Don't Surrender the Vision

Jeremiah 33:10

Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,

Though Israel’s captivity was to be long, God assured Israel that it would again hear the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever…. God was telling them not to give up their vision no matter how desolate Jerusalem was. Thankfully, two men, Ezra and Nehemiah got this message. These two men not only had the vision, but made the vision a reality.

My friend, you must never surrender your vision, for the day you lose your vision is the day your potential dies. Proverbs 29:18 warns, Where there is no vision, the people perish…. Vision is the ability to see beyond the present. Vision is that ability to see God making a work thrive despite it being in decline. Vision is that ability to see through the glasses of faith. The day you lose your vision is the day you are done. You will never rebuild something if you don't believe it can be done despite the decline or ruin.

Every pastor ought to have a vision for their church. You can let the present situations be your excuse as to why you can't build a church, or you can have faith that God can rebuild your church into a thriving church. When I took the pastorate at the Maranatha Baptist Church, though our congregation was small and older, and the decor of the building were out of date, I could see a church filled with people and souls being saved and baptized weekly. Without a vision, God would not be performing the miracle we are seeing at MBC. You must have a vision that it can and will be done if you are to build a church no matter your circumstances. If you accept the excuses your circumstances give, you are sure to continue the decline to the point of death. Refuse excuses and get a vision to build your church from the present.

Moreover, every person whose life or marriage is a mess must never lose a vision that your life or marriage can be rebuilt. When you lose the vision for your life or marriage is when your life or marriage are done. I would rather work toward a vision and fail than to surrender my vision to excuses to my destruction.

If you are not going to surrender your vision, you must first believe God is powerful enough to rebuild from any situation. If God can create a world from nothing, He can most certainly rebuild from any bad situation. To have a vision that you can rebuild, you must believe in God’s omnipotence. There is nothing too hard for God to do, and you must believe it.

Moreover, you must start from where you are at rebuilding if you are to see your vision become a reality. Rebuilding is not easy, but you must start somewhere. It may be a slow process to rebuild, but if you are patient and continue to rebuild without losing your vision, you will one day see the mighty power of God do the miraculous in your life and ministry by restoring it to what it was and even better. Have a faith vision and believe in God’s power to rebuild; get busy rebuilding from where you are, and you will one day find the joy that comes from rebuilding that which was dying.