Have you ever prayed for a breakthrough at some stage of your life? What does it actually mean to experience a breakthrough? Or is that just another one of those cliches we throw around, not knowing or remembering what they mean or where they come from?
What can a breakthrough and a goal have in common?
Had a discussion with a friend the other day about the Hebraic view of having a breakthrough. Abraham and Isaac experienced a breakthrough when Abraham received the instruction from Abba to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac just knew they were on their way to sacrifice, but he didn't know what they would be sacrificing. He asked the question and his father said: Don't worry, Abba will provide the lamb. He must have been very surprised (shocked?) when he discovered that he was the sacrifice. We're not told that he objected or rebelled. Why? Because he trusted his father's words that Abba would provide?
So, is it all about my desire? No, that's not the end of the story. Abba then provides a RAM, not a lamb. The Hebrew for ram is "ayil", the letters alef, yod and lamed, which are found in Elohiym. Abba provided so much more than a lamb - He provided the best He could give - Himself! That was their breakthrough - they had a need and He provided the best solution for their need.
When we pray, do we trust (like Abraham did) that He will provide exactly what we need, over and above our expectations? And are we prepared to accept that He has already put the solution to our need in place? Will we accept our "breakthrough" without questioning Him or without trying to prescribe what we want the breakthrough to look like?
I thought about this a bit more: Abraham and Isaac's needs were provided for ONLY in what was needed for the sacrifice. Nothing else. No other problem in their life was solved. They were not provided a meal or clothes or whatever. ONLY an animal to sacrifice.
So, what does this have to do with a goal? Well, I did a study of the word "conquerors" in Rom 8:37. In Greek it means to "overcome". We usually understand being a conqueror and overcoming to mean that we've already gone through the battle or problem and have come out on the other side as the winner.
The Hebraic thought puts a different spin on things. One of the words equivalent to the Greek word translated as "conquerors" is the word "netsach", which means "goal". The root of this word is "natsach", which means "to reach a goal" or "to glitter from afar".
How on earth can a goal and glitter be the same thing? Well, picture yourself in the desert at night and you're lost. Then in the distance you see the tents of the camp glittering in the moonlight. You turn in that direction and begin making your way to the camp and to safety.
In western thinking we are conquerors when we reach the goal. In Hebraic thinking we are conquerors when we see the camp and start moving towards it. That's the same as having a breakthrough - to see Abba's camp and to start moving towards it. The breakthrough is when we see the goal and start moving that way.
Happy walking!
What can a breakthrough and a goal have in common?
Had a discussion with a friend the other day about the Hebraic view of having a breakthrough. Abraham and Isaac experienced a breakthrough when Abraham received the instruction from Abba to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac just knew they were on their way to sacrifice, but he didn't know what they would be sacrificing. He asked the question and his father said: Don't worry, Abba will provide the lamb. He must have been very surprised (shocked?) when he discovered that he was the sacrifice. We're not told that he objected or rebelled. Why? Because he trusted his father's words that Abba would provide?
So, is it all about my desire? No, that's not the end of the story. Abba then provides a RAM, not a lamb. The Hebrew for ram is "ayil", the letters alef, yod and lamed, which are found in Elohiym. Abba provided so much more than a lamb - He provided the best He could give - Himself! That was their breakthrough - they had a need and He provided the best solution for their need.
When we pray, do we trust (like Abraham did) that He will provide exactly what we need, over and above our expectations? And are we prepared to accept that He has already put the solution to our need in place? Will we accept our "breakthrough" without questioning Him or without trying to prescribe what we want the breakthrough to look like?
I thought about this a bit more: Abraham and Isaac's needs were provided for ONLY in what was needed for the sacrifice. Nothing else. No other problem in their life was solved. They were not provided a meal or clothes or whatever. ONLY an animal to sacrifice.
So, what does this have to do with a goal? Well, I did a study of the word "conquerors" in Rom 8:37. In Greek it means to "overcome". We usually understand being a conqueror and overcoming to mean that we've already gone through the battle or problem and have come out on the other side as the winner.
The Hebraic thought puts a different spin on things. One of the words equivalent to the Greek word translated as "conquerors" is the word "netsach", which means "goal". The root of this word is "natsach", which means "to reach a goal" or "to glitter from afar".
How on earth can a goal and glitter be the same thing? Well, picture yourself in the desert at night and you're lost. Then in the distance you see the tents of the camp glittering in the moonlight. You turn in that direction and begin making your way to the camp and to safety.
In western thinking we are conquerors when we reach the goal. In Hebraic thinking we are conquerors when we see the camp and start moving towards it. That's the same as having a breakthrough - to see Abba's camp and to start moving towards it. The breakthrough is when we see the goal and start moving that way.
Happy walking!