ENLARGE YOUR VISION

By Jemima Rayan

God wants us to go beyond our barriers. We should come out of our status quo lives and a life of mediocrity and get where God wants us to get to and do want God wants us to do. This is not a time to be limited by any of life’s situation. This is a time to go upstream and enlarge our territory for God’s glory.

The Bible declares in Dan 5:11-12, … the queen told the king that there is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God… Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel. The same Holy Spirit who was upon Daniel is upon us.

Broaden your borders:

We need to lengthen our chords, broaden our horizons and shoot for something that is way more than where we are right now. In Eph 3:20 says, ‘to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask of think, according to the power that works in us. 2 Chro 16:9 says, ‘…the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him’.

We normally get into this rut called routine. We do the same thing time and again. We pray for the same thing year after year. We have the same programs repeatedly. We come in circles. Unfortunately we end up in the same place where we were. Our faith level becomes almost constant. If that describes you then you need to go to a deeper level of faith.

Jesus said to Peter in Lk 5:4, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch’. Peter had been used to doing the same old thing again and again. But Jesus wanted him to do something more. And guess what! They caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking’. We too must launch out into the deep. Jesus is telling us the same thing!

Change your thinking:

Thoughts are where it all begins. Jesus said to the centurion in Mt 8:13, ‘As you believe, so it will be done unto you’. Our thinking limits us. Not only that, our lack of faith stops God from doing what he intends to do for us. Our natural mind always thinks within our limited resources but God works in ways and means that we cannot even comprehend.

He has clearly said in His word in Is 55:9, ‘For as heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts’.

We have to think big because our God is a mighty God. God has great plans for us. He never said, ‘you cannot make it or you will not amount to anything’. The Bible says, ’with God all things are possible’ (Lk 1:37). Believe for the unbelievable and think of the unthinkable. Our God has hung the earth on nothing. That is how great our God is!

Never give up:

It is so easy to throw in the towel. It is so easy call it quits. The devil always tries to pull you down. He will try to work through all the means possible to side track you. If you are living a life of mediocrity and compromise, he will not trouble you because he knows you will not accomplish much anyways. But if you are determined to live a life of God’s fullness, then you are the enemy’s target.

Apostle Paul went through tough situations. But his focus was on the goal all the time. He did not waver or get bogged down by the circumstances. In 2 Cor 4:17, Paul writes, ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment’. The kind of afflictions he went through is so overwhelming. He went through shipwrecks, beatings and humiliations but he says it is a ‘light affliction’. He knew the afflictions are light when compares to the prize he was going to get. That tells me that Paul was willing to pay the price for the goal he had.

Each time you say something like Paul, it drives the enemy crazy. But on the contrary, if you open a door for unbelief and fear, the enemy will turn up the intensity and try to make us give up. He will work through our friends who will talk so negative. You open the newspaper and you will find an article that is totally contrary to all that you want to do. And you wonder why you are running after your vision! That is why we should be determined and stay focused.

Do your best:

You cannot sit idle and expect God to do everything for you. It doesn’t work that way. We need to put the best foot forward all the time. We need to do our best and God will do the rest. He always needed a yielded vessel to carry out His plans. God needed Moses to lead the children of Israel. He needed Joshua to bring down the walls of Jericho. Lk 1:37 says, ’…with God nothing will be impossible’.

There were a bunch of lepers who were living in famine. They once decided to do something about it. 2 Kings 7:3-5 says, ‘…they rose to go to the camp of the Syrians’. And their lives were turned around. They did not have to die in the famine but they lived the rest of their lives in abundance. Your action sets in motion a great miracle.

Ecc 9:10 says, ‘whatever your hand finds to do it will all your might’. God is looking at the kind of efforts you are taking to do what God has called you to do. When Jesus chose the disciples he was not looking for people who had nothing to do. He did not go for a bunch of lazy folks. He called the industrious men who will tirelessly work.

May you enlarge your vision and live a life of excellence in Jesus’ name. Amen.