Proverbs 29:18a Where there is no vision, the people perish
Many of us are very familiar with this scripture, and may even quote it...that was me. I felt like I had a handle on the meaning...that if we don't have short term and long term dreams and goals for our lives, then we will just ...die, perish. Recently, I felt prompted in my Spirit to dig a little and maybe get deeper revelation.
Vision is translated from Hebrew word meaning dream, revelation, oracle. hmmm. Perish is translated loosen, bared, exposed, naked..O wow! This scripture is saying that this vision we need is from God, His vision, through dreams, revelation, oracle (prophecy) and that without it we are exposed, bared, naked....vulnerable. . I guess I always just thought vision was about My dreams, My hopes, ummm...Me.,,,I really never thought of me being a part of a much bigger plan of the Lord's!
Individually, congregationally and as part of the Body of Christ, we need vision! We need to hear what the Lord is saying for our present and for our future! God has a plan for each one of us and the plans for our life interlocks with one another, much like puzzle pieces coming together to make a beautiful picture. Each on of are pieces that fit into the plan He has for our church, ministry, our hometown, our state and beyond! (lol! I just heard Buzz Lightyear say the "beyond") Vision is available to us all, as we spend time with the Lord, as we commune with Him in the Secret Place, He will make His will known. He is the giver of vision! We gotta seek Him, ask Him and wait on Him to impart His vision for our lives! So then, why would we go through life, not seeking His vision> Maybe we are not willing to give up our own agenda, our own dream, our own plan. hmmm. Or maybe we are fearful...afraid of failing, afraid of not living up His standards, afraid of disappointing Him> Maybe we kinda know His vision, but we can't see how we can possibly do it...maybe we think He has made a mistake thinking I could do THAT! We gotta remember that if we have truly given ourselves and our lives to the Lord, it's through His strength and strategy that His vision is put into action! One thing we gotta realize is that just because He gives us vision, doesn't necessarily mean were are all alone in the endeavor! Look at Moses. When the Lord began to impart to Him the vision of the Tabernacle, first He told Moses where the provision was: Exodus 25 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. 3 These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; 4 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 5 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leathera ; acacia wood;
6 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them
9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you
The Lord had Moses begin by calling the people together "whose heart prompts them to give" Father God was speaking to the hearts of His people, prompting them, He will do the same for those that are to give and support the vision He has given you, for His Kingdom
Then the next six whole chapters records the instruction, the download, of what the Lord wanted, the blueprints of the vision. Can you imagine how Moses must have felt? He might have been thinking to Himself, How am I gonna do all this? I have only been a prince, a shepherd. a murderer, a mouthpiece for the Lord.....never a builder, nor tapestry maker, not at all experienced or knowledgeable about goldwork, silverwork, gemstones...wow! Yet He knew what the Lord was saying and that it had to be done. Imagine His relief when Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills-- 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you Exodus 31
Sometimes the Lord gives the vision for us to carry and oversee...In this case He brought Moses those that would actually carry out the construction. Not only that He filled them with Himself so they could accomplish His will! We tend to think of someone being filled with the Spirit of God as a prophet, preacher, healer, or a leader in battle Bezalel is a construction superintendent now filled with the spirit of God! He is now a Spirit anointed contractor, a Spirit-empowered craftsman! Preachers and prophets are not the only ones functioning under the call and authority or the Holy Spirit, nor is the anointing just for them! The Lord has more than just preaching on His list of thngs that need to be done, there is a wide array of tasks....There are many "tabernacles" that need to be built, not to just talk about, or to run away from in fear of failing. He calls and infills a widerange of craftsmen and women to transform His vision into being, from word to wood, from the ears to the hands, from instruction to qconstruction! But that's how visions come into fruition, by community rather that individuals. This is how He worked here with Moses, He gave Him the vision, but notice He gave skills to Bezalel and company that Moses wasn't given! These gifts were given to Bezalel to develop and use for the Kingdom and community. Whether we are given the vision to carry and oversee or to be the hands =on of putting it together, or to provide the means for others to do it, the Lord is faithful to accomplish it through us...if we let Him...if we trust Him...if we seek Him for vision. We cannot "perish' be exposed, laid bare...naked....that is
the state of the lost and hurting! We are living in perilous times in a dying world.....we have to seek the vision of God for our lives and trust Him to have His way through us! Ask the Lord what may be hindering you in seeking, hearing, and walking out vision He has for you! Lean into Him! Be strong and push through fears with good Courage! Be on the lookout for those He will bring alongside of you with like vison! There is a peace, a satisfaction, a rest in the Lord as we walk where He says walk, do what He says do, speak what He says speak!
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Many of us are very familiar with this scripture, and may even quote it...that was me. I felt like I had a handle on the meaning...that if we don't have short term and long term dreams and goals for our lives, then we will just ...die, perish. Recently, I felt prompted in my Spirit to dig a little and maybe get deeper revelation.
Vision is translated from Hebrew word meaning dream, revelation, oracle. hmmm. Perish is translated loosen, bared, exposed, naked..O wow! This scripture is saying that this vision we need is from God, His vision, through dreams, revelation, oracle (prophecy) and that without it we are exposed, bared, naked....vulnerable. . I guess I always just thought vision was about My dreams, My hopes, ummm...Me.,,,I really never thought of me being a part of a much bigger plan of the Lord's!
Individually, congregationally and as part of the Body of Christ, we need vision! We need to hear what the Lord is saying for our present and for our future! God has a plan for each one of us and the plans for our life interlocks with one another, much like puzzle pieces coming together to make a beautiful picture. Each on of are pieces that fit into the plan He has for our church, ministry, our hometown, our state and beyond! (lol! I just heard Buzz Lightyear say the "beyond") Vision is available to us all, as we spend time with the Lord, as we commune with Him in the Secret Place, He will make His will known. He is the giver of vision! We gotta seek Him, ask Him and wait on Him to impart His vision for our lives! So then, why would we go through life, not seeking His vision> Maybe we are not willing to give up our own agenda, our own dream, our own plan. hmmm. Or maybe we are fearful...afraid of failing, afraid of not living up His standards, afraid of disappointing Him> Maybe we kinda know His vision, but we can't see how we can possibly do it...maybe we think He has made a mistake thinking I could do THAT! We gotta remember that if we have truly given ourselves and our lives to the Lord, it's through His strength and strategy that His vision is put into action! One thing we gotta realize is that just because He gives us vision, doesn't necessarily mean were are all alone in the endeavor! Look at Moses. When the Lord began to impart to Him the vision of the Tabernacle, first He told Moses where the provision was: Exodus 25 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. 3 These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; 4 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 5 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leathera ; acacia wood;
6 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them
9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you
The Lord had Moses begin by calling the people together "whose heart prompts them to give" Father God was speaking to the hearts of His people, prompting them, He will do the same for those that are to give and support the vision He has given you, for His Kingdom
Then the next six whole chapters records the instruction, the download, of what the Lord wanted, the blueprints of the vision. Can you imagine how Moses must have felt? He might have been thinking to Himself, How am I gonna do all this? I have only been a prince, a shepherd. a murderer, a mouthpiece for the Lord.....never a builder, nor tapestry maker, not at all experienced or knowledgeable about goldwork, silverwork, gemstones...wow! Yet He knew what the Lord was saying and that it had to be done. Imagine His relief when Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills-- 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you Exodus 31
Sometimes the Lord gives the vision for us to carry and oversee...In this case He brought Moses those that would actually carry out the construction. Not only that He filled them with Himself so they could accomplish His will! We tend to think of someone being filled with the Spirit of God as a prophet, preacher, healer, or a leader in battle Bezalel is a construction superintendent now filled with the spirit of God! He is now a Spirit anointed contractor, a Spirit-empowered craftsman! Preachers and prophets are not the only ones functioning under the call and authority or the Holy Spirit, nor is the anointing just for them! The Lord has more than just preaching on His list of thngs that need to be done, there is a wide array of tasks....There are many "tabernacles" that need to be built, not to just talk about, or to run away from in fear of failing. He calls and infills a widerange of craftsmen and women to transform His vision into being, from word to wood, from the ears to the hands, from instruction to qconstruction! But that's how visions come into fruition, by community rather that individuals. This is how He worked here with Moses, He gave Him the vision, but notice He gave skills to Bezalel and company that Moses wasn't given! These gifts were given to Bezalel to develop and use for the Kingdom and community. Whether we are given the vision to carry and oversee or to be the hands =on of putting it together, or to provide the means for others to do it, the Lord is faithful to accomplish it through us...if we let Him...if we trust Him...if we seek Him for vision. We cannot "perish' be exposed, laid bare...naked....that is
the state of the lost and hurting! We are living in perilous times in a dying world.....we have to seek the vision of God for our lives and trust Him to have His way through us! Ask the Lord what may be hindering you in seeking, hearing, and walking out vision He has for you! Lean into Him! Be strong and push through fears with good Courage! Be on the lookout for those He will bring alongside of you with like vison! There is a peace, a satisfaction, a rest in the Lord as we walk where He says walk, do what He says do, speak what He says speak!
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