Years ago I wrote an allegory that has been waiting for the dream I had last night to connect with it. In the first scene, people were interacting with each other. In the next one, I was driving on a highway and needed to make a U-turn, but had to wait for a vehicle that was coming down on the opposite lane before I could. It was a car that was backwards: The rear end was in the front, and the front was in the rear, and another car was pushing it. After it passed by, the way was clear for me to make the U-turn, and then I went back to the place where the people were gathered together. I intermingled with them, and a beautiful young woman shared her testimony. After she had finished giving it, I wrapped my arms around her in a loving embrace and laid my hand that was full of the anointing of God on her shoulder. 

Now for the allegory: 

 “Conflict” had a gruesome appearance. She and her friends “Problems” and “Tribulations” caused quite a stir wherever they went. To most, the three of them looked like a tornado, a whirlwind, and an earthquake wrapped together. However, there was only one, a powerful person named “True Identity” who saw past their semblance. He called them “Bread”.

“True I” lived in the cleft of a rock- an awesome rock who had many names. Each name was the one that was needed in the time of trouble; “High Tower, Shield, Fortress, Savior, Deliverer, and Healer are only a few of the “Rock’s” mighty names, so T.I” felt very safe in his place in the rock where he dwelt with “Faith”, “Hope”, “Integrity”, “Promise”, and “Courage”.

Every day a dove called “Word for the Day” brought food that made “True I’s” muscles grow strong like Samson’s, a famous member of his family. Long ago, “Word” instructed that while “T.I.” remained in the rock, his enemies would be defeated and that all things would work for his good. “T.I.” had no fears when he remembered and believed “Word.” 

“Temptation,” a black snake in the grass, would visit “T.I.” every day, but most of the time “T.I.” would have nothing to do with him because “Wisdom” revealed all the fiendish plots of the enemy. But sad to say, on one occasion when “Wisdom” was left behind, “Temptation” disguised himself as a beautiful angel and lured “T.I.” away from his place in the rock. “Poor “T.I.” instantly became another person with his name changed to “Wretched Personality.” He was no match for “Conflict” and her buddies, who always followed “Temptation.” “Reaction” replaced “Composure,” “Howling” for “Peace,” and “Pointing Finger,” for “Righteous Judgment” for his new companions. 

All the time, “T.I.” [“Wretched Personality”] was out of the rock, he whined “I don’t want this. I don’t need this. I’m out of here.” But he couldn’t get out in his own strength, try as he would. “Conflict” and “Temptation” whose other names were “Accuser”, “Hatred” and “Rebellion” made no way of escape for him. This once powerful, victorious one was reduced to a warrior without his weapons of warfare, all because he left his place. 

Fortunately for him though, his mighty ancestor “Samson” left him an inheritance. So would you believe it??- the end of THIS story is a hairy one!!

Oh brethren, when we give in to temptation and sin, which we all do, we end up wretched like “Conflict”  and conflict in our relationships begin. Like Samson, whose eyes were gouged out and his power stripped, we end up in darkness of understanding, spiritually bound. We are part of each other and broken relationships are very costly. When one hurts, ALL hurt… When one sins, the body of Christ is affected, and the solution is in our calling to be restorers of the breach…. On this last day, our role as “reconcilers” must come forth for God’s kingdom to fill the earth. But in order for this to happen, there’s got to be a change of thinking, and lots of turnarounds onto the “High” way of doing things God’s way. 

The car with the back end in front and the front represents one who is reluctant to go God’s way, but ah, he was pushed into it. He and every one of us must go back to the initial conflict and get it resolved. Jacob and Esau are a type and shadow to us as is Joseph and his brothers. 

The beautiful black woman represents our dark soul, as well as the dark soul of others, but we are black but comely, hallelujah! Our souls must be embraced…. Everyone’s soul must be and we can do it when we realize we are not our flesh. When we are finally fully reconciled with all the people we’ve hurt and who have hurt us, THEN God’s power and His anointing will freely flow out of our hand, but this can not be a shallow reconciliation. We have been foolish to believe that all that is necessary is to voice “I’m sorry.” Not so! Take a close look at how Joseph became reconciled with his brothers: He had to make certain that they had repented before he embraced them. There shall be no fake and cheap relationships in this hour. We have a lot of homework to do before we learn our lesson well. Job prayed for his unrighteous friends before his healing and restoration came. 

Samson especially  has a powerful message for us, because he represents each one of us, along with Jacob and King David. We sin…. we go our own way as they did, and we reap the consequences. Remember it was God who put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, NOT the devil. Look at His words: “Man has become as one of us knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3: 22) Oh yes, we were destined to go through the painful learning we have, just as we have been destined to have a “good end.” 

God uses the evil we do FOR GOOD. I love what the Bible records concerning Samson’s taking a Philistine woman for a wife which was sin: Samson’s “father and his mother knew not that it was OF THE LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.” Oh yes, God uses our sins for His glory, like when Joseph’s brethren did evil, God used it for good. 

We shall fulfill our destinies, brethren, but we must not be fooled. NO ONE gets away with sinning. King David paid a terrible price for his sins, as did Samson, and so do we, but we get to know God and His ways through it all…. Oh yes, overcomers finally are conformed into His image and come into the place that they become LOVE. It’s worth all the suffering and trials, is it not?

In my own life I still  have a few relationships that need mending. I have no idea of how it can be done, but our God is a God of miracles and it is His will that we be one. By God’s grace and His long-suffering, I have been made willing to love and to forgive everyone who has ever hurt me. Have you? 

If so, we shall have a hairy (full of glory) end. Hallelujah! It’s the Day of Atonement!