A Mangrove Swamp

“Seek My understanding.”

“Seek My face, come before My presence with fasting and prayer. Seek My understanding.”

That was the word that the Lord left me with during last Sunday’s worship service. Heeding the call, and while praying for the church this Wednesday morning, the Lord spoke to me through the vision of a mangrove swamp.

“A mangrove swamp? Our church?” I was personally taken aback by the vision.

“Isn’t the mangrove swamp a place where stagnant waters gather? Does that mean we are stagnant as a church? Does that mean there’s no outlet of repentance?”

“Focus on the creatures living in the swamp,” The Lord prompted.

I reflected upon the word, and having visited a mangrove swamp during one of our school projects years ago, I recalled the mangrove trees, crabs, eagles and many other life forms that thrive in that high salt density area. It dawned upon me that many of our church members have gone out of church before and returned. It was as if the Lord was saying that there’s something special about the people we have, the hardships and the paths they have taken and that they have come out strong because of it. These people will not turn their backs on God and are not easily shaken. It’s an exciting time, the Lord is preparing us for the tasks ahead of us.

Having shared the word with my pastor, he added to me what the Lord had been speaking to him lately. My pastor had an expectation that church growth should follow a certain system, which should be orderly. The Lord told him otherwise; house churches are messy. It seems that the vision is timely, as a mangrove swamp is messy; it has a different structure.

The Lord is doing a new thing amongst us, stretching our horizons, and we need an open heart in receiving the way God is working in our midst. Our own wisdom and logic tends to stand in the way of God. In a similar concept, the mangrove swamp vision is not necessary a bad thing. God is teaching us to look from a different perspective, from His perspective. God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. With that I leave you to ponder upon these thoughts. Your comments are most welcome.