The Ox and the Promise

The Ox and the Promise

I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit the other night. It began with Proverbs 14:4, “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.”

Our assembly has been meeting in a large facility, which people refer to as a barn. The meetings are casual and children are free and encouraged to participate in worship. Often the child-like noises of the children are heard during worship and the message, and sometimes the pitter-patter of their feet sound like drums accompanying worship. Moms and dads look nervous as their children act—well, like children. But we all love it.

Back to Proverbs 14:4. The point of Proverbs 14:4 is that some places are messy, smelly, and require hard work, but God likes them that way. It means they are healthy and fulfilling their purpose. A manger is where animals eat their food. So—slobber and snot. I have horses and there is nothing like the smell of a barn. No it doesn’t smell like a garden or look like a 5-star hotel, but then it isn’t supposed to.

Unlike what some may think, God likes noise—even in church. He is noisy and Heaven is a very noisy place, except that one ½ hour. God likes His “messes” too. Ever notice in the Bible when the Holy Spirit showed up things kind of changed? God brought His order to what we thought was order. Jesus’ order was to cause disorder to the money changers in the Temple or the religious by healing on the Sabbath. I like that.

During the 1990’s renewal God busted into our paradigm and pretty much messed it up. He brought repentance through laughter—which thoroughly messed up some people, and for many He recentralized their focus to the Presence of God and His Anointing, me included. The importance of the Anointing became central. During this time God visited a little church out in the middle of nowhere named Providence, and brought His order along with His visitation. It is a small church, but a big God came to visit. When the building was full, people backed their cars up to the windows of the church, while others sat in pick-up beds or just stood outside to hear the message and receive ministry from the Holy Spirit’s outflow.

Another church during this same time grew from around 60 people to near 400 in three years. How? Because God visited and the leaders chose to do things His way. Often people were laid out all over the floors under the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. There were some who seemed disturbed by God’s seemingly disruptive moving upon and in people as they responded to Him with outbursts of laughter. But, it was God’s order. His ways brought His order. It was messy. It was great!!

This is what was going through my mind when the Lord spoke, “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean.” As I continued to ponder this scripture from somewhere deep within my spirit I began to crying out for oxen, knowing full well that this meant, “We want Your Spirit”; “We want Your moving”; “We want Your ways”; “We want Your mess.”

The Holy Spirit then changed the scene to another manger—the manger where Jesus was laid as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. Jesus was likely born in a cave-barn among all the animals, their noises and their smells. Think about it—Jesus, the Son of God, was laid in a manger where animals feed.

God then spoke to me saying, “I birth promises in the midst of messes.” Jesus Christ, the ultimate Promise to mankind, was born in a messy, smelly, noisy place among animals.

If you find yourself in the midst of a mess—self-imposed or not—look for God to birth a promise right where you are. He is not limited by your mess. He delights in taking what, to us, looks like a mess and birthing His promises and order in the midst of our mess.

Take some time to reorient yourself in the reality that God is not in the least bit taken off guard or at a loss as to what to do in your life. He delights in speaking Light into darkness and creating order—His order—out of our mess. Even yours. Even mine.