Genesis chapter 1
Today we are walking in: Life Without Vision
Habakkuk 2:2
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
VISION
Today we look to the word VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state), visions (in night), oracle, prophecy (divine communication), vision (as title of book of prophecy) from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide, to see, behold, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state, to see, perceive with the intelligence, to see (by experience), to provide
The Torah testifies........
Numbers 24:4
He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
Numbers 24:16
He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
The prophets proclaim.........
1 Samuel 3:1
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377.
Jeremiah 14:14
Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
The writings bear witness.........
1 Chronicles 17:15
According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Psalm 89:19
Then thou spakest in vision H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
Introduction:
Life without Vision
In the mid-twentieth century, in Bangkok, Thailand, the government wanted to build a large highway through a village. Yet in the path of the planned road was a Buddhist monastery with a little chapel, so they had to relocate the monastery—including a heavy, eleven-foot clay statue of Buddha—to another place. Using a crane, the government workers moved the monastery in sections.
When the workers transported the statue of Buddha to the new location and began to lower it into place, however, the clay on the statue started to crumble
and fall off. The people were afraid because this was a precious religious symbol to them, and they didn’t want it to be destroyed. Yet the more the workers tried to place the statue, the more it fell apart until, eventually, all the clay was falling off. Suddenly, the workers stared in amazement because, as the clay fell away, something unexpected was revealed: The statue was pure gold underneath. Before the statue was moved, people thought it was worth about fifty thousand
dollars. Today, that golden Buddha is worth millions and, because of the story behind it, is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year.
This story illustrates that what we can see is not necessarily what really is. I believe that many of us are living as clay vessels when, in reality, we are pure
gold inside. Our lives do not reflect who we truly are or what we can be. I travel around the world speaking to various groups, and I meet people on every continent who have no sense of personal purpose. I see them struggling with aimless or misdirected lives.
A lack of purpose and unfulfilled potential is epidemic in our world. Yet just as the gold statue was hidden inside the clay one, the “gold” inside each of us is waiting to be revealed. This gold is the dreams we have—or once had—for our lives that are not yet reality, the gifts and talents that we have not yet developed, the purpose for our lives that is not yet fulfilled, the “something” we’ve always wanted to be or do but for some reason have not been able to accomplish.
No matter who you are or what country you live in, you have a personal purpose, for every human being is born with one. Yah created each person with a unique vision. He has tremendous plans for you that no one else can
accomplish. The tragic thing is that many people live their whole lives without ever recognizing their visions.
How do you remove the clay and uncover the gold within you? Your dreams, talents, and desires can be refined in a process of discovering and fulfilling your life’s vision so that the pure gold of your unique and personal gifts to this world can shine forth. Helping you capture and fulfill your vision is the purpose of this series. My own life’s vision is the transformation of followers into leaders and the
maximization of individual potential, and I’m excited about the potential within you right now. Every person is a leader in his or her own vision, because that person is the only one who can imagine, nurture, and fulfill it. What is your vision? What have you always wanted to do? What is your heart’s desire? What is your dream? When you can begin to see your vision clearly, you will be able
to fulfill your life’s purpose.
What does it mean to capture the vision for your life? Ted Engstrom, the former president of World Vision, told a story that went something like this: A little girl was on a cruise ship, and she and her father were standing on the deck. It was a beautiful clear day, and the air was crisp and fresh. The little girl, standing on tiptoe, said to her father, “I can’t see anything.” The father picked
her up and put her on his shoulders, so that she was higher than everyone else on the deck and was able to see everything around her. “Daddy!” she exclaimed. “I
can see farther than my eyes can look!”
That little girl’s statement captures the essence of vision: the ability to see farther than your physical eyes can look—to see not just what is, but also what can be and to make it a reality. Vision is a conception that is inspired by Yah in the heart of a human. The greatest gift Yah ever gave humanity is not sight, but vision. Sight is a function of the eyes, but vision is a function of the heart. You
can have sight but no vision. Throughout history, progress has been made only by people who have “seen” things that were not yet here. Vision is seeing the future before it comes into being. It is a mental picture of your destiny. Yah gave humanity the gift of vision so we would not have to live only by what we see.
The words vision and revelation are sometimes used interchangeably. To reveal means to unveil. Something that is unveiled was there all along but could not be
seen externally. Consider this analogy: The destiny of an acorn is a tree. By faith, you can see the tree within the seed. You have a vision of it in your mind’s eye because you know the potential in the seed. The same thing is true for you and me. Yah has given us birth for a purpose, and as far as Yah is concerned, that purpose is
already finished because He has placed within us the potential for fulfilling it.
We can see that purpose through faith. To paraphrase the Bible, faith is the substance of things you hope to accomplish, the evidence of things you can see even when others cannot. Only by seeing what is not yet here can you bring something new, creative, and exciting into existence. For true visionaries, the imaginary world of their visions is more real to them than the concrete reality around them. In fact, a visionary’s vision is his reality.
There is a story about when Disney World had just opened and had only one ride. Walt Disney was sitting on a bench on the grounds, seeming to just stare into space. One of his workers, who was manicuring the grass, came past him and said, “How are you, sir?” Without looking at the man, he said,“Fine,” and kept on staring. So the man said, “Mr. Disney, what are you doing?” “I’m looking at my mountain,” he answered. “I see the mountain right there.
” Walt told his architects about this mountain. As he talked, they wrote down what he said, and then they drew up the plans. Walt died before Space Mountain was built, so he never saw it constructed. When Space Mountain was dedicated, the governor and the mayor were present, and Walt’s widow was also there. One of the young men stood up to introduce her, and said, “It’s a pity that Mr. Walt Disney is not here today to see this mountain, but we’re glad his wife is here.”
Mrs. Disney walked up to the podium, looked at the crowd, and said, in effect,“I must correct this young man. Walt already saw the mountain. It is you who are just now seeing it.” The most powerful force in life is the force of vision. A young man did a college paper in his economics class on his vision for overnight mail. The professor took a red pen, gave him a “C,” and wrote, “Do not dream of things that cannot happen.” The young man left school and started Federal Express. I wonder where the professor is today. Y our vision determines your destiny. When you can see what is possible and believe that it can come to pass, it makes you capable of doing the impossible. At age thirteen, I wrote down my vision for my life. I carried it with me all through junior high and high school. Much of what I’m doing right now was on
paper when I was a young teenager. Vision makes you persistent. Once you know what you really want and can “see” it, then, no matter what comes against you, you never give up. Persistence in fulfilling one’s life purpose comes from vision. As long as a person can hold on to his vision, then there is always a chance for him to move out of his present circumstances and toward the fulfillment of his purpose.
I believe with all my heart that when you have no vision, you will simply relive the past with its disappointments and failures. Therefore, vision is the key to your future. Think about what happens to some football teams that are losing the game at halftime. The players go to the locker room and meet with the coach. The coach changes certain game strategies and gives them a pep talk, telling them what they can accomplish. When they come back out, their whole attitude and perspective seems to have changed, and they win the game.
No matter where you are in life, and regardless of how old or young you are, it can be “halftime” for you. You can reassess your life’s strategies and focus on fulfilling your purpose. This series will help you to make the necessary
adjustments in your life so you can know how to plan for the future and stop making the same mistakes and decisions that have hindered you in the past. It
will answer crucial questions, such as these:
How can I know what my vision is?
What do I do if I have multiple interests?
What are some strategies for overcoming hindrances to my vision?
How can I set the right priorities for my life?
What should I do when others criticize my dream?
How can I make my vision a concrete reality?
By the time you finish this series, you will be able to say,
“I can see farther than my eyes can look!” You will be able to see not just what is, but also what can be, so that you can fulfill your personal vision.
—Myles Munroe
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