Happy New Year! When a New Year rolls around, I am always grateful for another opportunity to set my course by “writing the vision.” This revelation came to me many years ago, but it has surely been instrumental in my walk with God. Regardless of what is going on in today’s world, we, as children of the Most High, must revere and honor the vision that God has entrusted to us by embracing it, believing for it, and protecting it.
We are living in a time like no other, and whatever else one may conclude about what’s going on in the world, truly these days are vision robbing days. Yes, Christianity is under assault, but recognize too that vision is also under assault. For some, a vision of freedom and liberty has been diminished to fear and confinement. But don’t be fooled into dumbing down your vision and dreams! I truly believe that for those of us who choose to hear from God and protect the vision that He gives us, this year will be one of great provision, protection, and fulfilled promises.
In Genesis, we find Joseph, a man who showed the entire world, and all generations to follow, that if you won’t give up on your dream, you WILL see it fulfilled. God gave him a dream, a vision for himself. Prematurely, he shared that vision with the wrong people (his brothers), and it caused them to hate him even more. Ultimately, he experienced extreme persecution for his dream, yet in the midst of unjust circumstances, Joseph honored the vision God gave him.
In Joseph’s situation and in any other situation, it boils down to you and God. The surrounding circumstances really don’t matter when you have vision and a God-given dream. Now, God doesn’t act independently of your cooperation; He works WITH us to bring a vision to pass. We see this truth revealed in the life of Joseph.
Genesis 39:2, And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man.
Genesis 39:21, But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Genesis 39:23, Because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.
Joseph experienced some extreme circumstances throughout his life, yet we never find him apart from the Lord. Repeatedly, the Bible says the Lord was with him. For Joseph, it mattered not that he was his father’s favorite child, nor did the circumstances surrounding him matter. Where Joseph’s vision was concerned, it all boiled down to his connection to God. In my “go-to” scripture concerning vision, this is exactly how it begins…getting alone with God and hearing from Him.
Habakkuk 2:1, 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.
Notice it says “watch to see.” Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m ready to see something!” They’re implying they are ready to see a manifestation of something with their natural eyes. However, where vision is concerned, you have to see it on the inside, and once you do, it is a matter of time until you see it on the outside. Notice also that Habakkuk 2:1 doesn’t say, “I will watch to hear.” This is because when you really see something as opposed to just hearing something, it moves from information to revelation. Therefore, it becomes your vision.
Once you have received direction and vision, WRITE IT DOWN. By simply writing down the vision, you are taking a step of faith that will eventually speak for itself. It may take some time, but just like Joseph, if you won’t give up on it, it will come to pass.
Habakkuk 2:2-3, 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.
Here is an important truth to remember where vision is concerned…vision is God’s way of bringing you into and holding you into abundant life. Third John 2 makes this abundantly clear, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Your soul prospering has everything to do with vision. It’s seeing on the inside what God sees for you. Divine health and prosperity are God’s greatest desires for you on this earth. Keep in mind that health and prosperity encompass more than your physical health and financial wealth. They touch every aspect of your life—your family, your strength, your wealth, your relationships, your physical well-being, etc. And it all begins with your soul prospering by seeing it on the inside first.
What do you want to see in 2022? If you’ll get a revelation of it on the inside, you will see it! In 2015, the Lord spoke to me concerning a season of restoration. When this happened, I was “standing up on my watch to see what the Lord would say to me.” Friend, He put a vision of restoration on the inside of me, and seven years later, I am still seeing this come to pass in my life. He is so faithful, and He will do exactly for you what He promised. Don’t let anything rob you of your vision. Hold onto it, speak over it, thank God for it, and protect it at all costs. You WILL see it, and it will speak!