In September 2010, I was led by the Lord to take a Sozo class at the College of Sacred Scripture. Sozo is the Greek word meaning "saved, healed and delivered." This class focused on the supernatural ministry of Jesus Christ, inner healing and growing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. One week we did an exercise on giving prophetic words and discerning what the words we received meant to us. During class we took a sheet of paper and wrote the first thing that came to mind through prayer based on given topics. One was a scripture verse and another was a song title or lyric. After we wrote our words on the paper it was passed to someone on the opposite side of the room to have the process repeated. Once all 5 sets of info were filled in, the teacher walked around the room praying and handing out the completed sheets based on who she felt led to give each page to. When I received the sheet selected for me I was a bit surprised. None of the other topics really stood out to me but the three I mention in the title of this blog.
The very first scripture reference was Psalm 23. Midway down the page, the third set contained Isaiah 61:1-3 and the title of a Metallica song - Harvester of Sorrow. WHAT?!?! I'm in a class full of charismatic youth and I get the name of a Metallica song written before many of them were even born? But that is God's humorous side. He really knows how to get to you. Harvester of Sorrow was my favorite song on Metallica's ..And Justice for All album, back in the day. WAY back in the day. We left class that night with one assignment - pray about the words you received on that paper and ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern the meaning of it all for your life. So home I went to look up Isaiah 61 and the lyrics for Harvester of Sorrow as it had been a very long time since I had even thought about that song. I had just recently read Psalm 23 again, so I focused on Isaiah.
Isaiah 61: 1-3 reads:
The Year of the LORD’s Favor
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
Psalm 23 reads:
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Harvester of Sorrow (I'm not going to copy & paste all of the lyrics just the parts that jumped off the screen at me)
I've loved, turned to hate
Trapped far beyond my fate
I give, you take this life that I forsake
Been cheated of my youth
You turned this lie to truth
Distributor of pain
Your loss becomes my gain
Anger, misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
All have said their prayers
Invade their nightmares
To see into my eyes
You'll find where murder lies
Infanticide
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
WOW - God really? How does this all relate? What does it mean for me specifically? These were my questions...then the answer came flooding into my spirit as I felt that familiar shaking feeling I had at the waterfall. It didn't matter what those lyrics meant to Metallica, but they related to the social injustices of this world. The very things listed in Isaiah 61:1 and this was my mission in life to harvest the sorrows of the people - to remove them from the 'fields' where they labor as captives, prisoners and slaves, to deliver them from the bondage of this world. Psalm 23 is the reminder of who is sending me and the promise of protection and safety. This was the Lord saying to me - You told me you were ready and willing with whatever I had planned for you. Here it is...will you go? With God there is no maybe. It's yes or no...so I sat there in the middle of my floor a crying mess as the reality of it all sunk deep into my heart for the first time... again the thought crossed my mind - life would never be the same. 'Yes Lord, I prayed...show me the way, give me Your eyes and Your heart for the broken people of this world' and at that the flood gates opened and Daddy showed me things I had never imagined - the shear depth of the pain in this world. It was too much to bear and I just sat there crying like I've never cried before...
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