PIVOT & LIVE IN HIGH PLACES 💜
Locating our high places can be difficult unless we are truly seeking rest with Jesus. I think we can always improve on our ability to connect with his peaceful heart and it’s a lifelong lesson. His presence produces a peace so powerful that it defies our circumstances and provides inner rest so strong it overcomes the tumult and storms of life.
That isn’t to say that our problems aren’t real or that they don’t have consequences—but how we respond, how we walk through our storms, can be a done in a response of peace and rest as we partner with the Holy Spirit day to day—moment to moment.
This is an amazing gift unfolding within us. Jesus is transforming us, creating in our hearts a place where God’s presence may dwell. As we open our hearts to what Holy Spirit is doing within us, we are becoming a home that looks very much like Jesus.
In Hebrew, high places, or "bamot" were elevated sites often used for worship and religious ceremonies. These locations were typically found on hills or mountains, which were considered closer to the divine. Throughout Israel's history, several kings undertook religious reforms to eliminate high places and unauthorized altars.
For example, King Hezekiah is noted for his efforts to centralize worship in Jerusalem, as recorded in 2 Kings 18:4: "He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also broke into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it."
King Hezekiah put his whole trust in the GOD of Israel. There was no king quite like him, either before or after. He held fast to GOD—never loosened his grip—and obeyed to the letter everything GOD had commanded Moses. And GOD, for his part, held fast to him through all his adventures.
One way of thinking about practicing to live in high places is to remember to pause, step back, and pivot from our thoughts. When we feel the pressure, the push and pull, of life and our heart is overwhelmed, we need to pause…stop…be still.
In this action, we take a breath, both physically and spiritually. We take a moment to remember Yashua, to recall to mind the truth that he is God.
Jesus says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I don’t give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” His promise to us is his very own peace shared with us. His peace is the kind that allows your heart not to be troubled or afraid when facing fearful troubles.
From that place of pausing in our spirit, we have already established some stillness, some peace, and we can take a step back in our spirit allowing our focus to shift from what is weighing on us or captivating us shifts towards Jesus.
As I said, it should become our home. In Colossians 3:15, Paul writes: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body…” In Philippians 4:7 Paul tells us that the peace of God guards our hearts and minds. In John 16:33, Jesus tells us that in him we will have peace, even as he acknowledges that yes, in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, for Jesus has overcome the world.
When we step back, we gain a little distance and give ourselves some spiritual space. We can now begin to invite Holy Spirit to increase peace in our heart and we can take the next action, which is to pivot. Think of it as turning your back on everything for a moment to fully focus on and engage with the Lord.
In our spirit, we PIVOT towards Jesus, totally, completely. He becomes our high place captivating our hearts. We enter a place of peaceful refuge where we are abiding in his grace and his love, his own peace and stillness. We discover the wonder of just how at rest, Jesus is —and how central it is to his character and that he wants to impart them to us freely.
In these moments, we discover that Jesus is at peace—always.
This is truly amazing and causes a worshipful spirit to rise within us. It begins within our belly rising upwards to our heart to become a fountain we thirst for.
The storms, challenges, and struggles of our lives are very real. Living in the peace of Jesus isn’t a way of escaping life—it is a way of living life. It acknowledges a deep faith, trust and belief that God’s love for us is true. I struggle some days to find that place of peace in the Spirit, but once we truly know His love is real, we can ascend to enter Heaven’s Kingdom realm. It takes partnering with the Holy Spirit and His Glory light to radiant from within our bodies.
My Vision
As I contemplated high places, I saw a picture in my spirit. I saw myself standing in a flourishing garden full of hanging fruit. The fruit was bigger than a basketball, I laugh and try to pick the giant fruit, but it’s too heavy to pull off the vine. I hear Jesus say, ‘For whatever overcomes a person- to that he is enslaved.’ I smiled and thought to myself, what has enslaved me? I knew instantly ‘more truth is coming.’
As I pondered this brief vision, I began to understand something about fruit, it’s the contrast of the works of the flesh. Our good fruit is grown in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-25.
To pick our grow fruit in the garden within our heart requires us to enter into an uncomfortable vulnerability, a self-awareness that will show us aspects of our lives and ourselves we may not enjoy seeing. I slowly began to realize that something in my life was being held higher than YAH. It takes His Spirit to unveil our high places.
The Kingdom realm is very important for us to understand, “Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). The word ‘devices’ can also be translated ‘purposes, thoughts and intents’.
A device can also be a covert operation against a believer.
The devil’s thoughts and intents are to stop you engaging Heaven; his devices are to stop you going there, therefore you feel unholy, unrighteous and condemned.
The devil does not want you to go there because he knows that the moment you turn up there you are going to be made clean (Zechariah 3:5) and then he will have no power over your life.
The greatest thing we can talk about and engage is the Kingdom of God. The love of Jesus is a liberating presence, pouring grace into us where we are, leading us into truth that changes us and provides freedom from the enemy devices.
We must go into the Kingdom, because in the Kingdom is our rest, and out of that place of rest comes the government of YHVH in our lives. More to come on the government of YAH but for now click the link for a quick summary. You see there is a place for that government to sit on our lives and then to manifest through us into the world around us.
Let’s continue…. Are you weary? Are you troubled? What things in your life have been made a high place that keep you tangled?
God often doesn’t deal with our struggles in the way we expect. God sees what we are lacking and invites us to find what we need in him.
If you are worried and troubled, God out of his love and grace wants to give you peace and rest. He wants you to know and experience the reality that you can respond in a different way to the things that happen in your life, which are indeed stressful and troubling.
This can be frustrating for us, because we want God to fix us like a divine mechanic. God won’t opt for the quick fix because he is far more interested in transforming you into the likeness of Jesus so that you are never again in need of ‘fixing’ because you have been so deeply changed by his abiding presence. This is the hope of our transformation.
Our spiritual growth can be hard, but it is well worth it—and Jesus believes this more than anyone does. This is the amazing gift that Jesus accomplishes and offers to us through an invitation.
Who is invited? Listen: are you weary and burdened (tired, bored out of your mind, hating life, exhausted, anxious, and stressed to the hilt?) Then come to me…I want you to come to me…I want to give you an answer for your weariness and burdens: rest. Matthew 11:28
As we move deeper into the heart with Jesus, we will face some challenges, but they are always meant to bring us closer to God and to make us more like Jesus. The love of God is not the reward of transformation, rather, the love of God is the energy moving us forward in our transformation.
Pray this with me:
Father, I humble myself before You. I lay open my whole heart on Your altar. Help me to locate myself. Show me the things I need to release so that You can pour Your Oil & purpose into my life. I cry out for the seeds of Your Kingdom Government to be planted in my heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen
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