time of prayer, I felt peace about it and was then given another vision. In the vision, I was standing in a small clearing in a deep forest. It was night time and I looked up to see a beautiful deep blue sky over the high treetops. Then I saw the morning light beginning to emerge in the distance. I thought about Isaiah 21:11b-12, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”
The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; return! Come back!”
For those who have been in the deep darkness of night during the past season, light is beginning to dawn on your circumstances. It is the light of the Son of God shining in to deliver you from the darkness. I embraced it with joy, but then the warning came back to me. “The morning comes, and also the night.”
Then I heard in my spirit that the decision is ours. If we embrace the light of God and commit to be obedient to His word, it will continue to be the light of the morning. The words of Psalm 30:5 came to me, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
In a time of darkness or a time of judgment, the Lord is still the God of mercy and Shalom. This is the time to embrace the joy of the Lord and let Him release us from the darkness of the night. Remember, this is the ministry of the Lord for you in this season of light (Hanukkah). This is the fulfillment of the prophetic word in Isaiah 61:3, “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
I see the Lord pouring out the oil of joy for you today. Receive it now in the mighty name of Yeshua ha Messiach!
Author: Pastor James Durham
After serving almost 30 years as an active duty army Chaplain, James retired at the rank of Colonel. Before and after his military service, he was a pastor and church planter for more than thirteen years. In 2010, James and his wife, Gloria, moved to Columbia, South Carolina in order to write books, teach seminars, and mentor many spiritual sons and daughters around the world. James is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology; Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas with a Master’s degree in Theology, and the US Army Command and General Staff College.
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Z3 friends, not really sure where to post this, but wanted to share this app: https://www.bibleinoneyear.org.
It’s anointed, balanced, and free. You can listen to it as well – Psalm, NT and OT read by actor David Suchet, short commentary by Nicky Gumbel, and a closing thought from his wife Pippa. It’s so good my wife and I are doing it together every morning. Hope it blesses you if you try it/ have been thinking about starting a reading plan.
Thank you for sharing, Nick. This will be great!
Very refreshing Pastor James! Yes, the Lord is rich in mercy! “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us,” Eph.2:4.
This night seems eternal.
God bless you.