Numbers 24:16-17
The utterance of him who hears the words of God, And has the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.
INSIGHT
-Vision in Hebrew is written as chazon & it means prophecy, revelation, visualization, spectacle, insight, outlook, foresight.
-God communicates to us through visions, which sometimes could be positive events or warnings against impeding danger/ calamity. Where there is no revelation/ vision, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law (Prov 29:18). Discipline drives vision & our destiny dictates our decisions. Visions are necessary to all individuals, organization’s, leaders & governments as tools for planning the future. Visionaries set out a road map that prospects what is to come. God speaks to us through visions & dreams revealing His plan for our lives. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit our Helper; we are able to move in the right direction according to His purpose for us. With a leap of faith, a sense of hope & taking firm action, we are optimistic of a brighter future, for God unveils His promises for our lives.
-Balaam saw a vision in today’s scripture of the coming of the Messiah. Just like king David who defeated the Moabites in 2 Sam 8:2, Christ defeated the evil one & made us more than conquerors by His love (Rom 8:37). Balaam confirms that visions reveal the words & knowledge of God which could be different depending on what & when He wants to communicate to us.
PRAYER
We humbly implore You Father, for we have begun yet another week. It is not by our power or our might but by Your Spirit Lord. All glory & honor belong to You. Guide us Father in visions & dreams as we prospect our future. May You lead us with Your eye & comfort our hearts; that all shall be well for we are more than conquerors by Your love. May Your grace abound in us forever. Amen
Daniel 1:17
As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
INSIGHT
-Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-Nego were among the men captured by King Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem to Babylon. Their skills & wisdom made way for them before the king for they outwit magicians, astrologers, wise men & soothsayers. Daniel interpreted many dreams & vision for He always consulted God who was faithful to reveal these secrets to him.
-More often than not we dream & receive visions but do not understand their meaning as it is written in Job 33:14-15 “For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds,”. God is full of wisdom & understanding & when we ask of Him; He reveals the deep secrets of the night to us that we may comprehend His message to us.
PRAYER
Oh God full of wisdom, knowledge & understanding, Who live & reign forever. We beseech You Lord to hear our prayers & supplications from the deepest parts of our hearts. Reveal to us in vision & dreams what You intend to share with us. May we grow in wisdom & knowledge of truth that Your light may overcome all darkness in us. Amen
Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
INSIGHT
-A vision can also be defined as what an individual desires to achieve; which is embedded in the heart. The vision causes his/her heart to delight in a particular area of interest & the mind to formulate creative ideas. Of course no one knows the outcome of any event, but we are always hopeful that God will give us good success. A clearly thought of vision which is in line with Gods word creates a workable strategic plan; for the thoughts of a righteous man are right (Prov 12:5). When we involve God in these desires, He is faithful to counsel & guide us in the right direction. King Solomon clearly puts it “commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established (Prov 16:3)”.
PRAYER
You are worthy Oh Lord to receive all glory, honor & praise for You created all things & by Your will they have existence. We call upon You Father; to take control of our thoughts, hearts desires, mission, vision, plans, investments, strategies, families, friends & nations. We cannot do without You. Deliver us from the plans of the destroyer & cover us with Your pinions. Help us in all things & direct our steps. We thank You & worship You. Amen
Revelation 1:1-3
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
INSIGHT
-The book of Revelation which in Hebrew is written as apokalupsis uncovers that which is to come in the near future; only known to the Father. John reveals his vision of Jesus Christ which he received from Jesus Himself & His angel. John unveils in a graphical spectacle the magnificence & glory of Christ, message to the seven churches, the judgement series of events, that is; breaking of the seven seals, blowing of seven trumpets & pouring of the seven bowls. He also reveals the fall of Babylon, defeat of satan & his agents, revelation of the Book of life & coming of the new Jerusalem. This gives us hope in Christ when we hold fast to His word, He who died for us to have salvation through His blood & acquire eternal life.
PRAYER
You are Holy Oh Lord, Who was, Who is & Who is to come. Also glory & honor belong to You. Help us to adhere to Your word & cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There is no one like You, may we decrease & You increase. Amen
Luke 9:28-31
Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
-Peter, James & John saw a vision of the transfiguration. In the testimony these three witnesses, the scripture was fulfilled. God the Father spoke & called Jesus His beloved Son, which confirmed that He was greater than the prophets. This was the second confirmation after His baptism by John the Baptist; another prophet. Christ fulfilled the law represented by Moses & prophets represented by Elijah. Jesus commanded the disciples not to tell anyone about this vision for a confirmation of His Sonship would be revealed in His death & resurrection.
SUMMARY
-God communicates to us through visions, which reveal His words & knowledge in relation to our personal lives, family members, friends, nations & other things to come. Where there is no revelation/ vision, the people lack a sense of direction (perish). Our discipline drives our vision & our destiny dictates our decisions.
-Daniel had understanding in all visions & dreams. He outwit magicians, astrologers, wise men & soothsayers which paved way for him before kings. Many times we have dreams & visions but do not understand their meaning. God reveals them when we ask of Him.
-A vision can be matched to an individuals desires to achieve a certain goal embedded in the heart. Visions cause ones heart to delight in a particular area of interest & the mind to formulate creative ideas. A clearly thought of vision; which is in line with Gods word creates an implementable strategic plan. When we involve God in these desires, He is faithful to counsel & guide us in the right direction.
-The entire book of Revelation unveils John’s vision of the revelation of Christ manifested by Christ Himself & His angel. He visualizes the glory of Christ, message to the seven churches, the judgement series of events, the fall of Babylon, defeat of satan & his agents, revelation of the Book of life & coming of the new Jerusalem. This is a book of hope that when we hold fast to Christ who died for our salvation, we will acquire eternal life.
PRAYER
Lord our Father, we love You & hope in You. Have mercy on us. Help to us to only look to You for all our hearts desires; that our satisfaction may be found in You alone. Direct us in dreams & visions that we may walk in the right direction. May Your word manifest in our lives everyday. Amen