Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; / But happy is he who keeps the law.”

July 3rd, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The Hebrew word translated here as revelation (vision in the King James) means having direction or insight from God. Said another way, without God showing us fresh, new things, we are bound to dry up and perish. Solomon was describing God giving a vision, like seeing someone unveil something. And he said that without such vision, people would fail. The tense suggests that people have been perishing, are perishing, and will continue to perish apart from a vision from God.

In Martin Luther King Jr’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, he shared his dream—his vision—of the kind of country the United States could be. And by sharing that vision, he gave people inspiration, direction, and hope for living.

When Helen Keller was asked, “What would be worse than being born blind?” she replied, “Having sight but no vision.” What a profound statement from a girl who had spent almost her entire life blind and deaf. She clearly understood that this Scripture and others were speaking of another kind of vision besides the physical ability to see. Someone said that vision is “The ability to see—awareness. The ability to believe—attitude. The ability to do—action.”

“LORD, we ask that You would give us Your vision for our lives, in Jesus’ name.