Seeing What the Lord Has to Say
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.(Habakkuk 2:1-4).
Vision. The Advance lifestyle is all about seeing what God has to say to us and then living out the vision that He provides. It means being fully persuaded of victory in Christ, no matter what the circumstances.
Seeing what God has to say about our life guides our choices, our thoughts, and dictates our behavior. His vision serves as a barometer that we can use to decide what to do and what to avoid. Our goal in pursuit of the Advancelifestyle is to trust God s vision above everything we think, feel, see, hear and have experienced in the past. We will not limit God because we know that everything is possible with Him.
But first, how do we see what God has to say and then how do we do it? Habakkuk provides some instruction. He needed a vision from God so what did he do? He cried out to the Lord. He was honest about the concerns of his heart in Chapter1. Then with faith, he waited for God s answer.
To live the Advancelifestyle, we too can be sincere with the Lord. Besides, He already knows our thoughts and feelings anyway. As children of God, we can say, Father I am tired of waiting, I feel like it s too late for me to achieve your vision or This doesn t make sense. Trust God, He will disclose His vision.
When God s vision appears, it will be clear and we will know it is from Him because Jesus said in John 10:3-5:
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice. They won t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don t recognize his voice.
Once we have heard the vision, we are encouraged to share God s vision and celebrate the victory with other people. The vision, we must remember, is never just for us. It is for advancing the
kingdom
of
God
and helping our brothers and sisters press forward in their spheres of influence. Sometimes, our testimony alone is what someone else needs to keep pushing, pursuing and believing the things of God. So we run with excitement and we count it done because when God says it, He will watch over His word to perform it (Ezekiel 12:25).
We must remember, as Habakkuk learned, the vision is for a precise point in time. It is in God s divine palm pilot. It will not manifest a second too soon or a moment too late. But, there can be some waiting involved. While waiting, circumstances can seem to go from bad to worse, but in the end, God s vision is true.
So what do you do in the meantime? Practice the Advance lifestyle and set (your) face to go to
Jerusalem
like Jesus (Luke 9:51). Jesus had a made up mind, He was going to the cross and nothing could stop Him for this was the will of the Father for Him. Like Daniel and his friends, we will not defile ourselves with the tactics of the world (Daniel 1). We are resolved to do it God s way - end of discussion.
What does this mean in everyday life? It means we know God is the source of our promotion, provision and protection. We will not cheat on our taxes, even when we can t get caught. We will not wear revealing clothes in order to attract a boyfriend or husband. We will not lie to save our jobs.
We strive to do things God s way. Sometimes, we fail but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we repent and adjust our attitudes and behaviors accordingly. We go to God first with every decision before seeking the advice of man. We trust God to give us favor in high places. We do the work before us with excellence as unto the Lord. We advance the
kingdom
of
God
first, knowing that everything else is an added benefit. We have an eternal perspective that guides us through today.
Since the vision is God s, we allow Him to do the work through us. We don t get the vision and try to part the
Red Sea
without God s direction, strength, strategy and timing. We are totally dependent upon Him. We also don t get the vision and then sit back when God said move. No, we do our part as directed by God, and leave the rest to Him.
In the midst of obtaining the vision, we never forget about the giver and sustainer of the vision. We seek to love God more and draw close to Him. Our personal relationship with God remains most important. True, we seek to serve Him; but, we seek to know Him more. For after all, that's what the Advance lifestyle is all about knowing God!
Prayer Focus: Father God, we ask in the name of Jesus that you would renew our minds so that we can prove what is your will. Give us your vision for our existence and everything necessary to see it manifested. Through the process, show us more of who you are.
AngelaHeath
To lean more about the Advance lifestyle, visit AdvanceChurch on Sundays at 9:15 AM