The Fruition of Our Divine Vision

In my previous blog, I encouraged us all to redeem the time in which we live, imagining our lives as six months and counting, each day like the minute hand moving swiftly around the clock. I hope by now we all realize the importance of clinging on to our divine dreams, sharing them with others, and making a conscious effort to silence the mundane distractions that get in the way. I mentioned that sometimes we lay our dreams down to rest, unattended and malnourished due to neglect. We let them hide in the shadow of our fear--fear of failure, lack of resources, or going against the grain. We are human, therefore we are of common mind, an easy target for prey if not careful. Society and the media feed us lies that entice us to compromise and take the alternative route when God's promise seems so distant. We may be tempted to look to our right or left, intrigued by what our neighbors have and desiring it all the more. In our efforts to keep up with the Joneses or at least fit in with them, we lose sight of what God says we need. We become impatient and frustrated with our present circumstances until finally we jump on to the next best thing. We are a generation that could use a lesson or two on what scripture refers to as "longsuffering". Sometimes when we are waiting on God to move, our patience is tested. It can feel like a long, drawn-out, painful process, but it is well worth the wait!

Through all of our tarrying, God reminds us that there is encouragement in His word. An example of this is found in 1 Samuel 3. We are introduced to a young boy named Samuel who was physically called out by God and "established as a prophet of the Lord" (1 Samuel 3:20). The first word Samuel received from the Lord pertained to Eli, a priest whom he served personally in his childhood ministry. This comes at a time when prophetic ministry was not very prevalent. Scripture states "And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation" (1 Samuel 3:1). The Lord explained that judgement would be placed on Eli's household for the sins that his sons committed. After receiving this word, Samuel was afraid to share this information with Eli. When we consider the nature of the circumstance, I believe it is safe to assume Samuel was fearful for two reasons. Firstly, he may have been concerned that Eli wouldn't believe him. Secondly, he wanted to protect Eli from the news.

Some vital points can be drawn out of this passage in the bible. For one, we can associate ourselves with Samuel in a way that helps us understand what he may have been going through at the time. It is not often that our ears are in tune to receiving a confirmed word from the Lord. We oftentimes brush aside a prophetic vision or a calling out of fear of the unknown. We might question ourselves in various ways. How might others perceive the news? What if I step out on faith and fail? What will people think if I pursue a dream the Lord has placed on my heart? Samuel feared at first to share the news to Eli, but he was obedient. He hid nothing from him. The verse following states, "So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground" (1 Samuel 3:19). We need to remember that despite our present circumstances, no matter how far off or impossible the dream may seem, His words will never fall to the ground!

We must live by faith, believing what God speaks shall come to pass. In Habakkuk 2:3, the Lord states, "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." God may give us a vision days, months, or even years prior to its fruition. We may become disheartened when we expect the dream or vision to manifest in our lives right away. This is when many of us fall victim to the mentality of taking matters into our own hands. We start to challenge God in His timing and question if He is capable of ironing out the details. Have we not yet learned that He is in the driver's seat? Yes, the Lord promises that the destination shall be reached, but He never says how we will get there. He just wants to see us willingly waiting in the passenger seat.

We are ambassadors of God's faithfulness in this journey of life. We must prove ourselves worthy of the call. I mentioned earlier that there was no widespread revelation in the days of Samuel. In 1 Samuel 4:1, we find, however, that eventually the word of Samuel came to all of Israel as he allowed God to use him prophetically. What if Samuel shied away from his calling? This would have effected an entire nation. If we do not redeem the time, this season in our lives, we are missing out on a great part of our purpose. Making ourselves available and building the realization of a promise God places in our hearts are ways in which we share our dream with others. We will never know to what degree we can make a difference if we live in the shadow of our fear, lingering on the sidelines.

Even if we must write down what God quickens to our hearts, make sure you hold on to it. The Lord advises Habakkuk to "write the vision and make it plain on tablets..." (Habakkuk 2:1). We must meditate on it. Be filled with promise, purpose, and peace knowing that His word is never void. It is filled with hope and in its appointed time will speak truth! The world may come against you or tempt you with all it has to offer. But, hold out for what God has for you! Remember faith mixed in with a little patience and tenacity is what carries us to the promise land where the fruition of our divine vision manifests under His right hand.