Once You Had Limited Vision

Once You Had Limited Vision

Once You Were Separate From God

Ephesians 2:11 - 13 says:

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 

Just as Israel had no hope without turning to God, we have no hope without turning to Jesus.

            God has always given men vision to be able to complete the task that he has laid before him.

            Isaiah 14:1 says, “The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.” Isaiah wrote this in the time when Assyrian empire had taken control of Israel, yet God gave Isaiah a vision to give hope to Israel and encouraged them to continue to work for God. Genesis 37:5 - 11 says:

 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had another dream, and he told it to is brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

In God’s grace, he gave Joseph a dream. Possibly, it was this dream that Joseph continued to refer back to in his tribulations that kept him steadfast and faithful to God. God gave Joseph a dream, but his brothers hated him for his dream and even his own father rebuked him for it. Timing is everything!

            Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he (KJV).” However, the New International Version breaks it down even more. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law (NIV).” In other words, without vision the people are likely to back-slide and commit sinful acts. Revelation, which is the Word of God, helps us to continue to walk in the ways of the Lord. Vision comes from the Word. If your vision does not line up with the Word of God, it is not a valid vision.