Write the Vision, Make it Plain
Jan 6th, 2012 | By Deborah H. Bateman | Category: Women of Faith, Words of Wisdom
By Deborah Bateman –
Have you started thinking about setting your goals for this year? What would you like to accomplish? Have you prayed about it and asked God what he would have you to do in the next year? I have a scripture passage I wanted to share with you that I think relates to goal setting or what some might call at the first of the year New Year’s Resolutions.
Habakuk 2:2-4
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
A good way to get started may be to look back at what you accomplished last year through the help of the Lord. Look at where you are and where you want to go. What are some of the next steps to get you to your goal? You may break it up by quarters, months, weeks, then daily goals.
I am not one to have every detail like some people are, but I do like to look back in the past year and see what God has done in my life and look forward to the next year to see what He will do. But, this scripture tells us to write the vision and make it plain. The more detailed we can come up with the easier it is to try to follow the plan.
Of course, we can’t plan the whole year in advance, because there will be circumstances that happen during the year that we have no idea will happen. But, it is a good idea to write down some things that you would like to do during this year and track your progress along the way.
I do find I remember things better if I write them down. Even when I make a grocery list and leave it in my purse or at home when I go to the store, just the act of writing it down helps me to remember it. I may not remember everything on the list, but I am more likely to remember more of the things I need to do or get if I write them down. So, I do think there is some validity to writing our goals down.
In this scripture it says to write it down and make it plain so those who read it can run with it. This reminds me of a team that is working together, each member of the team needs to know what the team goals are, what the plans are to reach those goals and what their part in reaching the goals are.
The next verse reminds us to stick with the vision, even though it may take longer than expected, if you hang in there it will eventually happen. Things don’t always happen when we want them to happen, but God rewards those who are faithful. I know this past year I published my first eBook, The Book of Ruth-A Story of Love and Redemption. It took longer than expected, but with determination, and teamwork of others it was finally published and the book launch was successful.
So, go ahead and pray about your vision for the next year, ask God to show it to you. When He shows you what He wants you to do, write it down. Check your progress periodically. Look forward to what this year will bring and what you can accomplish with the help of the Lord. May God bless you and your family in 2012.
Deborah H. Bateman is the Author of The Book of Ruth-A Story of Love and Redemption. She is the founder of Christian Daily Resources, a Christian Online Ministry, dedicated to “Sharing God’s Word”. Deborah loves studying the Bible and sharing it with others. She also writes articles on writing, publishing, and marketing books and eBooks. Connect with Deborah at her author site http://www.deborahhbateman.com/ or at Facebook on her author page at http://www.facebook.com/DeborahHBateman.
Awesome post thank you for the scripture as well!
Thank you Deborah for your words of encouragement! God’s time is the best time!
Janet Harllee
Janet, thank you for your comment. God’s timing is perfect even though it may not be the same as our time table.
Thanks Deborah for your wonderful message! I agree, there’s something about writing things down that helps you remember even if you never read it again. I write a lot of messages and verses down, and many times God speaks to me through them at just the right time. I love how God works:)
Thanks again for the message! Blessings to you:)
Amanda, thanks for your comments. It helps me to remember things to by writing them down. I am glad you enjoyed the post. Blessings, Deborah
Deborah,
Thank you for your wonderful reminder about goals and visions. I try to practice this and post about it with my own followers. But I’ve never seen the scripture that tells us God is counting on us to do this. What a blessing to start my day!!!!
Randi
Randi, thanks for sharing your comment. I am glad you enjoyed the post and especially the scripture. May God bless you and help you to achieve the goals you set. Blessings, Deborah
An excellent article Deborah. thanks!
Tracy, thanks for your comment. I am glad you enjoyed the article. Blessings, Deborah H. Bateman
Great post Deborah. Putting things down on paper brings a level of commitment that in turn helps us meet our goals. Giving God permission to “rearrange” our plans is also key to success. I’m still working on my plan for 2012. Thanks for your encouragement to persevere!
Deborah, thanks for your comments. I am glad you enjoyed the post. I hope it helps give you the boost you need to meet your goals for 2012. May God bless you, Deborah
I think it is important to write the vision down. It makes it more real in a way, plus we have it documented so that if we lose sight of it, we can go back to what we wrote down and remember it again.
Thank you Deborah,
This is such a great post and very timely. I just heard someone say you can’t just wish for it, you have to see it and work on it.
The first chapter of my book for high school girls who want to have a business is Visioning and Charting a Path. It’s also what I have been doing lately, revising the vision for my business. A friend over Christmas sent me Habakuk 2:2.
This is a good post to keep as a reference.
Sylvia,
Thanks for your comment. I am glad you liked the article. It seems like this is the message for a lot of us right now. Hopefully we will all see our vision and our dreams come to pass this year.
Blessings,
Deborah H. Bateman
Laurie,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, there is an advantage to writing our vision down and being able to go back and look at it from time to time to energize us and help keep our focus.
Blessings,
Deborah H. Bateman