Nathan Shaw: "Prophets Are Like Herb Gardens"

"Prophets Are Like Herb Gardens"
by Nathan Shaw, Dunedin, New Zealand

"Prophets Are Like Herb Gardens"
by Nathan Shaw, Dunedin, New Zealand

Each Has a Unique Flavor

Recently I woke up in the night and heard God say, "Prophets are like herb gardens." I was intrigued. It made me inquire further. "God, how are prophets like herb gardens?"

Herbs have strong flavor. Used well, they can radically transform a common dish into something delectable. Used wrongly, they can overpower a dish and even make it unpalatable. God is infinitely creative. Every prophet is unique. They each have their own flavor. This is how God intended it to be. But, how do we get the right flavors into the right dishes?

Many years ago a prophet spoke to me. He gave me a very simple word: "God is going to make you fit." That was encouraging because, at the time, I just didn't seem to fit. As a teenager I had been powerfully impacted by the ministry of Jill Austin. Jill was a prophet who ignited hunger and passion for God. She was radical, creative, and anointed. Her prophetic mantle ignited my own prophetic call. As I started to develop in this call, I discovered that some people loved the flavor...others did not. For some, it was too radical. For others, it was too unpredictable.

Those who loved the flavor were impacted and changed in powerful ways. When there was a change of leadership at my church, I was no longer able to move in the anointing. I was no longer "flavor of the month." That was hard. I was uniquely created to release a certain flavor into the mix, and I was unable to do that anymore. Sometimes it felt like I would never move in that destiny again.

During this season I kept a good attitude and continued to serve in any way that I could. I made it my priority to press in to know God more intimately. God still had plans to release my unique flavor in specific churches, movements, and nations. Eventually He began to open doors and bring strategic connections. Often we go through seasons that don't make sense. It is only later that we discern God's profound wisdom in preparing us for His purposes.

Consider Joseph

Joseph had eleven brothers, but he was the one favored by his father. This made his brothers intensely jealous. To make matters worse, God gave Joseph two dreams. The dreams showed Joseph in a position of great authority. Joseph unwisely informed his brothers that they would one day bow down to him. They were enraged. They sold Joseph as a slave and pretended that he had been killed by a wild beast. Joseph was sold to a wealthy Egyptian called Potiphar. He proved himself trustworthy, and Potiphar put him in charge of his whole household.

Unfortunately, Joseph was also getting the attention of Potiphar's wife, who tried to seduce him. Joseph would not be seduced. In anger, Potiphar's wife made it look like Joseph had tried to seduce her. Potiphar was enraged and threw Joseph into prison. Joseph had a unique flavor, but he didn't fit anywhere. His brothers were jealous of him. Potiphar's wife was angry with him. They didn't like his flavor. Joseph stayed in prison for many years. Eventually God orchestrated a series of events that led to him coming before Pharaoh.

God gave Pharaoh two dreams. The dreams haunted Pharaoh. He desperately needed them interpreted. A former prisoner remembered that Joseph could interpret dreams. Joseph was summoned immediately. After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, he was immediately promoted and given great authority in the nation of Egypt. His administrative skills were used to prepare Egypt for a time of severe famine. He was also used to help shape the nation in positive ways. Joseph's flavor changed Egypt and the known world.

God is Strategically Positioning Prophets

In this present season, God is strategically positioning prophets and other ministries in ways that will greatly enhance the flavor of Christianity and the Church. Churches and movements will be radically transformed. Many prophets who don't seem to fit now will suddenly find themselves in strategic, God-ordained positions that really make a difference. Sometimes these opportunities and connections will bring great visibility, and other times profound things will be accomplished in hiddenness.

• Are you a prophet?
• Do you have a unique call within the Body of Christ?
• Do you feel like you have been forgotten or ignored, and that no matter how hard you try you just don't seem to fit?
• Have you had relationships cut off because of the jealousy of others?
• Have you been sent to "prison" because you wouldn't be manipulated and you refused to compromise God's standard?
• Have you been falsely accused?

You are in good company. Prophets and herb gardens have this in common: They often go unnoticed. Mostly herbs are not given their due respect until someone tastes a dish that has been transformed by the right herb. Not every herb works in every dish. But get the right herb in the right dish, and the results are mouth-watering. No matter your present situation, I can assure you of this: God knows your flavor and He knows how to make you fit.

Nathan Shaw
Heart of David Ministries
Email: fireanddestiny@slingshot.co.nz
Website: www.heartofdavidministries.org

Nathan Shaw helps bring individuals and churches into dynamic encounters with God's indescribable love. Nathan's passion is to equip churches so that they can move in the Spirit, access heavenly realms, encounter God's heart and release His Kingdom on the earth. Over the last twenty years he has been instrumental in ushering in significant moves of the Spirit in over ten different nations. Many have experienced life-changing prophetic encounters and dramatic visitations from God. Nathan is the author of two books: Passion and Fire, which tells the story of a powerful move of the Spirit in Vanuatu during which the face of Jesus appeared on a dormitory wall; and Unto the Least of These, which is about God's incredible love for widows and the fatherless and the significant part they play in His end-time plans. Both books are acclaimed by respected leaders from across the Body of Christ. Nathan is senior pastor at Fire and Destiny Centre, Dunedin (www.fireanddestiny.org) and Celebration Church, Mosgiel (www.celebrationchurch.xyz).

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