Our Founding Fathers had a vision for our country. Their vision can be found in the pages of The Constitution of The United States and the first 10 amendments known as the Bill of Rights.
The whole vision is whopping 17 pages in a pocket-sized book.
One key responsibility of a great leader is to paint a great vision. The vision our founding fathers painted was based on Judeo-Christian principles, and has been the foundation for the greatest country in the world. It was also concrete, expressible, and comprehendible.
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18
The word vision does not necessarily mean exactly what you and I would think it to mean. It is actually from a Greek word meaning revelation or oracle. That Greek word is from another Greek word meaning prophesy.
In other words, where there is no prophesying – public preaching – the people perish.
Let’s back out to a wider perspective. Is any vision really a vision worth considering if it doesn’t line up with God’s Word? No, of course not.
Now, we have a few things to think about. Do we know what our current vision is as a nation? Have our leaders expressed it in a concrete, expressible, and comprehendible way? Does it really line up with God’s Word?
Let’s keep praying for revival!
A great example of painting a vision can be found in Exodus 18. We read how the people came before Moses from morning to evening for him to judge them, and to enquire of God. His father-in-law, Jethro, saw Moses was going to wear himself out.
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
Exodus 18:19-24
We need to remember 3 things about this concrete, expressible, and comprehendible vision. First, Moses took everything to God before he did it. Second, he would only do what God led him to do. Third, he painted a vision the people could follow that was based in God’s Word and carried out by God loving men.
LIFE APPLICATION
Key Focal Verse:
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18
Our challenge today is to hold our leaders accountable, and to be great leaders ourselves. Pray for our leaders to have a vision that lines up with God’s Word!