Proverbs 28:19 (NLT) ‘When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.’
Another word for divine guidance is vision. The King James Version says, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, he is happy.’
For many years, I did not have a vision. I did not see that God had a vision for my life. A purpose. A calling.
I knew I was saved and I was going to heaven. Beyond that I was clueless. I figured all I had to do was keep the commandments and be a good person.
I can’t point to a specific incident or event where this changed. I stumbled along, doing the best I could, without much purpose or even understanding. But there was always this hunger for more, this sense something was missing.
Then I had a spiritual breakthrough in a sense as, through my wife, I was exposed to ministers and pastors who taught the Word with more clarity than I had ever heard. We found a church anchored in the Word, a church where the Bible came alive and I experienced for the first time that God wanted to have a personal relationship with me, that he cared about me, that he wasn’t some distant being and I some pawn on his game table.
I discovered he did have a plan for me and for my marriage. He envisioned a future for me and it was one with a hope for good. (Jeremiah 29:11) He had a vision for me and he has guided me into and through it. I didn’t always follow, but he was patient. I didn’t always understand, but he was faithful to bring someone into my life who spoke into my heart so I could get back on the right track.
With the passage of time and a deeper walk with God, he’s revealed more and more. And I see the vision he has for me, for my wife, for our marriage. There’s a sense of peace in knowing I’m living in his vision. As I walk his way, he provides me with the tools and the support and the encouragement I need.
Are you walking in God’s vision for you? Maybe you’re not sure. That’s fine. Neither was I for a time.
If you haven’t already, set aside quiet time with him. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time, but it does have to be regular. It’s a time of disciplining ourselves to stop and talk with God. And listen to him.
If it doesn’t seem like you have a vision from him, ask him. Talk and listen.
When he answers, write it down (see Habakkuk 2:2). Then pursue it and have faith in his guidance.
What is your vision for your future?
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