“I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:1-3 NKJV
As a pastor and ministry leader, this passage of Scripture has been a key part of my life. I have had to receive direction from the Lord, for I cannot take anyone where I have not been. I need a clear word from God, and it is my responsibility to deliver God’s message to people. What others do with it is their business, but I have a call to be a messenger.
When God called me to plant a church, I knew I couldn’t do it. It had to be a work of God and still does. As God began to lay out the vision, I felt like I would be an idiot for believing God to do such things in a small rural county. Honestly, I still feel that way. Why? Because I’m impatient. I asked God to do something slow and lasting (which He is doing), but I want to see more results now.
God promises in this passage of Scripture that the vision is for an appointed time. That appointed time is God’s not mine. God continues to say, “Though it tarries, wait for it because it will surely come.” God is working it out.
There are so many details in the air at this point, but the work of God through this ministry WILL continue! God has not brought us this far for us to be discouraged over waiting. The naysayers will say what they will, and others will rise up with their opinions about what I should do or should have done. God does not always work based on a formula from church planting “experts”. He promised to bring the vision to fruition, and I hold Him to His promises.
If you are reading this today and God has put something in your heart, do not back down. Rise up in faith and push through until you see God honor His Word. He will bring it to pass.
Matthew Winters (Honest Thoughts from a Pastor) 
YES! I know he will in Jesus Name!!! I’ll leave you with this scripture Psalms 27:14 🙂 be blessed.
I really like what you said, “I cannot take someone where I have not been.” All the more reason to press forward in our journeys, so that others may follow.
I love your contagious faith! And this picture of the guys trying to get his vision focused – that’s priceless. Cool selection.
Thanks! I couldn’t resist an attention-grabber.
How ironic is this?!! God has just been speaking this very scripture from Habakkuk to me for the past couple weeks. Very intensely. He is not letting me move past it. It’s very strong in my spirit. Thanks for sharing Matthew!!
You may have blogged it and brought it back to the forefront of my mind. I know I read it recently in a post. I love how the Holy Spirit confirms it through others.
Ikr!!! I love how smooth the Holy Spirit is! I actually hadn’t blogged it but have been journaling some things that I want to blog about that scripture soon. Just haven’t completed it yet. So when I saw your blog, I said are you serious Jesus?!!! Lol!! Thank you Lord for bringing clarify and confirmation.
I just wrote about this on my blog too. We forget that He is focused on the now. As a Potter, He knows what He is doing will reap the end result He wants.