AHH, THE VISION; WHEN, LORD, WHEN?
Perhaps, like me, you are asking this question from time to time. Perhaps, with more frequency of late. "When, Lord, when?" My mom has a word from you today! It blessed me so I believe it will bless you, too.
Today, my mom and I began our time with the Lord after I read Lana Vawzer's word on Habakkuk 2:2-3. So of course, we went to the Word to see what else the Lord would say to us today.
Here the Lord said to the prophet, Habakkuk, to "write the vision." This was a literal vision that the prophet needed to make known to all of the people for the sake of unity. He said to make it plain on tablets and, most likely, make it plain would mean placing the tablet with the vision in a prominent place for all to see. We have to have it in our sights so that we can remain aligned with it. Write it, make it plain in language and in accessibility. But there is another aspect of making it plain which comes in the phrase, "That he may run who reads it." That would me there is a call to action in the vision, otherwise, why would anyone want to run with it. And that call to action is not just anything, it is motivational, that means the "reader" must buy into the vision. Obviously, if there is no "buy-in" there is no running to do anything about it. So the vision writer has to be a, yes, you guessed it, a visionary as well as a motivator. Let's fact it, visionaries who are not also motivational leaders will never get anything done unless and until he or she partners with someone with qualities that are personally missing. Yet, I still maintain that any leader needs to be both a visionary and a motivational one.
We then learn, that if we wait for that appointed, Kairos, time, the vision "will speak, and .. not lie." It will come about and not make a mockery of either the visionary or the Giver of the vision, God! On the other hand, not waiting on the appointed time can subject the visionary to reproach and shame, if not aborted first. Not waiting on the appointed time, would cause misalignment, and no end of problems, including approaching people before the appointed them when they would have been ready to receive the visionary and the vision with favor.
So the vision is written plainly, it's accessible, and it's motivational. But now that we want to run with it, we have to WAIT!?! Yes, because "the vision yet for an appointed time." This is where we get into trouble, many of us, because we want to run right away. However, if we run ahead of the appointed time, we risk the tragedy of aborting the vision. We would miss out on the necessary season of preparation. The visionary must be prepared as must all who are involved. That's why visions are time-sensitive, because they involve people, and people are locked into time so that God's order is followed.
Then we are encouraged "wait" even though it's taking a while. It will most definitely come about. At the point when all is set, it will no longer tarry and there would no longer be a need to wait. Then in verse 4 it tells us about the proud whose soul is not upright and therefore, not in right standing with God. Pride will always lead to sin, in which case the proud unrighteous person cannot operate in faith. In his pride he will run ahead and not wait on the appointed time. However, the just person, operating before God and man in humility, will live by faith. That is, he knows the vision has not manifested but He knows in Whom He has faith and that God is not like man and cannot lie. With God all things shall be possible, Luke 1:37. Faith is believing in the thing before it has manifested. BECAUSE GOD HAS SAID IT, IT SHALL BE. We learn that pride come before a fall. That means eventually, the proud no matter how high he or she gets, will see destruction.
THE UNFOLDING - THE BATTLE FOR "JERICHO"
Now this is where it gets even more fleshed out and poignant. After reading the Word as we were is God's presence, my mom kept saying, [paraphrased,] "When it's time to shout, then shout! Until then, wait." She kept saying that. And not too long after hearing her say it a few time. The Lord brought my me to the story of Joshua and the children of Israel when they needed to capture the fortified city of Jericho. It was an impossibility for them, the walls were so thick and the people were so sure of themselves. After all, they were safe in behind impenetrable walls. So here is where waiting on God's appointed time came in. Joshua told the children of Israel, they needed to circle the city wall for 6 days IN SILENCE! Can you imagine all of these people walking in circles around the city in silence? That would take an anointing all it's own. But on the seventh day they were to shout out with a loud voice! What happened? You may know the story. Those thick fortified walls came crashing down ON THEIR SHOUT! Of course, they went on the take the city and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now what does mean for you and me and how does it relate to our Scripture in Habakkuk? The waiting is crucial to the manifestation of the vision. In the waiting we draw nearer to God, we learn patience and perseverance and whatever else we need to learn before the Lord will bring about the vision. We also learn obedience, humility, and walking by faith. But, as my mom said, when it's time to shout, SHOUT! Then you shall see the miraculous manifestation to bring about the vision. The Israelites needed to take that city. It was the first of their battles to take the land God had promised them in the land of Canaan. It was needed to accomplish God's purpose. Remember Romans 8:28, all things working together for good to those who are called to the purpose of God. They, as we should be, were aligned and submitted to the purposes of God. The fooled the recipe for success in God's eyes and saw a tremendous miracle and not just any miracle a huge victory in the land God was giving them.
So why wait? It is part of the process in seeing the vision come to pass. The process is...
1) Receive the vision
2) Write the vision
3) Communicate it to the people involved plainly
4) Motivate the people to run with it
5) Wait for the appointed time
6) Make humility a lifestyle
7) Make faith a lifestyle
8) When the command comes to shout, SHOUT!* (The action in which God is directing you)
9) See the manifestation of the vision
When we get the vision, no matter what your "Jericho" is, let's follow HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO SEE IT COME ABOUT TO HIS GLORY!
PRAISE HIM!!!
Perhaps, like me, you are asking this question from time to time. Perhaps, with more frequency of late. "When, Lord, when?" My mom has a word from you today! It blessed me so I believe it will bless you, too.
Today, my mom and I began our time with the Lord after I read Lana Vawzer's word on Habakkuk 2:2-3. So of course, we went to the Word to see what else the Lord would say to us today.
We know that it certainly takes faith to wait for the vision to come to past but let's take this a "bite" at a time, because this is delicious food.The Just Live by Faith
2 Then the Lord answered me and said:
“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
3 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.4 “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.
Here the Lord said to the prophet, Habakkuk, to "write the vision." This was a literal vision that the prophet needed to make known to all of the people for the sake of unity. He said to make it plain on tablets and, most likely, make it plain would mean placing the tablet with the vision in a prominent place for all to see. We have to have it in our sights so that we can remain aligned with it. Write it, make it plain in language and in accessibility. But there is another aspect of making it plain which comes in the phrase, "That he may run who reads it." That would me there is a call to action in the vision, otherwise, why would anyone want to run with it. And that call to action is not just anything, it is motivational, that means the "reader" must buy into the vision. Obviously, if there is no "buy-in" there is no running to do anything about it. So the vision writer has to be a, yes, you guessed it, a visionary as well as a motivator. Let's fact it, visionaries who are not also motivational leaders will never get anything done unless and until he or she partners with someone with qualities that are personally missing. Yet, I still maintain that any leader needs to be both a visionary and a motivational one.
We then learn, that if we wait for that appointed, Kairos, time, the vision "will speak, and .. not lie." It will come about and not make a mockery of either the visionary or the Giver of the vision, God! On the other hand, not waiting on the appointed time can subject the visionary to reproach and shame, if not aborted first. Not waiting on the appointed time, would cause misalignment, and no end of problems, including approaching people before the appointed them when they would have been ready to receive the visionary and the vision with favor.
So the vision is written plainly, it's accessible, and it's motivational. But now that we want to run with it, we have to WAIT!?! Yes, because "the vision yet for an appointed time." This is where we get into trouble, many of us, because we want to run right away. However, if we run ahead of the appointed time, we risk the tragedy of aborting the vision. We would miss out on the necessary season of preparation. The visionary must be prepared as must all who are involved. That's why visions are time-sensitive, because they involve people, and people are locked into time so that God's order is followed.
Then we are encouraged "wait" even though it's taking a while. It will most definitely come about. At the point when all is set, it will no longer tarry and there would no longer be a need to wait. Then in verse 4 it tells us about the proud whose soul is not upright and therefore, not in right standing with God. Pride will always lead to sin, in which case the proud unrighteous person cannot operate in faith. In his pride he will run ahead and not wait on the appointed time. However, the just person, operating before God and man in humility, will live by faith. That is, he knows the vision has not manifested but He knows in Whom He has faith and that God is not like man and cannot lie. With God all things shall be possible, Luke 1:37. Faith is believing in the thing before it has manifested. BECAUSE GOD HAS SAID IT, IT SHALL BE. We learn that pride come before a fall. That means eventually, the proud no matter how high he or she gets, will see destruction.
THE UNFOLDING - THE BATTLE FOR "JERICHO"
Now this is where it gets even more fleshed out and poignant. After reading the Word as we were is God's presence, my mom kept saying, [paraphrased,] "When it's time to shout, then shout! Until then, wait." She kept saying that. And not too long after hearing her say it a few time. The Lord brought my me to the story of Joshua and the children of Israel when they needed to capture the fortified city of Jericho. It was an impossibility for them, the walls were so thick and the people were so sure of themselves. After all, they were safe in behind impenetrable walls. So here is where waiting on God's appointed time came in. Joshua told the children of Israel, they needed to circle the city wall for 6 days IN SILENCE! Can you imagine all of these people walking in circles around the city in silence? That would take an anointing all it's own. But on the seventh day they were to shout out with a loud voice! What happened? You may know the story. Those thick fortified walls came crashing down ON THEIR SHOUT! Of course, they went on the take the city and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now what does mean for you and me and how does it relate to our Scripture in Habakkuk? The waiting is crucial to the manifestation of the vision. In the waiting we draw nearer to God, we learn patience and perseverance and whatever else we need to learn before the Lord will bring about the vision. We also learn obedience, humility, and walking by faith. But, as my mom said, when it's time to shout, SHOUT! Then you shall see the miraculous manifestation to bring about the vision. The Israelites needed to take that city. It was the first of their battles to take the land God had promised them in the land of Canaan. It was needed to accomplish God's purpose. Remember Romans 8:28, all things working together for good to those who are called to the purpose of God. They, as we should be, were aligned and submitted to the purposes of God. The fooled the recipe for success in God's eyes and saw a tremendous miracle and not just any miracle a huge victory in the land God was giving them.
So why wait? It is part of the process in seeing the vision come to pass. The process is...
1) Receive the vision
2) Write the vision
3) Communicate it to the people involved plainly
4) Motivate the people to run with it
5) Wait for the appointed time
6) Make humility a lifestyle
7) Make faith a lifestyle
8) When the command comes to shout, SHOUT!* (The action in which God is directing you)
9) See the manifestation of the vision
When we get the vision, no matter what your "Jericho" is, let's follow HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO SEE IT COME ABOUT TO HIS GLORY!
PRAISE HIM!!!
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Hello,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I look forward to connecting with you. In the meantime, please share this blog with your friends and family members.
Blessings in Christ,
Sonia