(R.V.) There is a difference between an ideal and a vision. An ideal has no moral inspiration; a vision has. The people who give themselves over to ideals rarely do anything. A man's conception of Deity may be used to justify his deliberate neglect of his duty. Jonah argued that because God was a God of justice and of mercy, therefore everything would be all right. I may have a right conception of God, and that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of rectitude because the vision imparts moral incentive.

Ideals may lull to ruin. Take stock of yourself spiritually and see whether you have ideals only or if you have vision.

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"

"Where there is no vision..." When once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless, we cast off certain restraints, we cast off praying, we cast off the vision of God in little things, and begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating what we have out of our own hand, doing things on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on the downward path, we have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that springs from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done? Is there a freshness and vigour in our spiritual outlook?

We must see something before we make our ventures! Faith must first have visions: faith sees a light, if you will, an imaginary light, and leaps!

Faith is always born of vision and hope ! We must have the gleam of the thing hoped for shining across the waste before we can have an energetic and energizing faith.

Are we not safe in saying that the majority of people have no fine hopes, are devoid of the vision splendid, and therefore, have no spiritual audacity in spiritual adventure and enterprise? Our hopes are petty and peddling, and they don’t give birth to crusades.

There are no shining towers and minarets on our horizon, no new Jerusalem, and therefore we do not set out in chivalrous explorations.

We need a transformation in the “things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV).

We need to be renewed in mind, and renewed in mind daily . We need to have the far-off towering summits of vast and noble possibilities enthroned in our imaginations.

Our gray and uninviting horizons must glow with the unfading colors of immortal hopes.

So few men venture out beyond the blazed trail,

’Tis he who has the courage to go past this sign

That cannot in his mission fail.

He will have left at least some mark behind

To guide some other brave exploring mind.

No man is of any use until he has dared everything. ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Waiting upon God is vital in order to see Him and receive a vision from Him. And the amount of time spent before Him is also critical, for our hearts are like a photographer’s film—the longer exposed, the deeper the impression.

For God’s vision to be impressed on our hearts, we must sit in stillness at His feet for quite a long time. Remember, the troubled surface of a lake will not reflect an image.

Yes, our lives must be quiet and peaceful if we expect to see God. And the vision we see from Him has the power to affect our lives in the same way a lovely sunset brings peace to a troubled heart. Seeing God always transforms human life.

Jacob “crossed the ford of the Jabbok” (Genesis 32:22), saw God, and became Israel. Seeing a vision of God transformed Gideon from a coward into a courageous soldier. And Thomas, after seeing Christ, was changed from a doubting follower into a loyal, devoted disciple.

People since Bible times have also had visions of God. William Carey, English pioneer missionary of the eighteenth century who is considered by some to be the Father of Modern Missions, saw God and left his shoemaker’s bench to go to India. David Livingstone saw God and left everything in Britain behind to become a missionary and explorer, following the Lord’s leading through the thickest jungles of Africa during the nineteenth century. And literally thousands more have since had visions of God and today are serving Him in the uttermost parts of the earth, seeking the timely evangelization of the lost. D R. PARDINGTON

It is very unusual for there to be complete quiet in the soul, for God almost continually whispers to us. And whenever the sounds of the world subside in our soul, we hear the whispering of God. Yes, He continues to whisper to us, but we often do not hear Him because of the noise and distractions caused by the hurried pace of our lives. FREDERICK WILLIAM FABER

Speak, Lord, in the stillness, While I wait on Thee; Hushing my heart to listen In expectancy.

Speak, O blessed Master, In this quiet hour; Let me see Your face, Lord, Feel Your touch of power.

For the words that You speak, “They are life,” indeed; Living bread from Heaven, Now my spirit feed!

Speak, Your servant hears You! Be not silent, Lord; My soul on You does wait For Your life-giving word!