By Martha Bush

Happy New Year, my friends:

What a great week of fasting we had last week. I can’t wait to hear all the revelations you received from the Holy Spirit during the fast.  As we move on into 2022, I want to talk about an exciting subject today - The Ibex.

Say what? I don’t know about you, but I had never heard that word until I was reading an article over New Year’s Holidays, and the word “ibex” was mentioned several times in the article. What’s more, the author kept repeating, “God wants us to have the tenacity of the ibex.”

“Ummmm…God wants me to have the tenacity of the ibex, I pondered?”  Now, if my memory serves me correctly, tenacity means being persistent and determined, but I didn’t have a clue what an ibex is - never heard of it.  So, I stopped reading and did a little research. I wanted to make sure what this author was saying God wanted me to be like, that it was on the up-and-up.

I found an interesting video that I have shared below, but first let me give you a few basic facts that I learned about the ibex, so you can connect the dots.

1. An ibex is a wild goat that lives in the mountainous regions of Europe, north central Asia and northern Africa.
2. Both male and female have very long horns, which are used for territorial defense.
3. Ibex hooves have sharp edges and concave undersides that act like suction cups to help them grip the sides of steep, rocky cliffs.
4. Ibexes make their homes on cliffs that would be dangerous for predators.
5. Ibexes are very quick and light in movement. They can jump more than 6 feet straight up without a running start. This helps them climb mountainous terrain with ease.
6. They also climb high for the prize! They know there are minerals including calcium and salt that can only be found in the high places of the rock. These minerals are vital to her health. (Live Science Website)

As I watched the video over and over, I suddenly caught the spiritual connection and concept!!!

Who is the predator on my territory?  Well, none other than old slew foot himself: “Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart. (1 Peter 5:8 TLB)

In that moment, I believe the Lord said to me:

“Come climb with Me.
I have equipped you with all you need for the climb.

I made you as surefooted as a deer,
enabling you to stand on mountain heights.”
(Paraphrased Psalm 18:33 TLB)

 And then I believe I heard Him whisper to me: “You and all your friends here on Lynn Donovan's Ministries have the tenacity of an ibex wild goat. Climb higher, warriors, climb higher! I am with you.”

Quite instinctively, I dug my heels into the carpet beneath me, felt horns protruding out of my head, jumped up at least two feet off the floor, and sent out a few of my best declarations with the said notice of: “Mr. Devil, not on my territory; back off, in the name of Jesus!”

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My friends, please watch this four-minute video on the ibex goat.  Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how it relates to your spiritual climb with the Lord.