“And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.” ~Luke 1:19-22
Have you ever watched a movie with someone that insisted on fore-guessing the ending before the plot had even developed? That’s how it is when God gives us a small glimpse of a personal vision and we share it with everyone and their uncle before there’s even an outline of a plan in place. And depending on the audience doing so can actually be detrimental to the vision. How? Well for starters if those that it is told to (or those who catch wind of it) respond negatively or they’re not supportive it could possibly kill the vision before it fully develop due to discouragement. Yes, there is power in a vision but the closer it becomes reality the more powerful and clear it becomes. Take for instance childbirth. A woman can learn that they are with child just weeks after it is conceived, but it takes months before it develops enough to actually see to determine the gender. So, we must ensure that our vision is protected from anything that can jeopardize it. Including ourselves.
Reading the passage we see that Zacharias was unable to share the vision with the people because he did not believe (faith) the angel Gabriel (the vision) so he wasn’t in a position to share it. Why? It says in Hebrews 11:6 that “without faith it is impossible to please God” so, if God gives us a vision that we don’t even believe ourselves why would He allow us to share it with others with doubt in our hearts? As I shared earlier discouragement kills visions and James 1:6 says it best, “one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” meaning one could be easily swayed without enough faith to anchor them down. He will not take away the vision but until it is developed and we are in position (faith) it may not be in our best interest to share it. Let us pray.
Father God,
We thank you and trust the power of the vision that You have placed in us. We realize that everything isn’t for everyone so we pray that You direct us to those who have our best interests at heart when it’s time to share it. And may it always be for Your glory, for our good, and in the Name of Your Son Jesus we pray. Amen.
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