The Vision, The Writing and the Runner

UV 1173/10,000 The Vision, the Writing and the Runner
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Habakuk 2 v 2
The only vision most people see today is television. But jokes apart, for a daily wage labourer, his vision is limited to his next meal and where it would come from. For a writer, his vision is limited to his next writing or next book. For an artist, his vision is limited to his next work of art. For a politician, his vision is limited to the next election. For a statesman, his vision is limited to the next generation or the next 25-30 years. But God sees all of the vastness of the universe, the entire time span of history and beyond far, far into eternity. Since we are short-sighted or myopic in our vision, He asks us to write the vision, to write faithfully what He asks us to write about what He is going to do. We are asked to write it down as we are likely to forget if we do not as our memory is short and our vision is myopic. When the vision is fulfilled it becomes testimony of hard evidence of what God has done or wrought in our lives. It becomes an occasion to praise and glorify the Lord as also a spur or trigger to the faith of others who read it. It will become an eye-opener to other people who can then read it and run with it. Our lives are symbolised by the first man to run the marathon, who ran with the message of victory back to his king and fell down dead after delivering the good news. But in our death and in successfully running and delivering the good news of Christ, we rise again to live forever.

When the Lord describes a vision to a man such that he write it, He does not cloak it in mystery and complexity but makes it plain and simple so that it convicts and energises the average person who reads it. Reading the Word causes us to run and not get tired, to be filled with hope, energy, strength and singlemindedness of purpose, to eventually rise on eagle wings of faith to be presented before His regal presence in His throne room in heaven. The eagle wings are a symbol of power and grace operating in our lives as we read, understand, assimilate and apply the Word in our lives. The vision is written down on stone tablets as a mark of permanence, a sacred and eternal text of covenant between God and man. When God wants to deliver a vision of warning or reproach, He choses to write it on a wall. When He wants to deliver a vision of instructions or command, He writes it on stone tablets but when He wishes to deliver a vision of hope and salvation, He writes it on our hearts and minds.

We run to and fro doing our daily chores and fulfilling our responsibilities. Our worldly and professional knowledge increases with experience and exposure. But wisdom to live will come only by reading and living by what the Lord has revealed unto us in plain terms in the Bible. When a man reads it, he has two options, either to run away from God and all that He is calling him to or he can submit and run in the tracks or paths God has clearly indicated to him in every aspect of life. When we believe His Word and trust in Him, we have only one option – to run or hasten towards him as a child would run to her father and safely, lovingly ensconce herself in His care and embrace on seeing him return home in the evenings. The practical application of the vision is that we too should make it a habit to write down our goals in different aspects of our lives. We should keep a record of their achievement as a source of encouragement, inspiration and testimony. What we write are our billets d’amour or love letters to the one great Beloved of our souls.

Prateep V Philip