Hab. 2:1-3 says, “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. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads 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.”. Notice verse three says the vision is for an appointed time. Let’s look at this more carefully.
The vision (Heb - mental sight, dream, revelation, oracle) is for an appointed (Heb - appointment, that is, a fixed time or season) time. Vision is for an appointed time. Appointed means pre-determined (like a doctor's appointment). What God has shown you, or, what He is going to show you; you cannot rush or hasten by self effort. Don't fret over it, and don't try to make it happen. It will come to pass at the appointed time. Relax! Be available and be yielded to God, and He will bring it (your vision) to pass at the appointed time.
Abraham and Sarah are classic examples of this principle. God had appointed a time for the promise child (Isaac) to be born. They didn’t want to wait that long, and so they took things into their own hands and had Ishmael by Hagar. We still see the consequences of that action even today. Remember, appointed means fixed. A fixed time. If God has given you a vision, don’t try to make it happen in your own effort. You will mess it up, or at least, delay, God’s best for you. If God has spoken something to you, just be at peace, and let Him do His work.
Now, I’m not saying we should be idle and just wait for God to do something. “Letting go and letting God” does not equal “Sit around and do nothing“. We should be occupied with the things of God. We need to be seeking His face daily. We need to be reading His Word, so we can receive His thoughts and outlook on things. We need to be in prayer and communion with our Father. We need to be doing what we know to do, and what he has called us to do today. There is a balance between doing it all and doing nothing.
Seek God, and not a vision from Him. If He is what you are consumed with, then He will give you vision. I believe some preachers fall, because they put more effort and attention into the vision from God, instead of into the God of the vision. You have to be fully willing to let your vision die, like Abraham was. Isaac was the promise; the vision; the fulfillment of all Abraham’s hopes and dreams - but He was willing to give him up, in obedience to God. We must be willing to do the same. God will give you vision. Then, surrender your will, and the vision, completely to Him. He must be first. He must be the love of our life. Then, He will give your vision back - and oh, so much more!
God will perform (complete) the thing appointed for me (Job 23:14). I don’t have to fret or worry about it. God’s is working in me. He began His good work in me, and He will bring it to completion (perform it, fulfill it, & accomplish it) Philp 1:6. Paul said He was confident (assured) of this fact. Psa 57:2 says, “I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth (completes) all things for me.” Psa 138:8 “The LORD will perfect (complete) that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.” 1Th 5:23-24 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (24) Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” 1Pe 5:10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect (thoroughly complete), stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
These are awesome promises! Doesn’t it make you feel at peace? You can’t do anything without Jesus (Jn 15:1-5) - but that’s not a bad thing! A branch cannot boast of the life that’s in it. It only has life, it only produces fruit, because it is connected to the tree. It just receives the tree’s life. We know this is fact, because if you cut off a branch from the tree, it will whither up and die. Why? Because it has no life in itself. It’s only because it’s connected to the tree, that it has any life at all. That is a picture of our relationship with Jesus. If we stay plugged in to Him, we have life and fruit. We don’t produce it - Jesus does. If we are separated from Him, we are dead where we stand. Jesus will finish His good work in us. We just need to be in agreement with Him, and let Him have full reign in our life. Until next time, rejoice in The Lord!
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