“Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” Habakkuk 2:2 (NKJV)
Purpose is God’s design, reason, and intent for our existence. We have been created on purpose and created with a purpose. If God did not have a purpose for our life then He would have never allowed us to be born. When we understand our purpose, we are then ready to receive the vision. God never gives us a purpose for life without giving us a vision for living. In order to understand your vision you must be able to see. God will allow us to “see” things in order for us to “learn or know by experience.” This requires that we be able to “see” things physically outside of ourselves so that it may be properly perceived. For the prophet Habakkuk, God allowed him to see the burden of his people Judah as they were being chastised by the Babylonians. “The burden that the prophet Habakkuk saw.” Habakkuk 1:1 (NKJV) God allowed Habakkuk to “see” this experience that led him to ask the questions that we have all asked at one time or another. Lord, how long will it last and why have you allowed me to experience what I am going through? (See Habakkuk 1:2-4)
The good news is that in the midst of burden, bewilderment, and bedlam God will still allow us to “see.” There are times when God will allow us to see things by experience and other times He will allow us to see things by revelation. Even in the midst of devastation God will still give us revelation. “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.” Habakkuk 2:1 (NKJV) Here the idea is that of a sentry who stands guard and watches with precise anticipation the movement of anyone who may be approaching the watchtower. Simply put, there are times that we must properly position ourselves to perceive and receive the next move of God for our life. We must have the proper vantage point because God is always revealing, always speaking, and He is always faithfully orchestrating the affairs of the vision that He has prepared for us so that we may complete our mission and assignment on the face of the earth. The question is are we able to “see” what God is going to say and then respond in the appropriate manner?
When God speaks we must be willing and ready to “write down the vision.” The vision or revelation is God’s plan for our life or “divine insight” into what He would have for us to do or understand about our future. Habakkuk wrote his vision on tablets so that God’s word would be preserved. God’s prophetic revelation and divine insight that He gives to us is just that valuable to our existence. If we try to remember it and trust our memory we may ultimately forget it. Never take God’s vision for granted. It may be that one word, that one revelation, that one impression that He makes within our spirit that will set us free and change our life forever. God’s vision or revelation is not just happenstance, it is absolutely necessary. Whatever you do, write it down. “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” Proverbs 29:18a (NKJV)
When God reveals His next move for your life, write it down. When He speaks a word to you even in the midst of heartache and hardship, write it down. There will be times when what we “see” by experience will pale in comparison to what God wants us to “see” by way of revelation. Write it down, take notes, and preserve the vision. Let it be a documented testimony of God’s revelation. Keep the vision close at hand and close to your heart. It is the key to the fulfillment of your purpose. Write it down.
