Breakthrough
“I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head.” Micah 2:12-13
The focus on breakthrough came from a recent dream. I was in a passenger plane with several other people. The plane was surrounded by buildings on all sides and I didn't know how we could possibly take off as there was no room for manoeuvre. Then the plane started going up vertically! I remember being able to look down and see the space we took off from, and it didn't even look as though the plane could have fitted on the launch site. The F35B is a military jet that can take off vertically, but with current technology, it is impossible in a passenger jet.
Vertical take-off is a sign of spiritual breakthrough, a sudden shift in the spiritual landscape, or a transition to a new phase on the journey of faith. The prophet Micah has a similar idea, with a dramatic breakthrough. The prophet, in this chapter, has been condemning greed and injustice, especially in the leadership of the country. He warns that foreign nations will divide the land, and tells them not to listen to false prophets who simply tell them what they want to hear. Finally, at the end of the chapter, there’s a promise that the Lord will bring breakthrough and the nation will be gathered together once more. It is God Himself who acts as the ‘Breaker’, going at the head of the people and breaking open the gates of captivity to lead them into freedom.
The term ‘breakthrough’ describes a sudden toppling of boundaries or obstacles, or the way that God can bring spiritual advancement despite the obstacles in the way – just like the vertical take-off. God can break through any type of restraint, whether that’s physical or spiritual, because He is greater than anything standing in the way. It seemed in the dream as if everything was impossible humanly speaking, with no way out, but God found a way.
Prayer
God our Father, you know that sometimes we find ourselves in really difficult and challenging situations. I think of one of those situations in my life right now. As I turn over the problem in my mind Lord, I see no way out. And yet I see from Your Word that You can do the impossible, You see a way forward even when I can’t. I bring this situation to You Father and lay it before You. To me it seems like a dead end, but You are the Breaker who can bring new beginnings, new possibilities, new life. I hand this completely over to You and I ask that you will bring restoration, deliverance, freedom and breakthrough. Lord give me hope today that You are at work in my life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Liesel Stanbridge
Prayer Co-ordinator