Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18
Many of you wonder what you do between vision and fulfillment. Proverbs 29:18 tells us that where there is no vision, the people perish. The word perish means to let go. Many times that is what happens, people lose sight of their vision and they eventually let go of their vision. I want to encourage you today to refuse to let go of your vision.
If your vision is from God, though you may want to let go of it, it won’t let go of you. From my own experience there have been things God has put in my heart and as time passed, I began to let them go since I hadn’t seen them come to pass – yet, God will continually remind me of those things that He has given me a vision for. God will not allow you to easily let go of what He has destined for you. God wants to see you hang in there until your vision is fulfilled.
Jeremiah 29:11 says Gods plan is to give us a future and an expected end. So, what do we do between the vision and the fulfillment? Walk by faith – not by sight. If we are declaring that you believe God, then you must do what the word of God says.
What you do between the vision and the fulfillment will determine your outcome. Although we don’t like to hear it, or at least I know I don’t, patience has a big part in this process. James 1:4 says to let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Patience is defined as a continual, constant expectation. It also means to stay under, remain, bear, have fortitude and persevere.
Patience means steadfastness – someone who is patient knows how to endure, they are stable no matter what comes their way. Patience is a powerful tool and one many of us don’t want to possess but it is patience that allows us to be complete and lacking nothing.
I have had times in my life when I was going through things and God would show me this scripture and show me that if I didn’t allow patience to have its perfect work, there would be something lacking and it would not be complete.
Therefore between the vision and the fulfillment you must exercise patience and walk by faith. Faith is not a get blessed quick scheme – it takes endurance. One reason many never see their vision fulfilled is because they are unable to endure. The day you decide to walk in your vision is the day the enemy comes to see if you really believe what you say. He wants to know if you are simply talking the talk or if you can endure and walk the walk – it won’t take him very long to figure out which one it really is.
Remember Daniel? The Bible says his prayer was heard the first day – but the answer was held up in the spirit realm. Therefore Daniel kept praying until he saw a fulfillment of his prayer answered. He endured to the end. He exercised patience and he did see his expected end.
I once read that the only difference between a lump of coal and a brilliant diamond is the amount of pressure it endured. Longsuffering is a fruit of the spirit. Longsuffering means to gird up under pressure, distress or trouble – to remain steadfast. When the world sees someone who can come through his challenges or sufferings with faith, hope and love intact, someone who can display the nature and attitude of God despite difficulty, someone who can emerge victorious from every conflict, they will stop and listen to what that person has to say – then you will have a divine opportunity to tell them about the God who brought you through – they will want to know your God.
How about you? Are you a lump or coal or a brilliant diamond? Will you allow patience to have its perfect work? If you do, in the end, you will be entire and lacking nothing.
I used to find myself in situations and I would cry out to God in distress and say ‘God, I can’t take anymore of this.’ One day the Lord rebuked me and told me not to say that I couldn’t take anything the enemy could dish out. Through God, I am well able to endure anything and everything the enemy sends my way. I am fully equipped by God to overcome every enemy. I am empowered to overcome and so are you.
You are not a lump of coal – you are a diamond – God says so and so do I. You will not quit or grow weary – patience will bring forth completion. Endurance will bring you face to face with the promise. Continue to walk by faith, continue to trust God and we will continue to stand with you – knowing that in the end – you will be entire, with no lack. None whatsoever.
