Devotional 060709

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. What a gorgeous day that we have in the Lord! I enjoy my no pay day off to rest and meditate on God’s words. It is really refreshing each time when I meditate on His words. God’s promise for Joshua is real for us today too, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). If you are too busy to meditate on His words, you are too busy to miss the many blessings that God intended for you to enjoy…

"The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow" (Isaiah 35:7). We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in us, then is the time that Satan comes in with his temptations, and we are apt to say it is no use to go on. Instead of the vision becoming real, there has come the valley of humiliation.

God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to mold us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience. Think of the enormous leisure of God! He is never in a hurry. We are always in such a frantic hurry. In the light of the glory of the vision we go forth to do things, but the vision is not real in us yet; and God has to take us into the valley, and put us through fires and floods to mold us into shape, until we get to the place where He can trust us with the genuine reality. Ever since we had the vision God has been at work, getting us into the shape of the ideal, and over and over again we escape from His hand and try to mold ourselves into our own shape.

The vision is not a castle in the air, but a vision of what God wants you to be. Let Him put you on His wheel and whirl you as He likes, and as sure as God is God and you are you, you will turn out exactly in accordance with the vision. Don't lose heart in the process. If you have ever had the vision of God, you may try as you like to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never let you.

The vision represents your life purpose. God creates you for a purpose that He intended for you to fulfill. You may either hide or escape from His plan. But He will never let you go without molding you toward His vision for you. His vision for you is meant to be a joyous fulfillment in your life. Jonah, the run-away prophet, is our perfect example. He knew he could never escape from His Creator God, but it did not stop him to try. So as he faced the storm in his escape route, he knew he could not run anymore and hurt so many lives along the way, he asked to be thrown into the roaring seas. No matter how rebellious Jonah was, God would not let him go and found his replacement. God’s stubborn love for Jonah and the people of Nineveh did not give up. God wanted Jonah to accomplish the vision to be the channel of God’s blessing to the people Jonah hated. Jonah became the hero to the people of Nineveh that he never wanted. But for sure he was remembered to be the prophet that saved their lives.

God has a vision or purpose for your life. If you follow His plan, you may go through humiliation and many trials. Lift your face up and stay focus on the Lord. He will give you His joy to bear the unbearable and to reach the unreachable vision through your life. The author of Hebrews reminded us of our Lord’s example, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2). God wants you to share His glory to be part of His salvation plan for mankind. Don’t forget to draw close to Him today for your strength.

Love you according to His purpose,
Lawrence