Look Up Into The Sky | Northstar Church

“Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.” – Genesis 15:4-6,

Vision is an incredible thing. We have to understand that the idea of vision didn’t come from some get-rich-quick scheme or motivational speaker but it came from God Himself. Vision is adopting an action plan that will enable you to do what God has told you to do spiritually or in service to Him. Vision is the power to focus on God’s plan in spite of the obstacles. Vision is a character trait that can be stimulated and developed in each of our lives. God’s vision is twofold: He has a vision for what He wants you to accomplish and He has a vision for what He wants you to become.

Matthew 6:22-23 says, “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is.” This isn’t talking about our physical eyes, but what we see through our eyes of faith: seeing yourself becoming more like Jesus or being a better spouse, being more of a giver, or living the abundant life that God desires for each of us. We need to remember that it doesn’t matter how old you are, whether you’re physically disabled, or even if you’re not the most intelligent or most gifted – it makes no difference…God can mold and use your life in a miraculous way.

When God told Abraham he would have a child and be the father of many nations to Abraham, it seemed physically and naturally impossible. But God told Abraham to do something very unusual. He told him to go outside and look up at the stars. Now, why did God tell him to go out and lookup? God wanted him to have a visual image—a picture of it to see in his imagination. So every night as Abraham looked up, that reminded him of what God had promised. It reinforced it on the inside. He kept seeing it and seeing it. And even though it didn’t come to pass for many years—Abraham saw his future through his eyes of faith.

We too need to stop seeing ourselves for what we are now but for what God wants us to become. And that requires faith. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” By following our own thoughts and plans we are literally limiting ourselves to what God desires to do in and through us in the ministry. Vision is the God-given ability for you to catch just a glimpse of what God might do through your life.

Discussion Questions:

How would you define vision? Where does it come from and why is it important to have it?
What can you do this week to discover and follow God’s vision for your life?