When I Can’t See
Key Verses: Prov 29:18 NLT, Jer 29:10-13 NLT, Matt 7:7 NLT
Bottom Line: God has a plan for you.

Have you ever felt trapped? No matter which way you turned — there was no way out. Maybe you felt panicked or stuck!

I don’t know if you can tell but this is not a body for tight spaces. There was this one time where I went caving with some friends …

There was a moment where I had no idea what to do.

We:

We can feel the same way — we are trapped with no visible way out.

What about you, have you ever felt trapped in a situation? Maybe it was a job, tension in relationship, future, standing in line for a ride. It could be a lot of things, but i’m sure we have all felt that.

Have you ever struggled to have vision? To see yourself outside of the situation you are trapped in?

Can I tell you something? Just because we can’t see the other side of the situation, doesn’t mean there isn’t vision for the other side.

When I say vision, I mean the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.

Today, we’re going to look at what it means to have vision for our lives and why it is important.

Prov. 29:18
NLT
18When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

The KJV says “when there is no vision, the people perish.” Vision is a non-negotiable in our lives.

Here is a truth for you. We are all headed somewhere, where you end up depends on the object of your vision.

So what do we do about it? What does this mean for us?

GOD:

Jer 29:10-11

Context: Jeremiah is writing to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. They were enslaved by Nebuchadnezzar and though God had abandoned them.

10This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

How many of us have felt like like that?

we have no idea where we’re going, what God is doing, and we feel like prisoners in the process.

God, I don’t see what this is happening to me, I don’t see why that is happening to them or for them and not me.

Even when the Israelites were in slavery — God told them that He was still in control and still working His vision out in their lives.

Talk to the people … God sees you … Sees the situation … God is in control and is working out His good and pleasing plan for your life.

God reminds us through His word, even when we may feel like prisoners: “I have a good plan for you.”

Not a plan, Not one that He hopes happens. It is one that He is actively driving forward in your life.

The bottom line is this, God has a good plan for you.

Not one of rainbows and sunshine where nothing goes wrong, but a plan that is created to develop you the middle of the storms for what He has ahead of you.

He has a good plan.

Ok so, we feel like we are trapped and God has a plan for us. So what is our next step forward?

I believe that we can see this in the next two verses

Musicians

Jer 29:12-13
12In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

We pray and we seek. God wants you to know to come to Him with the worries of life. Not only does He see us, He hears us.

When we pray and seek, it aligns our heart and vision with God’s. Col 3 “I set my eyes on the things above not what is here below …

Jesus makes a similar statement in the NT

Matt 7:7
7“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Keep asking, Keep seeking, and Keep knocking

Dr, marriage, kids, finances,

We are so used to instant … keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.

… stand firm … I don’t see it yet, but i know you are the way maker. I don’t see it yet, but I’m going to keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.

God’s good plan for you will come to pass as you follow Him. Footsteps …

You may feel like you are beaten — like you are a prisoner. Even when the Israelites were slaves to a foreign nation, God reminded them: “I still have a plan for you”

To all my friends … God has a plan

Be encouraged by the challenge we see in Scripture: Don’t give up! Keep Seeking!

Don’t stop seeking God — spend time with Him everyday.

Altar:

Bow Head … 20-30 seconds and ask God to help you see Him in the middle of the storm

God sees you

Altar team