”Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;

                   but the wicked shall do wickedly:

              and none of the wicked shall understand;

                   but the wise shall understand”

                              DANIEL 12:10

Understanding comes to the wise—the wicked pass through life void of the understanding of the Almighty God. Though trials, testings, and temptations are the familiar lot of those who seek first His Kingdom, there comes to us the consolation of true understanding that more than compensates for the hardness of the way. With true understanding comes Vision.

In the purposes of God, vision must give way to reality. Joseph’s dream must become substance. For a vision to remain something visionary only is the danger of religion; where the impulse of the desire of God becomes a teaching and a doctrine, a thing instead of a life. Men linger in the realm of words and creeds. A living vision must create a life of pursuit and quest where obedience is not optional.

“Whereupon, O king Agrippa,

          I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision”

                                     Acts 26:19

True vision communicates a need for obedience for it births a burden for the thing to come to pass. All true visions concerning God and His purposes must impart a responsibility for the thing to be made real. Vision is the womb of a quest. It is the conception that enables a birthing of that which was promised.

People with a teaching are content with words; people with a burden cannot linger in ideas and religious concepts. There arises from within a quest and a pursuit for the vision to become substantial. The true Word of God must always become flesh in those who partake of His Life.

During a great storm, the disciples were besieged in a small boat. In the midst of this, they saw Jesus walking on the water and they were terrified. Only Peter saw Jesus in a way that communicated a longing to walk as Jesus. The vision imparted the desire to walk. The vision birthed the impulse to launch himself from the security of the boat into the violent sea. Men and women throughout the ages have launched themselves into the purposes of God. They have left the safety of their “boat” for the great sea of God’s will.

                             Abraham went out…

                 not knowing where he was going.

The launch precedes the knowledge of the destination; the impulse is in itself the very compass that will unerringly bring us to His End. To ignore the impulse is to miss the launch.

The launching of our lives into the purposes of God is a series of definitive acts, not just a one-time occurrence. It is a life of yielding to Him. There are many opportunities along the way for compromise and failure. Our one hope is found in His Faithfulness. Faithfulness to lead us from the good to the better, from the better to His highest.

We see Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration saying it was good to be there and “let us build” only to be rebuked by God Himself. While many settle for the good those whose vision transcends the status quo can never be satisfied with the building of human hands regardless of how “good” the experience or motive. The heavenly call is upward not just higher. Upward communicates a direction not a destination; higher is just another step in the stairway.

         “But the path of the just is as the shining light,

        that shineth more and more unto the perfect day”

Proverbs 4:18

Brian Troxel

Read more writings at https://aword.info/