Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Oh, lord give me vision – Part 1

By Idorenyin James
18 August 2019   |   3:40 am
Vision is of divine insight into God’s plan for one’s life on earth. It is a discovery of one’s function. That is, the purpose for which one is created; called or elected. Every created being has a purpose on earth.

James

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he (Proverbs 29:18).

Vision is of divine insight into God’s plan for one’s life on earth. It is a discovery of one’s function. That is, the purpose for which one is created; called or elected. Every created being has a purpose on earth. But it is sad to note that a number of people, even Christians, are not fulfilling God’s purpose for their lives, owing to their lack of vision (divine insight). Now listen to this, it may interest you:

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; And before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations  (Jeremiah 1:5).

Before now, the prophet Jeremiah was void of understanding God’s purpose for his life. Without insight or understanding of what purpose you were created, you will waste away. Our text could, therefore, be interpreted thus: Where there is no divine insight to God’s plan and purpose for a people, they (the people) are set at naught or defeated, stripped of honour, glory, and dignity. In other words, where people fail to discover their function and purpose on earth, they are defeated, avoided and thus become “refuse” (waste). God’s path for a man is in the vision. Thus, vision is the pathway to honour, dignity and fulfillment.

It is one’s vision that gives him direction in life. NO VISION, NO MISSION. Vision serves as a propeller to help you do that, which you were created for. If the Church in Nigeria, today, is not fulfilling her mission, it is because she lacks “visionary leadership.” The Church cannot give direction to the world, today, because she has blind guards as leaders. How can the blind lead the blind? The Church in Nigeria is gradually losing its savour and unless God intervenes, it may soon be rendered useless and be trodden underfoot by men. Wherewith shall it be salted? Oh! How she desperately needs leaders with vision.

Prophet Isaiah attempted to give spiritual direction to blind Israel in his days, even when he was blind himself. What an error to put the cart before the horse? When King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw a vision that transformed his life and ministry. Vision helps to reveal the person that God knows you to be. All the while, King Uzziah blocked the vision of Isaiah that he could not tell exactly the person that God knew him to be. The two possible Uzziah that could block one’s vision is:
• The person you think you are: Improper self-evaluation.

• The person others think you are: Opinion and views people hold about you.

Until these persons die, you will not see the vision of the person God knows you to be. I would like at this juncture to examine Isaiah’s vision in its three dimensions.

It Was An Upward Vision – He Saw The Lord

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple (Isaiah 6:1).

It was a vision that revealed to the prophet Isaiah the height of God. He saw the Lord high and lifted up. In other words, he saw the greatness of the Lord above all, and as Apostle Paul would put it in his letter to the Ephesian Church: Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church (Eph. 1:21-22).

He saw the Lord sitting upon a throne higher than that of King Uzziah. Oh, that God would show us the Vision of His greatness to keep us humble and uncompromising in His service.

This dimension of prophet Isaiah’s vision revealed also God’s Holiness –  And one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory (Isaiah 6:3).

The Church’s greatest need in our generation is the vision of God’s holiness. We need God to light the fire of His holiness on the altar.

It is sad to observe that the fire on most altars today is faked (strange). Our Bishops, Reverends, Pastors, Teachers, General overseers, General Superintendents, Elders, Deacons, Choristers and Church members will shun worldliness if the Church beholds the vision of God’s holiness.

The vision of God’s holiness will draw a very conspicuous, significant and noticeable line that he who runs may see and understand that we are a different people – But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Rev. Idorenyin James, Congregational Pastor, United Evangelical Church
(Founded as Qua Iboe Church), Surulere, Lagos
08064263206

In this article

0 Comments