Mark preached last night from Proverbs 29:18, quoting this famous verse in several versions:
“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” (NIV)
“Where there is no word of God, people are uncontrolled.” (CEV)
“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble over themselves, but when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed.” (The Message)
Vision is an intrinsic part of life, with advertisements everywhere (TV, billboards, magazines, the Internet) aiming to entice us to buy the latest products because we have seen how amazing they are. Companies even include the word in their names or logos!
What we see is the start of what we want; as the proverb goes, “the eye is the window of the soul.”
Gen 1:31 reminds us that “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” Appearances can, however, be deceptive, so we need to receive God’s revelation and vision if we are to live well. The word ‘revelation’ or ‘vision’ in Proverbs 29:18 is châzôn, meaning to see, behold, perceive, referring to spiritual insight.
Without vision or revelation from God, people individually will move away from God. Spiritual death can occur if we do not see what God has in store for us. Vision encourages and empowers us on a personal level and also collectively, the church needs vision and revelation to flourish. Without this, the church becomes ineffective at spreading the gospel. If there is no revelation, there is a personal and corporate consequence. We all need ‘glimpses of God, glimpses of glory’ if we are to be envisioned!
It was Garry’s birthday yesterday as well, but this year he didn’t play the guitar to himself!