The Prophet Speaks: Pastor Rashaad Johnson

Isaiah 22:1 – “The burden of the valley of vision…”

The valley of vision is the period of time after the excitement wears off and before the vision comes to pass. That is the time when most failed visions die. That is why Isaiah saw dry bones in the valley. This is the period in which it is hard to see the finish line. Imagine standing on the mountain top seeing your promise on the mountain top across from you. At this point you are high with excitement; you are on the mountain top! You can see clearly what God said, even though it is far away on the mountain across from you. As you race down the mountain toward what you saw you hit the valley and realize you can’t run up the mountain at the same pace you just ran down. Things now began to get difficult. The climb requires so much more stamina and strength than you anticipated, so do you go back to the valley where it’s comfortable? Do you go back to the place where more than 90% of everyone else is? Do you go back to the place where you don’t have to try as hard and exert as much energy? What makes us do that? Is it the fact that when you are on the side of the mountain climbing, everyone in the valley is watching you and you are afraid you may fall? Is it because the company of others is more important to you than the achievement of the vision? After all it is lonely at the top? Or are you just afraid that you may not make it all the way, so why try at all? What is your excuse for not being elite? Better question, have you begun to believe that your excuse is a valid reason? Granted, this valley of vision is far from the other valleys you have been in. Which one is better, to never try or to try and give up? Neither should be an option for kingdom minded saints.

A burden is defined as a something borne with difficulty. When you face difficulty, you come face to face with the real you.

The burden of weight which produces resistance during exercise is what causes a muscle to grow stronger. The burdens God gives you are gifts to make you better. Most visions are difficult. If they were easy, everyone would be successful. It is quite easy to be average. That’s why the majority of the people are. This is not because they don’t have the potential to be better, but because they don’t have the stamina, boldness and character it takes to be great. Nothing God does is less than great, including giving you a vision. So, if it is from God, why is it we think it will take anything less than a great effort to fulfill it? What does all of this mean to us? That depends on what you are willing to do. Want is not enough for fulfilling the will of God and climbing this mountain called a vision. Most of us want to, but are we willing to climb the mountain after we become tired? Are we willing to push beyond the pain? Any athlete that has reached any level of achievement will tell you that they had to play hurt sometimes. Anyone that has achieved any level of success will tell you that difficulty is a part of the process. Are you mature enough to do what you don’t want to do to get to the mountain top? Will you endure the burden? I know you can, but will you?

The burden of the valley of vision is the weight of knowing you shouldn’t reside there and the difficulty you know faces you on the climb up. Its time for us to allow this burden to make us the people we have been called to be. God is requiring us to shoulder this burden and finish the visions we have been given. Your new word is waiting for you on the mountain top which represents the completion of your vision.