Inversion
Recently I headed up the Ochil Hills from Stirling. The outlook didn’t look good early morning with dense fog all the way to the trailhead. Visibility was problematic as I headed towards Dumyat Summit. Suddenly there was blue sky and a beautiful morning sun casting shadows over the landscape. Looking outwards, the view was akin to looking out on an ocean. Climbers call this a cloud inversion - when you ascend beyond the fog blanket and breakthrough to breathtaking sunny views. The temperature is inverted and gets warmer rather than cooler on the high ground.
Breakthroughs are a real desire for many in leadership and individual’s lives and often prophetic promises contain this aspect as we look for God’s purposes. Coming out of the fog and an environment where vision can be limited to the immediate may well involve an ascent to higher ground.
Definitions of the word ‘inversion’ would include the reversal of the normal, turning things inside out or upside down.
Certain scriptures come immediately to mind that would be a spiritual take on the experience: virgin giving birth, last being first, servant King, strong when we are weak, the cross as victory.
Jesus’ teachings speak into bringing a reversal of the norm and complete turnaround where the truth is presented as an inversion. We may be more used to thinking in terms of conversion especially as we consider the transformation of changed lives which is absolutely the case. John Newton would express it more as inversion: I was lost but now found, blind but now I see – a reversal of position and relationship.
Apparently, the image through the lens of our eyes that appears on the retina is upside down and requires the brain’s function to invert and correct it. Perhaps in our leadership our spiritual eyes can at times also be presenting us with a view that requires a change in perspective and an ascent to where things are much clearer.
During one of our furloughs, I was handed a ‘prophetic’ letter from a dear sister in Wales. She asked that I didn’t read it right then as it was not really good news! God had given her a vision of our work in Malawi and that we had come up against a spiritual wall. The action required was not to bulldoze our way through but as we worked away slowly with our fingers removing mortar, eventually bricks would be loosened and could then be carefully removed. A breakthrough would then be the result.
Breakthrough is a spiritual concept particularly referenced prophetically in the old testament and has the sense in 2 Samuel 5:17-25 of God going in front and defeating the Philistine enemy. David giving the glory to God and calling the actual spot Baal Perazim – ‘the Lord who breaks out’. “As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me.” This is a moment of breaking through and reminds me of flash floods washing away everything in their path.
As we apply the meaning and perhaps even hold onto a prophetic promise over our own situations requiring breakthrough, we may well recognise obstacles and a restlessness of spirit that eagerly wants to see God move in this way.
In the very next chapter, there is an echo of God breaking through but this time not against the enemy but against one of His own! 2 Samuel 6:8, “Then David was angry because the LORD’S wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.” It is a difficult and terrifying incident to understand as Uzzah reacted as we all would in trying to save the ark from falling.
Warren Wiersbe summarises it all by stating “God’s work must be done in God’s way if it is to have God’s blessing.” What may seem appropriate and right to us may in fact be the inverse of what God has for us. His way is always best!
Thankfully our breakthrough did eventually come in Malawi, but it was a slow and challenging process. At other times breakthrough may be more impactful and immediate. For every situation requiring breakthrough, also requires us hearing from God and responding to His leading with wisdom and courage.
Alan Skene