How Does It Feel to Be on Your Own?
“Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths,” Psalm 25:4.
“Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies,” Psalm 27:11.
“How does it feel, how does it feel? To have on your own, with no direction home, kike a complete unknown, like a rolling stone,” — Dylan
The great poet and singer Bob Dylan penned these words to the song that he sang many years ago.
“For I tell you that you are never alone when you walk with Me.
For I AM with the broken-hearted; I AM with the downcast.
I AM with whoever comes to Me. But those filled with pride have their own roads to follow.
But I tell you, there will be many roads that you will be traveling on ahead.
Indeed, there will be dark days ahead. And there will be times when you will think that you will never see ahead.
But the light of My Spirit will guide you. You will see through the mist, but then that mist will fade away.“
It’s certainly true that a rolling stone never gathers any moss. For when one is always moving the grass can’t grow under their feet.
But on the other hand, one needs a foundation so that their feet are secure and their travels are ordered.
We have been on this traveling road now for a year, and even though we travel alone, we know that He is with us, every day guiding and directing us.
Even though a person may strike out down the road, there is a direction ahead; there is a purpose in coming to the next small town or village.
We have met many people in our travels down the road, and yet somehow when we leave, their faces then vanish in the mist.
You know we’re all sojourners in this life of ours. We may well have a place that we call home, but it is all temporary.
When one grows up and strikes out on their own, they make a lot of mistakes, but in time with experience as their teacher, hopefully they learn from those mistakes.
We know that the ultimate teacher however, is the LORD Himself, and the Holy Spirit is the One that teaches us throughout our days.
He speaks of things to come and reminds us of what has gone before. He will alert us about the dangers ahead and those things that need to be changed.
We know that the ‘times they are a-changing’ and yet we are told that there’s nothing new under the sun.
But there’s a battle that’s raging all around us; we see it in the political upheavals.
We see in the ever-expanding divisions that are all around us. We see it as those that once knew the truth are now falling into deception.
We see it when falsehood is declared as truth. We see it when black is said to be white, and white is said to be black.
Many of us have traveled down lonely roads and perhaps we’ve thought that those roads will never end.
But if you would continue ahead, you’ll see a ray of sunshine where the rays of light fall upon it.
There’s the promise of a new day. There is the promise of new vistas and hope ahead.
Each person must travel their own road. Every one of them is unique and it’s designed for them alone.
But many times in this life, we get off-track, and we’ve ventured down roads that weren’t meant for us to travel upon.
And it’s true; I know it is, that there will be darker days ahead. There will be times when the road ahead will become more difficult to see.
We’ll need the lantern of the Holy Spirit to shine upon what we can’t see with our human eyes.
Remember what David said,
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” Psalm 119:107.
However, that doesn’t mean that His word is a beacon shining down the road ahead for miles and miles.
We are given just enough light for our pathway.
Like a Rolling Stone — ©Bob Dylan
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you?
People call say ‘beware doll, you’re bound to fall’
You thought they were all kidding you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hanging out
Now you don’t talk so loud
Now you don’t seem so proud
About having to be scrounging your next meal
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
Nobody’s ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you’re gonna have to get used to it
You say you never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He’s not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?
To be on your own, with no direction home
A complete unknown, like a rolling stone
On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain’t no good
You shouldn’t let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on a chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain’t it hard when you discovered that
He really wasn’t where it’s at
After he took from you everything he could steal
To have on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
They’re all drinking, thinking that they’ve got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him he calls you, you can’t refuse
When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You’re invisible now, you’ve got no secrets to conceal
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone.”
Selah,
~ Stephen Hanson
Stephen Hanson of In His Truth Ministries came to the LORD is a special way in 1975 and has prophesied regularly since. In these end-time birthing pangs we are reminded that judgment must first begin with the household of God. Will we be prepared and ready?