ARTICLES ON VISION

DATE:  24 August 2003
SPEAKER:  Pastor Tayo Adeyemi
TITLE:  Why does the vision tarry?
TEXT:  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Last week we learnt that every promise of God has it's due season and appointed time. We learnt that all things are ours, but for each of those things, there is an appointed time. We fret and worry because we have not learnt to synchronise our watches with God's. God is the Creator of the times and seasons and He can do what He likes with time. There is no such thing as 'too late' in God's vocabulary. We will walk in peace when we gain an understanding of God's timing.
Habakkuk 2:2,3. Every vision has an appointed time. Time in God's economy relates to purpose. Time is a tool in God's hand to accomplish His purpose in our lives. E.g people say 'time heals'. No, God heals but He uses time to do it. Even though the vision is in God's plan for your life, it may take time before it comes to pass. Why?
THREE REASONS:
1. It takes time for our blessings to unfold
In life, some things just have to run their course and take their time. When a child is born, that baby is full of potential. But the baby needs time to grow and actualise its potentials. Some things cannot be forced to happen quickly.
When a woman is pregnant, she has to wait nine months for her baby to be born, no matter how eager she is to have the baby. If she tries to force the baby to come earlier, she will end up with a miscarriage or a premature baby. Many times we have aborted God's purpose in our lives because of our lack of patience. At other times we have delivered His promise prematurely; and have then had to sustain them ourselves.
When you sow a seed, it needs time to grow and become a harvest. Mark 4:26-29 Between the promise and the product, there is the process. Habakkuk 2:2,3 When we fail to wait for the appointed time we can miss out on what God is preparing for us. There are some things in life that do not depend on how strong or smart or fast we are - they just have to take their time. Ecclesiastes 9:11
2. It takes time to prepare us for our blessings
God has prepared certain blessings for you - 1 Corinthians 2:9 Now He needs to prepare you for those blessings. And preparation takes time.
If God does not prepare you for the blessing. You will not be able to sustain and maintain it. It is usually easier to obtain than to maintain. In God's economy, He does not measure time in hours, days or years. He measures time in terms of the accomplishment of purpose. There are three common Greek words translated 'time' in the New Testament.
i. "CHRONOS" refers to a space in time or the passage of time. It is from this that we get the words chronometer, chronology etc. this speaks of time as a sequence, i.e. one minute following another. This is the commonest use of the word.
ii. "AION" refers to an interval of time or an age. This usually speaks of dispensations of time i.e. hundreds or even thousands of years. (e.g "age to age you're still the same)
iii. "KAIROS" refers to a movement in time, a fixed time, a decisive moment when things are brought to a crisis. The right time, an opportune time, the appointed time or the fulness of time. This is used mostly in relation to God and His purpose.
God considers time on the basis of when His purpose has been accomplished. He is not particularly bothered about how long or how short the amount of time that passes. In preparing Moses for his role as deliverer of God's people, God sent him into the wilderness. Moses spent as much time in the wilderness as it took him to be ready. He could just have as well have come out after 10years. (see Genesis 15:13 and Exodus 12:40) God often uses the wilderness to prepare us for our promise.
Deuteronomy 8:1,2, 11-16 Your response to the wilderness will determine how long you stay there. The children of Israel were only meant to spend a few days in the wilderness. But their journey was prolonged for forty years because of their negative attitude.
Three attitudes that delayed them in the wilderness - Numbers 14:1-4
i. They complained - vs 2
It didn't matter how much God had done for them, all they saw was what they didn't have. And they blamed everybody else for their predicament. It is important to maintain an attitude of gratitude in all circumstances. Look around you, there's plenty to be thankful for. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
ii. They were in unbelief - vs 2b, 3; Hebrews 3: 16-19
Regardless of what you are going through, keep your switch of faith turned on. Keep your eyes on what God spoke to you in the past. Hebrews 10:35
iii. They looked back - vs 3b, 4
Many times, we will miss out on today's possibilities because we are reflecting on "the good, old days". Life has no rewind button. To keep replaying yesterday is to lose today. To keep looking back is like driving with your eyes fixed on the rear view mirror - you won't make much progress. Ecclesiastes 7:10
The most important thing while God is preparing you is to actually allow yourself to be prepared.
3. Time reveals the true nature of our hearts
Time reveals the nature and quality of everything. A bar of gold and a banana will not survive the same period of time. Milk gets bitter with time; wine gets better with time. Some people are 'milk' people and others are 'wine' people.
Our stamina, our strength, our full potential is revealed in the test of time. Lesser quality clothes get worn out quicker. Lesser quality paint fades quicker. Lesser quality jewellery fall apart quicker. Higher quality appliances last longer.
When you go to a doctor for a heart check up, he hooks your heart up to a monitor and puts you on a treadmill. The first few minutes are usually okay for everyone, but with time a person with a weaker heart begins to show signs of strain. The only way to determine how strong your heart, your character is; is to put it under pressure and watch how it performs.
Does it seem like God's promises are delayed in your life? You may be taking the test of time. Don't give up, your reward is on the way. Galatians 6:9
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