Habakkuk 2:3, ‘For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay’.
NLT version,
This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
There is a vision for a future time, describing the end, and it will be fulfilled, at the appointed time and it is hastening towards the goal and it won’t fail.
We know the companies have their own vision. Every year they review and renew the vision and inform to all the employees, so there is certain goal to achieve in future. As a Church, what is our vision here? What is God’s vision for our Church? It is not related to any of the earthly things! not to become a Mega Church, or growing in numbers!
God has a specific vision for us, as a Church. We need to understand God’s vision for us and we need to work to fulfill that vision, appointed for us. Our Church website has our vision specified, that is, ‘New Wine in the New Wineskin’. ‘New Wine’ is the life of Jesus Christ, His nature. ‘New Wineskin’ is the ‘Church’. The vision is to be conformed to the likeness of Christ’s nature. God wants to fulfill this vision in our lives, it is His will for us. This will be fulfilled when we meet Him. We will be like Him! We will be fully conformed to the likeness of Christ. As Habakkuk says, this vision is for the appointed time. We do not know when He is coming but His coming is very near! It will not be delayed, then we will be like Him.
Philippians 3:13-14, ‘Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’.
The goal is to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul says, ‘I am forgetting what is behind and pressing towards the goal’. Our life should be like his, always pressing on, ahead towards the goal, this vision in our lives, should not get dimmed or blurred! Let us have a long range of vision when we are on this earth – this is what God wants from us! If not, we become short-sighted Christians – whose nature is, ‘to be satisfied only with earthly blessings; who want to achieve something in regards to earthly things and are not heavenly – minded!’
We as a Church, have a vision here, that is to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. We should have this long range of vision, sharp and focused to live accordingly.
Driving a car with short-sightedness, without wearing the glasses, would cause an accident. It is not safe and is dangerous. We must be very serious in our Spiritual life, if we are having ‘short-sighted spiritual eyes’ – when we are living in this earth, focusing only on the earthly things! We should always have long – sighted focus and sharp spiritual eyes to achieve and fulfill God’s vision for our lives on this earth. Though our physical eye is short-sighted, our spiritual eyes need to be sharp!
Proverbs 29:18, ‘Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained’,
People are perishing because they are not having a spiritual vision – ‘are living in darkness and are un-controlled and are short-sighted Christians, having no interest in heavenly things and are satisfied only with the earthly blessings’. God has a specific vision for all of us, our vision should not be blurred or blinded.
Hebrews 11:8, ‘By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going’
V10, ‘for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.’
V13, ‘All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth’.
We see here, that they are confessing that they are not of this world. Bible says, ‘We are not of this world, our citizenship is not of this earth but is in heaven!’
V38, ‘(men of whom the world was not worthy),’
Our lives should be conformed to the likeness of Jesus – this is our goal and our vision, in this world. When we are running in this race, looking unto Jesus, let us surrender our lives completely to Him, so God can fulfill this vision in our lives. Let us surrender our lives like a clay into the Potter’s hands! He will put us on the wheel and mold us, as He wants, to fulfill His vision in our lives and we will turn out exactly as God wants us to be like.
When we are going through the molding, the purification process, the process of heat treatment, we might experience pain, but we should not lose these two things in our Christian life – 1. Endurance 2. Faith
- ‘Though it tarries, wait for it’; – Habakkuk 2:3
The endurance of our lives.
- ‘But the righteous will live by his faith.’ – Habakkuk 2:4
We need to have faith.
These are very important characters which we need in our Christian life – Endurance and Faith. We see in Bible, in many places, these are linked together. We have to undergo many trials, difficulties in this life, but never lose endurance and faith.
Hebrews 10:31-38, ‘31It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, 33partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. 34For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. 35Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised’.
Apostle Paul is encouraging the Hebrew Christians here, ‘you endured a great conflict of sufferings, so do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward, to fulfill His promise, you need endurance’. To fulfill His vision, His promise, we need endurance.
Their secret to endurance was – as in v34, ‘they knew that they had a better possession and a lasting one!’
Hebrews 11:27, ‘By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen’.
Moses also by faith, left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king but He endured, ‘seeing Him who is unseen’. NLT, ‘It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible’.
Moses focused his eyes, kept his eyes on the one who is invisible! By faith, he endured.
Job also endured, as in James 5:7, ‘Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.’
V10-11, ‘As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful’.
Hebrews 12:1, ‘ let us run with endurance the race that is set before us’
There is a race before us, a goal before us, a vision for us. We need to fulfill God’s vision in our lives! So we need endurance. Let us run this race with endurance, that is set before us!
Hebrews 10:37, ‘37For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. 38But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him’.
God started a good work in us, definitely He will fulfill it, in our lives. It is a promise to us. Habakkuk, initially had a lot of questions and doubts in his mind, towards God. He was asking questions.
Habakkuk 1:2, ‘How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save’. V13, ‘Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?’ 14 Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them?
After asking so many questions, finally, He is concluding that, ‘I will praise you O Lord’! It is very encouraging for our lives too.
Habakkuk 3:18, ‘18Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.’
This is the faith that Habakkuk finally confessed.
V19, ‘The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights’.
He says, ‘He makes me walk in high places. This is the fulfillment of his vision. For us also, He will bring us, surely over the mountain. We are pressing towards that perfection. God is assuring us that He will safely bring us over the mountain and He will strengthen us! Let us not lose our vision, let it be sharp.
Lord said to Habakkuk in, 2:2, ‘2Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run.’
God is saying to us, to inscribe this on our hearts, we should not forget this vision, it should be sharpened throughout our lives! Our vision is to conform to the likeness of Jesus Christ, individually and as a Church. Everyone who reads it, shall understand and run.
May God fulfill His vision in our lives.
As the song, ‘Be thou my vision’ says,
‘Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
High King of Heaven my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, oh, bright heaven’s sun
Heart of my own heart whatever befall
Still be my vision, oh Ruler of all’
May this be true in our lives!
May God bless us all!
