Visioning

“Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.” (Habakkuk 2:2)

I have been visioning with the 2020 Vision Team for the Presbyterian Church (USA) for the last two and half years. Capturing God’s vision is one of discernment and one that constantly requires us to ask, “What is God doing here?”.

At Covenant we have been asking that question for a little over two years now. What is God doing here at Covenant? What is God doing here in Sherman? What is God doing here in Grayson County? What is God doing in our very lives?

Here is the hardest part of that discernment…..listening for God to speak into our lives. We would rather tell God how it’s going to be.  Habakkuk chapter one has the prophet complaining of all that has gone wrong in his life. And let me tell you, a lot has gone wrong for Habakkuk. This happens to us too. Just when we think we have it all in line, our lives seem manageable, one significant moment turns the whole apple cart upside down.

Habakkuk tells God all that has gone wrong and then Habakkuk does something interesting. He says that he will stand at his watchpost, I will keep watch to see what God will say to me, and what God will answer concerning my complaint.

I’m not sure that Habakkuk was prepared for what the Lord said. Write the vision and make it plain so that a runner can see it.

Well how is writing the vision, plainly exactly going to help me in this situation? When we know God’s vision plainly enough to be able to write it so that a runner can see it, the situation has a direction, a focus, a spirit about it that it did not have before.

God’s direction in our lives and in our church and in our community is one that takes us out of ourselves and places us in a story of love, grace, and peace. It gives us direction, it gives us focus, and it reminds us there is always God’s spirit going before us to show us the way.

May we take the time to listen to God’s voice speaking to us in the midst of our lives and struggles. And then write that vision so all may see it plainly.