Courage through vision
Today we will talk about vision, its importance and how God uses it to bolster our
courage!
1) I will stand my watch (like a sentinel) and set myself on the rampart and
watch to see what He will say to me Then the Lord answered me and said,
record the vision and inscribe it tablets, that one who reads it may run.
Habakkuk 2:1-2
2) Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18a
The Hebrew word for vision is HAZON – a type of vision that comes from God, a
sight from God, a dream an oracle a revelation or a prophecy.
God created our minds to see images – that is why the Hebrew language is full of
pictures, every letter for instance paints a picture – Their letter Aleph or the
ALPHA in Greek is a door and we know Jesus is the door.
We have two parts to our mind, the logic part and the Hazon – the picture part.
God created our minds to see pictures – that is why Jesus spoke in parables so
often because the people had become dull of hearing, they weren’t going deaf
instead they were not seeing the images or truths of God’s Word anymore, so
Jesus expounded and told them entire stories.
3) It is so important for us to let the Word of God paint the pictures that God
intended.
The world feeds us images continually, when moving pictures started our minds
couldn’t tell that these images weren’t real, and they reacted as though they
were. People fainted when King Kong was climbing the Empire State Building,
ladies swooned at onscreen kisses – we simply never saw such things before, and
the images stirred up emotions. With today’s technology we are bombarded! TV, videos social media, commercials, movies in HD, 3D and VR!
We say things like, “Don’t let the imagination run away with you” Because if we
choose to worry and imagine everything that can go wrong we can convince
ourselves that someone got in a car accident or a child is failing in school or a
marriage is falling apart!! How do we deal with that?
• Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23 the seeing part of your mind. The heart and the mind are
connected. When you worry, your heart can actually physically hurt and
your stomach gets upset.
4) Your verse for this event is Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the
LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
• Dis- courage- ed to be deprived of courage or confidence
5) So how can we be courageous and not discouraged in times of trials and
hardships? I am going to ask you to do something you might think a bit
strange but please participate in this exercise. You will not regret it.
Close your eyes and let your hazon vision go…
relax your shoulders, take a few deep breathes, picture the throne room of Godask the Holy Spirit to show you Jesus and now, realize that you are seated with Him on the throne. Feel His presence bask in His glory, Breathe in His scent, look into those eyes. Heaven
24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of
rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty,[a]
like the tumult of an army. When they
stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with
lowered wings. 26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis
lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from
what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that
from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the
appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
Jesus!
12-7
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven
golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe
reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was
white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze
glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he
held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was
like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and
said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light,
and the Lamb is its lamp
At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on
it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like
an emerald encircled the throne. His eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
SOS- the description of Jesus
Behold You are handsome my beloved, your banquet of love is over me, His left hand is
my head, and his right hand embraces me, I smell myrrh and frankincense with all
fragrant powders. I see the King with His crown with gladness in His heart.
This is how He feels about you:
You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
10 How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much more pleasing is your love than wine,
and the fragrance of your perfume
more than any spice!6)
Now as you go to Him the Lord of Lords and the lover of your soul, ask Him
anything – make your requests known to Him ask Jesus what you should do,
ask Him to speak with you, to show you the answer. Have courage because this is your Jesus! Your husband, the lover of your soul! He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings but He is yours and you are His!
Prayer – Open their Hazon vision
Rev 1:12-17 Rev. 21:23 God’s throne: Rev 4:2-3 Rev. 2:18 SOS 1:16,2:4, 6, 3:6 verse 11
Ezekiel 1:24-28 SOS 4:9-15 SOS 5:10-16 Lots of scents are mentioned in these chapters ,
Myrrh, apples, spices (this no of the fresh and lovely scent of gardens and the view is of orchards- Ezekiel 1:24-25