How To Know God's Vision For Your Life - Part II (You Must Be persuaded By The Vision)

Hey friends; in my last post, I wrote that in order to catch God’s vision for your life, you may follow the blueprint set forth in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews. In verse 13 of that chapter, the writer states that the people of God who caught a vision for God’s life (1) saw the vision afar off (2) became persuaded by it (3) embraced it and then (4) confessed it with their lives.

Last week we discussed how the people of God may begin to see the vision. This week we will focus on how we may become persuaded by the vision. It is not enough to just see a vision; many people see a vision, but they never do anything about it because they are not persuaded by it – they’re not fully convinced that it is worthy of pursuit. There may be many reasons for this but one of the primary reasons is that they lack the faith to act. So how do we develop the faith required to act once we’ve seen God’s vision.

First, we must understand that God confirms His vision through His word. Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Mark 4:24 also tells us to be careful what we’re hearing because the measure of thought and study we give to the truth we hear will be the same measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to us. Thus, we must become a hearer, reader and student of God’s word. When we begin to spend time and thoughtful study in God’s word, He will begin to speak to us about our lives. His word will become a guide for us – a lamp to our feet and light to our path. Psalm 119:105.

God is speaking today primarily through His word. If you want to know God’s vision for your life, you must get into His word. Then you will be able to say like the apostle Paul, “I am persuaded …” Romans 8:38!

By contrast, the Bible clearly teaches that God conceals his vision from the halfhearted. A story is told in Matthew 8:19-21 of a would-be disciple who approached Jesus. The Lord gave the man a vision for his life which entailed radical trust in him. Just then another would-be disciple overheard the high cost of the Lord’s call and decided he needed a year before he could commit to the vision. He asked for permission to go take care of some family business before he could follow.

This, of course, is an excuse. The Bible is filled with many other such individuals who heard a God-given vision, but backed away because they were not persuaded. See Luke 18:18-27 – a certain rich young man walked away sorrowful because he rejected God’s vision for his life. What a mistake. In Acts 26:27-28 King Agrippa mouthed some of the saddest words in the Bible: “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” King Agrippa saw the vision painted by the apostle Paul, but lacked the faith to commit. He was “almost persuaded” but you know the old song, “almost doesn’t count.” King Agrippa, by his lack of faith and half-heartedness, never experienced God’s greater vision and will for his life.

God conceals His vision from the half-hearted, but he reveals His vision to His servants. Throughout the Bible, God reveals Himself to His chosen vessels. Amos 3:7 says, “Surely the Lord does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants…” Hebrews 11 is not a record of people who went searching for God – it is a record of God revealing Himself to ordinary people and showing them an extraordinary vision for their lives. This vision led each person to a crisis of belief – would they believe God enough – become persuaded to the point of obedience?

It is never a question of whether God has a vision for us. He made us, knows us and has plans for all His children. Jeremiah 29:11. The question is whether we are listening for His voice and when we hear it are we committed to obeying His leading –are we persuaded by the vision He shows us?

Stop and think about that for a moment friend? Are you persuaded?

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