A Dream for the Battle-Weary
I have a word for the battle-weary today. I have a word for those who have been in a season of being pursued by their enemies. Recently, I had a powerful dream, and in the dream I was being pursued by all these enemies.
I remembered thinking, "Is this what David went through, constantly on the run? How does this make sense that you can be anointed by God, separated by God, but on the run? Is this what it feels like—alone, isolated, with no one to understand you and no one to comfort you except for the Lord Himself?"
When you're in that place, all alone, you hear the words of the accuser loudly in your head: "Who are you, David? This is your inheritance, David. It's always gonna be like this, David. You'll always be on the run. You'll always be pursued."
Then your calling, your testimony, and your identity begin to get wrapped up in the battle and not in the victory. They get wrapped up in the pain. They get wrapped up in the trauma of the moment. They get wrapped up in the betrayal. They get wrapped up in the words that were spoken over you that seem to just be settling so deep you can't shake them. You think, "Weren't they my dearest friends? Weren't they my inner circle? What happened?" And you become more acquainted with grief than the victory of the cross. The good news becomes such a distant reality.
But I feel that what the Lord is doing through this dream and through this word is He is saying over you, "I'm restoring you back to My good news. I'm restoring you back to hope. I'm restoring you back to the strength that you need to accomplish your mission and your life, because you've been stuck in the battle for so long."
In this dream I was being pursued, when suddenly I came over a ridge, and before me was a wide open field, and there was no one there. I looked around me. No one was pursuing me anymore. I was just sitting there on my own, looking at this beautiful, wide open field.
Suddenly, I heard words spoken in Hebrew—almost like they were sung—and I knew the interpretation. This is what I heard: "I will give you rest from your battles. I will defend and fight for you so that you can recover. I'll bring you into wholeness and rest."
Menuchah, Nuach, and Shalom
When I woke I found three Hebrew words that match the meaning of what I heard in English.
1. Menuchah: "I will give you rest from your battles." It means rest, quietness. It's the whole essence of Psalm 23. It's that rest you feel while sitting beside still waters, quieting your soul. It's the rest and the quietness that the Lord brings after the conflict. (Photo via Unsplash)
2. Nuach: "I will defend and fight for you so you can recover." It's different from the word menuchah. Nuach means to be given rest, and to have rest from all the enemies around you. It's where the Lord brings you into rest and continues the battle on your behalf.
3. Shalom: "I'll bring you into wholeness and rest." Now this isn't just rest. This is wholeness and peace. It's the state of mind, heart, and soul that the Lord brings you into when the war is over.
Just as David was pursued by Saul because of the calling on his life, do you realize this is why you've been in the battle? You're anointed by God. You're called by God. But you have to hear what God did.
"Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days." (1 Chronicles 22:9 NKJV)
That's what shalom is right there. Solomon's name literally comes from shalom, and he was the promise to David of PEACE AFTER THE BATTLE, and peace in his kingdom.
"Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies all around..." (2 Samuel 7:1 NKJV)
The Lord gave David rest from all his enemies round about, and that is what He is doing for you now, too.
A Season of Sabbath in Order to Build
I hear the Lord saying, "This will be a season of Sabbath for My Church. There's another season coming, and you will need this Sabbath. You're coming into a place of settling, establishing rest, recouping, and regaining your strength."
Now this is what's crazy about the story of David and Solomon: As a byproduct of the rest that came to David and through the life of Solomon, the temple was built. David was pursued his whole life, and he was unable to build the temple, but Solomon did.
There are things you can't build in battle that can only be established and properly birthed through rest. That's why this REST IS NEEDED.
Don't you see? The war comes because you're anointed, but the war also comes to distract you and delay you. The war comes to get you off course, to get you to fall into the flesh—striving in your own strength—to beat you down and steal your strength and PREVENT YOU FROM BIRTHING. (Photo via Unsplash)
What if you're too used to striving? What if you're too used to fighting in your own strength? You've been so used to fighting and battling in your own strength, you don't even know what it feels like anymore to enter rest.
So even right now as you are reading this, let the rest of the Lord and His peace come over you. Let His menuchah, His nuach, and His shalom come over you right now, in the name of Jesus!
You Will Enter Rest from All Your Enemies
I prophesy now, just as I heard in the dream, that you will enter into rest from all your enemies. God will defend and fight for you so that you can recover. God will bring you into wholeness and rest so that you can do what He has called you to do and build what He has called you to build, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (NKJV).
I prophesy shalom, shalom, shalom, shalom over you right now, in the name of Jesus. You're entering into that place of rest and wholeness and peace, in Jesus' mighty name. You will no longer be pursued by the enemy on every single side.
I pray you feel a deep, deep rest and peace in your mind as you are read this. And I speak WHOLENESS over you, realigning your mind, your soul, and your body! Every affliction bow to the name of Jesus, right now. He's bringing your body into rest. He's bringing your soul into rest. He's bringing your mind into rest.
This will be a season of Him restoring the strength in your body, mind, and inner man. This will be a season of coming out from the thick of battle and rediscovering the victory of the cross again, in Jesus' mighty name.
Your calling isn't just about fighting. Your calling isn't just about the battle. It's about the abiding. It's about the glory. It's about knowing Him.
STEP INTO REST, STEP INTO SHALOM!
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Nate Johnston
Everyday Revivalists
Email:Â everydayrevivalists@gmail.com
Website:Â nateandchristy.co
Nate Johnston is a prophetic voice and worshiper who has a heart to see sons and daughters unleashed into passionate friendship with God and an effective supernatural lifestyle. Through his ministry school, "Everyday Revivalists," he leads people from the basics of the gospel through to being sent and released into their mission field, as well as championing and raising up emerging prophetic voices around the world. His burning cry and desire is to see the Body of Christ become a beacon for the lost by raising up a generation that walks in the love and power of God, representing Him well. Nate and his wife Christy have three daughters, Charlotte, Sophie, and Ava and live in Orange County, CA.
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