Stephen spoke this morning on vision, looking at Genesis 15:1 (“After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your very great reward.'”)
Years ago, Stephen had a TV with no pre-set stations where you had to turn the dial to get a picture, or everything was all fuzzy:
Our earthly vision can be taken for granted, but we need spiritual vision too. God communicated personally to Abram (visions can be general or individual); we all need to hear directly from Him.
In this vision, God tells Abram not to be afraid, reassuring him that however overwhelming the revelation of God may be, He is looking after us and is with us to direct and guide us. He spoke to Abram personally by name, assuring him that he was known by God. He talked of being his shield, a picture which speaks to us of safety and protection, and said He was his very great reward. God is both the one who rewards and is Himself our reward. Having refused rewards in Genesis 14, God assures Abram that he will not be unrewarded.
We have an opportunity to move the dial on our vision and tune in to God’s plans and purposes. We needn’t be afraid of a God-experience and can share the visions He gives us (as Abram ultimately did.) God wants us to see with spiritual eyes, not just natural ones.