Tag: Vision

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The End Game

battle black blur board game
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Matthew 29:39

“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my  Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” ~KJV

Before Jesus came down from Heaven, He knew what His end game would be.

Yes, He came that we might have life and that more abundantly, but ultimately; His end game was that we may be reconciled to the Father and dwell with Him for eternity. However, neither of those things could happen until He suffered the bitterness of the cup and the pain of the cross.  In other words, He went through His nevertheless because he remembered the end game.

Has God ever showed you a great vision or revealed to you your purpose?  Often He allows us to glimpse into the future—peep the end game if you will. We begin to get excited and earnestly work toward that thing that He has purposed us to do, and then, life happens. We are faced with problems at work, at school, at home, and even in the church.  As the stress mounts, the weight of the load we carry causes our knees to buckle and we want to throw in the towel, but we cannot give up!

There are blessings that God has for us that are exceedingly and abundantly above all we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20), but sometimes we can’t get to our exceedingly and abundantly until we get through the bitterness and the pain of our nevertheless. Be encouraged, go through, and remember the end game! But as it is written, Eye hath not see, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9, KJV)

~ Prayer ~

Lord, sometimes I get tired, and I want to give up. Thank You for sending your Son, Jesus, to be an example for me. Oh, God, give me that same nevertheless spirit and a willingness to go through as was in Christ Jesus. Be my strength, and never let me lose sight of what you have purposed for me. This is my prayer, Amen.

 

 

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If You Don’t See It Before You See It

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A corner of the original vision/wishing board
A corner of the original vision/wishing board

For years I said, “I’m going to get my passport. I’m going to travel. I’m going to see the world.” I made a cute little vision board with pretty little pictures. I laminated it and everything! I did and said all the right things, but at the time I didn’t see it. Maybe I couldn’t see it because my lenses were smudged with the residue of my past failures and my feelings of inadequacy. As a result, my vision board was really more of a wish board or a creative piece of do-it-yourself wall art. But as it is written, despise not the day of small beginnings. I had planted the seeds even though the ground at the time was not ideal.

Over time, it seemed as if the things on the vision/wishing board were mocking me. When you’re in the dark place, your vision can get dim to say the least. The problem was no longer smudged lenses; I had gone totally blind. The doubt that had begun to creep in picked up a battering ram and came at me full-force. It got to the point that I just stopped looking at the board altogether. What was the point?

For a long time, every day was a struggle, but I just couldn’t let go of my faith. I began to reconnect with my Father. He began to remind me of the thoughts that He had toward me and the plans that He had for my future. Like any good father, He picked me up, embraced me, dusted me off and cleaned off my lenses. My vision was clearing up.

Fast forward a few years, and I began to make small changes in both my thinking and my doing. I started to be more conscious of the thoughts that I would think and the words that I would allow to come out of my mouth. I stopped saying “I’m broke, I can’t, and I’m not,” and I started saying, “I have, I can, and I AM,” with conviction. I exchanged my “ifs” and “one days” for “whens,” target dates, and goals. What a difference a shift in your mindset can make!

One day I finally gained enough confidence to face my original vision board, and guess what? The majority of scriptures, declarations, and dreams that I had placed on the board had been made manifest! Even from a broken and dark place where I lacked confidence, my soul recognized my purpose and the desires of my heart. God had restored the fallow ground without disturbing the seeds that had been haphazardly sown. However, it wasn’t until I started believing that I started seeing, and it wasn’t until I started seeing that I started seeing.

I still have the original vision board, and I have created two others. I am no longer afraid to say what I want. I no longer settle because I believe a little bit of something is better than nothing at all. I can have what I decree if it is within His will. I can set my sights on the ridiculous and affirm it. I am worthy and I am enough! I choose joy, I choose love, and, above all, I choose peace!

For years I said, “I’m going to get my passport. I’m going to travel. I’m going to see the world.” I can see it!