We live in a tri-level home. The older we get the more challenging the stairway has become. Aside from that, our grandson plays basketball for his high school. The bleachers at some older gyms are rickety, and in some schools there are no rails to aid in guiding your steps. Even with railing, I have to be very careful and sometimes need some assistance getting to my seat. It’s not that I’m out of shape; but fear has set in from climbing up the older bleachers and almost losing my footing.
The Bible mentions stairways many times as an allegory. Going up represents reaching a higher level of spirituality. When Jacob woke up from his dream, he realized that he had had a holy encounter with God. He took the stone that he used as a pillow and anointed it with oil. He named it Bethel, which means “the house of God.” The Lord reassured him in the dream that He would be with him and protect him wherever he would go. (Gen 28:10-17)
51 And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
In the New Testament Jesus gives reference to Jacob’s encounter in His future Transfiguration.
Many of my dreams are about climbing a staircase with broken steps, and, in spite of this I continue to climb. I understand why the Lord gives me these dreams; it’s because I need to persevere in prayer until I reach a revelation from God.
Vineyards
Normally, it takes three years for a new grapevine to produce good grapes. Grapes need to be pruned in order to produce good fruit. Likewise we, too, need to go through a process of growth before we can produce good spiritual fruit.
When I was in my early teens our mother would take us up to Fresno to visit our cousins. We would always go during grape picking season. The grapes we picked were used for raisins. I did not like picking grapes but in spite of this I complied for two reasons: we got to spend time with our cousins and we got to keep some of our earnings to purchase school clothes.
There is a certain way these grapes had to be harvested. The cut grapes would go from a bind onto paper trays for drying in the sun. It was important that these grapes were placed on a smooth surface; otherwise it would change the integrity of the grape. Many times my foot would make an indentation in the soil; this had to be smoothed out or we would get reprimanded by whoever was overseeing the work.
Admittedly I was, and still am, a complainer. My mother must have grown tired of my pitiful laments. So finally all of my complaining paid off, and I was elevated to babysitting my younger sister and cousins. Life was good!
Making the Connection
Comparatively speaking, I can finally make the connection of the vineyard and how the Lord was pruning us and getting us ready to bear good fruit. In contrast, grapes do not grow from seeds. Grapes are engrafted from other grape cuttings. We, too, are engrafted into the family of God. God would never exclude anyone from being part of His family.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. If you do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you.
Weakness because metaphorically speaking, a dove is prone to attacks from other prey, and like, us we are weak without God’s protection.