Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Habakkuk 2:2-3 (KJV)
The Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
The King James Bible and other translations can be confusing when they translate, “though it TARRIES, wait for it, it shall not TARRY”… ‘Tarry’ and ‘tarries’ are two different Hebrew words… It should be translated, “Even though it is not happening right now, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be DELAYED, but will come to pass in its appointed time.”
The Amplified Bible Classic Addition says it this way, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.”
In other words, many times there is a ‘waiting period’ between when the Lord tells us something and when it fully comes to pass… today I want to focus on that waiting period…
A better translation for the word ‘vision’ in this passage is ‘revelation’. We have been studying the blessings of receiving REVELATION from the Lord this week… when the Lord gives us revelation concerning something, many times He is showing us His future plans for something… like in the case of Abraham… at seventy years of age, the Lord gave Him a revelation and a vision that he would be a father of many nations. It took thirty years for what the Lord had shown him to come to pass.
Some things take time to come to pass… the Lord was dealing with His people about this ‘in between, waiting time’ in Habakkuk 2. He told them, “Even though what I have revealed to you is taking some time to come to pass… even though it tarries… WAIT FOR IT… do not give up on it… do not lose faith… IT WILL NOT BE DELAYED… it will come to pass in it’s appointed time!”
Instead of Abraham WAITING, he decided to help God bring what He said to pass.. Abraham (called Abram at the time) turned his vision from the Lord into ambition… vision, or revelation can be turned into ambition when we attempt to bring to pass what the Lord said in our own strength instead of WAITING for God to do it in His timing!
Ambition will always produce ‘Ishmaels’… when we get impatient and decide to bring what God has promised to pass in our own strength, we produce ‘Ishmaels’ in our life… these ‘Ishmaels’ in turn cause more trouble than we can shake a stick at.
When the Lord gives you a vision, a revelation, or a promise… WAIT FOR IT… wait for HIM to bring it to pass in the APPOINTED time, no matter how long it tarries, it SHALL come to pass in the right time, and it will not BE LATE or be held back… it will be right on time!
When the Lord gives you a revelation of TRUTH, it is a NOW revelation, but when He gives you revelation concerning His plans and His promises for you, it is to give you HOPE and FAITH for His FUTURE plans for your life… He plants the seed to give us hope and faith, not for us to become ambitious! He will bring His promise to pass… we need to learn to be content and WAIT in faith!
Vision comes with peace, joy and rest and it is always pressure free, it is content with the present and is patient towards the future. Ambition is always pressure driven and is filled with impatience, stress, restlessness and feelings of discontentment with present circumstances.
Vision is all about the kingdom of God. Ambition is all about achieving things. Vision is loaded with faith while ambition is loaded with fleshly desire. Ambition says, “I must have this or, I must do this… I cannot go on like this any longer”. Vision says, “I am at rest, I am blessed and I am content with my present circumstances and I am patiently believing for the Lord to bring to pass my promised future in His appointed time”. Ambition cannot wait while vision waits patiently for things to come to pass.
As with Abraham, a believer can start out with vision and then allow that vision to become corrupted and for it to turn into ambition. If you find yourself striving and discontent, ambition has taken over… if you are at rest in your soul and you are full of peace, joy and contentment with faith for future plans, you have New Covenant kingdom vision.
New Covenant. kingdom vision is a revelation given by the Lord and may take a lifetime to be fulfilled. New Covenant vision does not despise the days of small beginnings and New Covenant vision is fully dependent on the grace and the supernatural power of the Lord. Vision brings life and ambition brings death.
If you find yourself consumed with ambition, release the anointing onto it and die to it, in Jesus Name. Trust the Lord for deliverance from it and then let it go by faith. Let the Lord replace all ambition with a revelation imparted to you by the Holy Ghost for your future. Patiently begin to exercise your faith as you WAIT for Him to bring what He promised to pass… speak faith filled words and mix them with faith filled, grace dependent actions…
The vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand, but it shall come to pass on its appointed day - Selah
In His amazing love, Nick
