May 22, 2024
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
- Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
One of the most well-known verses from the Bible is the one that says, “without vision, the people perish”. You may have heard this verse before. But why is it so profound? At the heart of it, it suggests not only that vision is central to achievement, but also that vision is what prevents destruction.
That a man is alive biologically, does not mean he is truly living according to vision. The word destruction, as it is used in this popular verse here does not mean physical death or annihilation—although it could also mean that as well—but it refers to a deeper level of the kind of destruction that comes from abuse or misuse.
You see, the vision for a thing is its purpose. Vision is the ability to see future possibilities. Sight is the ability to see present realities. Vision is the ability to picture a better future. Sight is merely the ability to see what the past has produced so far. Vision has a future orientation. And sight, though it describes the present, has a past orientation. Sight tells you what it is, based on what has been in the visible realm. Vision shows you what can be, based on what is in the invisible realm.
Simply put, sight is physical, and vision is spiritual!
The problem is that a lot of people—even people of faith never make the leap from living by sight to living by vision. They limit themselves in terms of what they even accept into their imagination as much as possible because of what they observe. But observations can only get you so far, at some point, you will need to infuse inspiration into observation to bring about the manifestation of a better future. That inspiration is a product of conceiving a vision.
A person who has committed to a vision—a picture of a better future—is a person who is energized.
Simply having a vision for your life, especially one infused with divine purpose can be a huge energy boost. It gives you a reason to not just get out of bed but jump! You see each day as an opportunity, not a chore—an opportunity to move towards vision.
Not having vision on the other hand can be incredibly disempowering. It can lead to a life of wandering, or a life driven by sight—based on external circumstances instead of spiritual realities.
God’s ultimate vision for you is good as promised in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.”
Your vision is the offspring that comes from God’s Spirit quickening your mind through His word. As you spend time in God’s presence and the study of The Word, your vision will unfold.
Spring out into your day knowing that God has great plans for you. Spend some time seeking God’s face and developing a captivating positive prosperous vision for your life, and let that vision pull you onward toward its realization.
Don’t let the sight of the current situation define you. Remember, eyes have not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered the hearts of men what God has in plan for you. May this day reflect that reality, as well as all the days of your life in Jesus' Name.
Song of Worship
I know my Redeemer Lives
Song by Nicole Mullen
Prayer - Father, help me to realize and embrace the vision You have for me. I commit no longer to judge my life based on the outside circumstances, but on the realities regarding me in Your Word and as I do this, I am changed into that image in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Bible in 1 year: 1 Chronicles 19-21; John 8