Write Your Vision

A few days ago, I was listening to a message from Pst. Joel Osteen titled Write Your Vision. His message made me reflect on the times I had written down a vision without knowing how I would achieve it. One thing I recall him saying was that one way you know your vision is from God when you have no clue how to go about it.

In July 2020, I had a vision to embark on an MBA. In a random conversation with my colleague at the time, Sikemi, and as I think about it, I have no idea how the topic of my MBA came up, she reminded me of Hab. 2:2-3. Thank God I listened! I didn’t have the funds and applied for student loans to the point that I remember one emailing me to say I should stop applying. As Joel Osteen said, when God gives you a vision He gives you the provision. Jan. 2022, I started the MBA, and all through, God provided the funds for my MBA without any student loan! Imagine if I hadn’t written it down, I would have given up after a while. But because I did, when my faith was re-ignited thanks to a message that told me to do it afraid (wrote a post about it here), I was able to read it and run with it.

As we are wont to do at the start of a year, we write down our goals. In Jan. 2022, before I started my MBA program, I wrote down that I’d finish my MBA with a distinction. There were times when it seemed like it wouldn’t happen, but because I had obeyed Hab. 2:2 and written down the vision, I could read it as I ran. In March 2023, my results came out and I finished with a distinction! Glory to God. No matter how impossible your vision may seem, I charge you to write it down! “God will do amazing things if you simply write the vision”- Joel Osteen. That way, you can refer back to it even when it seems to be moving farther away.

During service, my pastor reminded me of Ps. 18:29 (NKJV), a lovely verse that stuck with me from the moment I read it: “For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall”. Another verse you can hold to heart is Zech. 4:7 (NKJV): Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”. Insert your name in place of Zerubbabel’s. God is faithful to His word, find a word and stand on it, till your vision becomes a reality (Is. 55:11, I Cor. 1:9 AMPC)! As Hab. 2:3 assures us, it will come to pass.

Photo cred: khm_usa

Sage Onomsky’s Musings- The Edge of Breakthrough

One often gets something to reflect on when reading the Bible or a new revelation. So I thought I’d start sharing these thoughts with you in a series I call Sage Onomsky’s musings (cue the trumpets 😊). If you don’t know, I read a devotional titled “Walk through the bible” which does exactly that on a daily basis.

I’m currently in the book of Numbers, take it from me, it isn’t an easy book to read at first. The focus for Day 45 was Numbers 13 – 16, starting with when Moses sent the twelve spies to explore the land of Canaan (Num. 13:1 – 3). We all know the report ten of them came back with (Num. 13:25-29), and because of ten people, a nation of over 600,000 people failed at the edge of their breakthrough.

“Now turn around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.” Numbers 14:25 NLT

The Israelites were at the edge of the promised land (Num. 13), but because of their unbelief, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years (Num. 14:3, 11 & 34). Is your unbelief stopping you from entering the Promised Land? Take an audit of yourself to find out; if it is, ask God for forgiveness. Remember, to please God, you must live by faith (Heb. 11:6). That is the charge! God's word is reliable, trust in Him (Num. 23:19).

Generational Patterns

 Welcome to February! 2024 started yesterday and we’re already 36 days in. It’s not too late to commit your year to God and hand over the wheels to Him. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan out your year, but that you should plan it out and submit it to Him (Prov. 6:6-11, Ps. 37:5).

If you have been reading my blog for the last couple of months, you’d always hear me refer to a devotional called Walk Through the Bible. I highly recommend it as it does exactly that, walk you through the bible every day of the year. The devotional for Jan. 18, which focused on Exodus 1 & 2, made me reflect on the power of words and generational patterns.

In Ex. 2, we are introduced to Moses who Num. 12:3 referred to as the meekest man in the bible. But just 12 verses in, Moses committed murder because he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man (Ex. 2:12). My mind immediately recalled Gen. 49 (from the Jan. 17^th devotional), when Jacob delivered his last words (blessings) to his sons. In Gen. 49:5-7 (NLT), Jacob said of Simeon and Levi:

“Simeon and Levi are two of a kind; their weapons are instruments of violence. May I never join in their meetings; may I never be a party to their plans. For in their anger they murdered men, and they crippled oxen just for sport. A curse on their anger, for it is fierce; a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob; I will disperse them throughout Israel.”

Many years later, we see the generational pattern of anger leading to murder continue in Moses (a Levite). As you get more mature in Christ, one thing you hear about is the need to watch out for generational patterns. Not because we aren’t new creatures but because wisdom is profitable and understanding is important (Eccl. 10:10, Prov. 4:7). They say knowing the problem is half the solution, this extends to negative generational patterns. Fortunately, as a child of God, we can break such patterns, as Moses did.

The following Sunday (Jan. 21) I joined service online at Lakewood Church and the message was titled Generational Breakthroughs. God works in mysterious ways. In the sermon, Pst. Osteen lets us know that there are certain patterns we inherit that can only be broken by God’s power. The best part is that when God ends it, He ends it permanently (Ex. 14:13, John 8:36). Your time is coming, generational breakthroughs are coming. Keep praying and trusting in God, no matter how impossible it may seem. “If you keep the right attitude, God will use what was meant to stop you to move you forward”. In this month, the charge to you is to keep God first place, keep the right attitude, and watch God show out in your life. If you do so, you’ll see Eze. 18:2-3 manifest in your life. Don’t forget, you are a chosen generation (1 Pet. 2:9), you don't have to eat the sour grapes.

 

Declaration: Generational breakthroughs are coming!

 

P.S. Click here to listen to Generational Breakthroughs by Joel Osteen