By “Where there is no vision the people perish but he that keepeth the law happy is he” Proverbs 29:18
How often have we found ourselves wandering through life without a vision or a purpose? What happens when we see others also in that situation? Why is it that so often people are allowed to wander around without any idea of what is going on and where they are headed? Have you ever been in a situation at work where there is no clear leader and no vision communicated?
There have been seasons of my life where I have been in places without any vision, and I could feel myself start to die a little on the inside. I stopped caring about things at the place, I could not get focused, and I just felt like I was wondering aimlessly. I looked around me and those around me who had been there longer had already died inside. They had no hope of the future and were walking around like zombies. I knew in those seasons that I would not be able to stay in that place much longer before I would also begin to walk around like a zombie.
Vision keeps hope alive, hope that what you are doing is something good, hope that it will impact people, hope that it will change lives. For me, I have a burning passion deep within to see lives transformed. I typically align myself with people and groups that have a vision to do something in this area. When I find myself in a vacuum of vision, my passion begins to lessen, the fire begins to go out, because hope begins to die. However, once I am in a place where vision is clear, its like hope is restored.
In Ezekiel 37 we see the story of the valley of dry bones. This is one of my all time favorite portions of the Bible. Ezekiel is taken to a valley of dry bones, and the Lord asks him, “can these bones live?” His response is perfect “O Lord God, You know.” The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and to say “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord (Ezekiel 37:5-6). Ezekiel is obedient in doing what the Lord says and then he hears a noise and the dry bones become human but without life in them. The Lord has Ezekiel prophesy to the four winds to fill them with breath and then the people come back to life. I can only imagine what that would have been like for Ezekiel, to see a massive army come to life. But then, “Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’” (V11). Did you catch that? They hope was lost, that is why they were dry bones. The Lord then had Ezekiel prophesy hope to the people.
The Lord is so faithful to His people. I know that He placed people in my life in that season where I felt like I was wandering around aimlessly that had a vision and a passion, that offered me opportunities to join them. You know, I was drawn to those people that had a vision because I still had some hope left. When I recognized the vision in them, it did not take me long to decide to join them, because I knew from past experience if I did not find something to join with vision that I was going to become like a zombie. When I left the situation completely it was not because I did not care anymore about those around me, or because I did not like the place, it was because I felt like I was watching my hand begin to die and I was beginning to become a zombie. So I prayed and the Lord allowed me to leave and placed me in a new situation where the vision was clear and aligned with my passions. Now, my passions and dreams are alive and kicking. Now my dreams are growing and I have a hope that God is going to use me to bring about life transformation.
So now it is your part. Where is your vision? Do you have vision in your heart? Do you have hope? Are you just wandering around hoping for something soon to change? How can I pray for you?
