"If God gave you a vision, a spiritual hope or dream for your future, there will be an appointed time when that which God spoke comes to pass. Thus the Lord assures us, "record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time. It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay." (Habbakuk 2:2-3)

God has given many of His children visions and spiritual hopes and dreams. After all He says in Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the thoughts I have toward you and they are of good and not of evil to give you a future and a hope". However, God likes to fulfill the visions, dreams and destinies of His children in His Way.

This week , as I was working at my desk and praying as I worked, I had a vision of runners on a racetrack. There were many runners actually running. Some of these runners were wearing special running shoes and special clothing made of performance fabrics. They also had special socks and headbands. Many of them were in excellent physical condition and seemed to be enjoying the race.

Then I looked and I saw runners who were sitting by the side of the track, some were even lying in the grass beside the track. These runners had on clothing that was too thick. They were wearing the wrong type of shoes. Some were crying. Some were bleeding, wounded and exhausted. Then I heard the Lord say to me, "I want to restore them. I want to heal their wounds and lift them up. These are the ones who did not know what it would take to run this race. Some of them were not instructed correctly and are not even sure I love them."

So He led me to Hebrews 12 where the Word speaks about running the race of Faith.

In verse one it says "Let us lay aside every weight and every sin which does so easily ensnare us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

The Lord spoke to me three words,

"Restoration...Refreshment...Reconstruction"

He then directed me to verse 3 in Hebrews 12 which says,

"For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."

"Considering Him" means a visit to Calvary.

A visit to Calvary means re thinking the crucifixion, meditating on all that Jesus endured and becoming INTIMATE with Him once again. The weariness and discouragement come because of forsaking quality time with Him. They come because we give in to distractions of all kinds that the world brings to our door.

There is an invitation being issued from Jesus today to come to the Restorative and Creative Power of His Love! He is inviting those who have been broken to come and be Refreshed in His Presence and find satisfaction and fulfillment in the simplicity of the gospel's truth. He is inviting the weary and the discouraged to allow Him to Reconstruct and Reform their spirits!! He will bring new beginnings for those who will allow Him to make them over.

In 2006 Jesus will be wooing His bride to His side, both the small and the great, for I hear the sound of the refreshing waters of the Spirit of God being stirred up! He is calling to those who have ears to hear to lay down their carnal weapons and to come and receive truth and understanding of how to walk in divine strength, divine energy, divine love...and He is telling those who have grown weary, fatigued and are deeply hurting to ARISE and BELIEVE HIM ONCE AGAIN!

Jesus is calling the weary and discouraged to a revisiting of the cross of Calvary because therein is our hope, therein our destinies are fullfilled and our hearts are strengthened and healed. This race is not about our ambitions, our talents and our great works....it is about Loving and being Loved by Him. It is about KNOWING HIM and ABANDONING OUR SELVES TO HIM. Therein is our "success"....He is it! He will bring the destinies and victories about for those who are willing to allow Him to do it His Way.

Article is copyrighted by Sondra Stallman.
May not reprint without permission from author.