While spending time with God, I began to think about the New Year, 5779. Many of you know we just entered into a new year on the Jewish Calendar.
Several things were running through my mind. The excitement of a new year. New Year’s resolutions. New Beginnings. All these things were running through my mind, when the Lord began to give me instruction.
He led me to go find a new, unused journal. Once in hand, He spoke to my heart to write out my resolutions for the ministry for the new year. He gave me Habakkuk 2 to base His instruction on.
Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:2-4
We are all familiar with this verse. I cannot count the times I have heard it taught. Or the times I have written on this subject. Yet, as many times as I have read this scripture, I had not put some things together.
It is commonly taught with verses 2,3…Write the vision, make it plain, that he may run who reads it. And although it is for an appointed time, it will come…so wait for it. The quote often ends with that.
Today, something else jumped out at me.
The scripture goes on to say…but the just shall live by his faith.
I suddenly perceived from this scripture that writing our vision is entwined with living by faith. Could it be that part of the just living by faith, is writing our vision and making it plain?
It takes faith to write out a vision and expect God to bring it to pass. It takes faith to draft resolutions for the new year.
A new year’s resolution is a promise that you make to yourself to accomplish something in the coming year. For us, as believers, we should first seek the face of God concerning what He has for us in the coming year. Our vision comes from God and His word. Once we have our vision from God, we must write it down and make it plain.
We write it down…so it can take flight. For many years God has had me write my vision for the coming year. Most often in a journal. Or even on a vision board. I go back to it from time to time. I use it in my prayer time. I find scriptures to base my vision list on. I pray the scripture over my vision until I see it come to pass.
Over the years, I have watched God bring my vision list to pass time after time. It has been amazing to watch. Even things that seemed impossible. I have watched them come to pass. I can tell you, it is a real faith builder.
And it is a linked with the just living by faith.
The just living by faith simply means…we live and breathe God’s word, fully persuaded that He will do what He says He will do. We are fully convinced of His word and the truth of it. We know that what He has promised, He will do.
There is another place in the bible we find this same phrase, the just shall live by his faith.
Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10:35-38
For me, and I hope, for you, this pulls it all together.
We write the vision and make it plain. Knowing it will come to pass. In this scripture we see that we have need of endurance. Once we write the vision, we must have patience. We must continue doing what the word of God says. Knowing when we do, we will receive the promise.
Our part? Believe God and refuse to draw back.
To draw back is defined as; let down, to withdraw, to be timid, shrink, of those who from timidity hesitate to avow what they believe, to be unwilling or afraid to utter, to shrink from declaring.
Along with writing our vision, and being confident of God’s promise, our words also play a vital part in seeing our vision come to pass.
It’s time to take a moment and write your vision for the new year ahead.
Write the vision. Make it plain. Have confidence that God will do what He has promised. Continue to do the will of God. Live by faith and refuse to draw back. Refuse to stop saying what God says. Continually confess His word over your vision list. As we do this, He will fulfill His word. He will not tarry. It will surely come to pass.
“God has given you desires, you will see those desires come to pass – when you do, treasure them.” KP
