Old Dog IV
Back to: The Weapons of Warfare
The Path Untraveled
April 29, 2000:
Several days ago I had a ”dream” about a path that ran in circles. Since then I have had three strange encounters. This second such was† also a ”dream” unlike anything I could have expected and am not eager to repeat. I don’t think I will…THANKS LORD….
The dream began once again as night was falling and I had the “need” to find the “ancient path” to THE MOUNTAIN. This is neither a new quest nor a new revelation. Only now I have the “feeling” that time is short and I am far from my destination. But this time THE KING said HE was sending me so there is now ABBA’S PURPOSE behind all this. So I was not surprised by the “dream” restarting where the last had ended.
As before I came to the wider trail and felt the need to be cautious. I was looking for something I had failed to see the first time around. So I waited a moment and turned left and not to the right. I had gone “with the flow” and failed now I had to “repent” and turn the other way. Once again I looked for a path but this time I knew it would be hard to spot so I moved slower down the path. I do not know why but shortly after rebeginning my search I ”felt” the need to “take cover” and got into the largest and deepest shadow in sight and began to pray…real hard. In moments a squad of “big uglies” crept by. They were not quite human…but close enough it seemed. But in the dark they seemed unable to see me and passed on. It seems tonight someone was looking for me and might not want me to find what I was looking for. Several times I had that “feeling” hit fast and hard. And each time there was a place to hide, a “shadow” that covered me.
It seemed like hours, probably was, of looking and hiding when I came to a place of thick growth along the path. Why it caught my attention I do not know, but I thought of cutting through the heavy brush and grass. As I was about to start hewing away I got my first and only check in my spirit. In the first dream I had reblazed the trail and now I was being hunted. I had to blaze that trail, but now I hesitated. Anything I did now just pointed to where I was. So instead of hacking I tried to crawl through the scrub and overgrowth without leaving a trail. It was neither easy nor pleasant. The only thing I could see beyond the vegetation that crowded the side of the path was the top of a large tree. So I tried to crawl in that direction. Getting past the first ten feet or so was the worst and then got a little room and a better sighting on the tree. But there was no path to the tree so I continued a slow crawl through “the briar patch” as I began to think about it. When I got close to the tree I had to rest. I wondered how could I get so tired in a dream. Likewise sore hands and knees. There was room at the base of the tree to sit and rest.
As I rested I realized I could not see more than a few feet in front of me. The only way I would find the “ancient path” is if I tripped over it. Unless I gave myself a better of field of vision, so I climbed the tree. The farther up I went, the farther I could see. I kept looking down and was getting frustrated when I “heard” in my SPIRIT….”I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID UNTO ME, LET US GO UP INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD” so I looked up. AND SAW THE MOUNTAIN. Now the first thing I thought was how could I not have seen it from the path…anywhere on the path? And Ithought….path..find the path….and I looked and saw nothing below me.
Again I heard the psalm and looked up, and there it was. But it † started at the mountain and I followed it down toward the CIRCLE PATH. It was almost a perfectly straight thin line to the heavy growth that lined the CIRCLE PATH. And it was not too far away. Along the “ancient path” was a fairly large tree and I ”knew” if I headed to the tree I would cross my “ancient path”. Slowly I worked toward the tree in a staggered shuffle, and I did exactly what I had feared, I ”tripped” over it and landed on it, face first. Hard packed earth and rock. Now it was faster and easier travel and I could walk upright ducking occasional branches. I had the thought that no one had been on this “road” for a very long time. The path started to go upward and begin to clear at the same time. I noticed the “false dawn” fill the sky behind me and felt the need to move faster. As I reached the top day was breaking and this time I felt no need to find a place to hide. In fact once I reached the top I did not like the “feel” of the place. Around me were ancient ruins. Fallen columns and stones sticking out among the now thinned overgrowth. I ”felt” a lot of things…none were pleasant.
Out of nowhere I “remembered” the feeling that was prevalent but could not place it. I had come to THE MOUNTAIN but did not feel glad. “NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL, DOG”, came the quiet voice of MY MASTER. I turned and saw HIM robed in the brown traveling robe I had seen so often. ”WELCOME TO SHILOH OLD FRIEND, I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED. WELCOME TO RAMAH, THE HIGH PLACE I HAVE SENT YOU TO.” I was taken aback and looked around me and my mind fogged. This cannot be right I thought. ”NO SHEMUEL, THIS IS WHAT WAS, THE PLACE HOLY AND SET APART FOR MY HABITATION. IT WAS DESECRATED AND DEFILED LONG AGO. BUT NOW I WILL RESTORE WHAT WAS. IS IT NOT WRITTEN THAT THE LATTER HOUSE WILL BE GREATER THAN THE FORMER? THAT I WILL FILL IT WITH MY GLORY AND ALL NATIONS WILL COME UNTO IT?”
“THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE MY BELOVED WILL FLEE AND YOU WILL STAND. I SAID I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID. SOLOMON BUILT MY TEMPLE AND IT WAS MADE A DEN OF THIEVES. HE ALSO BUILT ALTERS TO OTHER GODS AND WORSHIPPED THEM. IT IS TIME TO TEAR DOWN THE GROVES AND DESTROY THE HIGH PLACES THAT EXALT THEMSELVES ABOVE ME. DIG DOWN TO THE FOUNDATION I LAID AND I WILL RAISE UP THE WALLS OF DAVID’S TABERNACLE AND ONCE AGAIN MY GLORY AND PEACE WILL BE BEFORE ALL MEN.”
“Where do I start, LORD?”, I asked looking around me.
“I’M SORRY, OLD FRIEND, BUT THERE IS NO PLACE TO START. YOU FINISHED ONCE YOU GOT HERE.”
Now that was unexpected. HE LOOKED GENTLY AT ME AND SMILED. I do not know how long I stood crying in front of my GOD and KING. But like all dreams I awoke. And had almost as many questions as before I got to THE MOUNTAIN. But I will wait and trust….the answers will come in their time….so will more questions….. that seems to be the pattern.
selah
old dog