Hiya! How are you doing? How are you preparing for the Christmas holiday? Are you planning to have a quiet holiday season, planning to spend some time visiting with friends and family, planning on hitting the social scenes, or will it be a little bit of everything? Whatever you have planned, please remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, so please plan and prioritize spending some time with Him.
This is officially going to be the last post for the year as I am taking a break from writing and all work engagements to spend time to rest, refresh and bond with my family. That said, it may be a little longer than usual so please read till the end.
Before I go on, I want to say thank you! Thank you for making this journey beautiful, impactful, and worthwhile. Since the launch in July, we have had over 2,000 views and over 1,000 visitors – without any paid adverts or marketing campaigns; because you have kept on reading, commenting, sharing with your network, and being the best brand ambassadors on earth! You have consistently shown up as the best community a writer could ask for. I don’t take it for granted and I commit to consistently delivering God’s best to you by His grace in the new year. Thank you again to my family, my exceptional support system, and my beloved editor. Thank you for thirty weeks of growing together with me. It’s been a delight!
Alright then, let’s begin!
The Dictionary defines vision simply as, “the faculty or state of being able to see”. Simple and succinct, yet apt, as the emphasis is on “seeing”. As we wrap up the year, it is important to reflect on God’s goodness, your achievements, failures, facilitators, and enablers of success, etc. It is important to see what the year has been in hindsight and to capture what the new year could bring with foresight. It is also important to think about the new year – not just because it’s a change in dates, but more because it could signify a new season in your life; and it would be somewhat risky to be careless with that. It is important to reflect/ imagine and then see what was and what could be.
As I prepared to write this post, God led me to Habakkuk 2:1-3. I know it’s the “vision scripture” but keep reading as I share my light bulb moments from my Bible study with the Holy Spirit. I’ve used the New King James version here, but please feel free to read in other versions as you study.
The passage opens in Verse 1 with this sentence, “I will stand my watch, and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected”.
This statement seems like a monologue with the speaker declaring what he/she would do (i.e., stand on his watch), and how he would be (i.e., set himself on the rampart – a.k.a watchtower) to see what God would say to him. This individual is clearly postured, ready to receive instruction. The Amplified Classic version provides more detail and states that this posture is in his thinking. I never thought of that before now.
We can immediately glean from this bit that the ability to receive instruction or vision is first, a posture of your heart and mind. It tells us that, like the speaker in this passage, we must be watchful, alert, vigilant, and ready to communicate with God, just like a soldier at the battlefront.
The speaker goes on to say that he is standing and set to see what would be said to him. Now, grammatically it should read, “to hear” and not “to see” what would be spoken, considering you can’t see words when they’re spoken. But then, I understood that it wasn’t about just hearing the words but listening, understanding, to the point of seeing it. That is, to understand it with a clarity that births a mental image of the instruction being received. Now, that puts a new spin on understanding.
The next phrase reads, “what He will say to me”. Here, I thought – yeah, no big deal. This is a personal conversation between him and God anyway. But then, I was reminded that God always has a word for each of us. Yes, He is our Father, limitless in His reach to His many children, yet intimate enough in relationship and conversation. He is close enough to know and provide insights for our specific needs.
The speaker ends verse 1 stating that, he is also watching to know what he will answer when he’s corrected. Now, I can relate with that considering most of us would rather no correction at all. But it appears this individual is waiting to be corrected. The highlight here is his disposition to correction. Rather than avoid or wish it away, he is waiting for it, willing to receive it, and watching out for it. Strange and contrary to our default stance; but very insightful. The question to ponder on here, is “what is your disposition to correction?”
Verse 2 reads, “Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it”.
Here, I wondered why this would-be God’s answer considering it was a personal conversation. Why would He ask the speaker in verse 1 to write down the vision plainly (i.e., in simple, clear, and unambiguous form)? Who is “he who would run with it after reading” if not the direct recipient? It’s obviously not the speaker because the Bible refers to “he” in third person.
From this verse, I understood first that the vision could either be the speaker’s observations from him watching, in verse 1, God’s direct words to him or a picture shown. The vision could come in different forms. An immediate action point I noted for myself, was the need to be more intentional with documenting my observations and realizations – as they were also instructive.
Next ponder point – Why did the vision have to be written on tablets? Well, perhaps for some level of permanence. Perhaps God was trying to teach the speaker the discipline of deliberately documenting insights received to ensure that there no information was lost.
The last part of this verse was the trickiest for me. Who is this person who would run after reading my own vision? If it’s mine – why is there a third-party featuring in this conversation? You see, the vision provides direction for you & for other stakeholders who you would need to deliver it. Clarity of vision helps you set up relevant accountability systems, key into the right communities, plan succession & continuity, attract helpers, executors, collaborators, etc. It helps everyone who reads it know their part and in turn, run with it – free of distractions and assumptions. Gosh! God is so strategic in His thinking and approach!
Finally, in verse 3, it reads, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry”.
Okay, I didn’t argue too much here because I know that everything including my vision has its own time. The learning here for me, were these: one, the vision could tarry (i.e., delay, linger, etc.) and God was saying to wait with grace. That even when it tarries, I need to keep my hope alive because it would surely come to pass.
Two, the process of waiting must be with faith and patience if you are to obtain the promise and achieve the vision. As I thought on this, Hebrews 6: 12(b) dropped in my heart. It reads, “…and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises”.
I must stop now, or my editor may slaughter me.
I do hope this provides some context for you to know that visioning goes beyond just imagining a different reality to waiting on God, keen focus, a mental & spiritual awareness, documenting for continuity and stakeholder engagement; and of course, the need for faith and patience to wait gracefully even when it tarries.
Wait on God for your 2021 vision. It is worthwhile, and He can show you much more than your human mind has the capacity for. He is the VISION maker, enabler, and catalyzer!
Much love and merry Christmas in advance!
