The Second Vision - The Purpose

John 4:34 (KJS) Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then] cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

 
In 1977 My wife and I were preparing to return home from Kiriat Anavim in Israel. We had gone there on a short term mission with Project Kibbutz. As I was in prayer about our return in our little stone room I saw a beautiful table set with the most wonderful food you could imagine. It was a huge table that was so very long. Beautiful place settings were arranged. No animal substances could be found on the table. There were fruits, nuts, vegetables and breads if all kinds. There were beautiful adornments of the table including golden candelabras which were the light of the table.

 
As I watched intently to understand what the vision meant I saw three very thin men come and sit down at the table near the end across from me and farthest from my right. I watched as they began to eat. They continued eating and it seemed that the room grew lighter then darker, lighter, darker, lighter, darker. I discerned that this represented the passing of days and months....... perhaps a year. As I watched them eat, their bodies changed. The grew larger and larger until they were huge. Their clothes no longer fit. Their bellies were giant. They had rolls of fat all over them. Finally, one by one, they fell asleep.

 
The scene then changed. This time I saw a beautiful field of ripened grain. It was glorious! The sun shone on beautiful golden stalks of wheat as far as the eye could see. In front of the field was a picket fence with a gate. As I watched, I saw a man go and pick up a sickle laying on the ground. He then went through the gate into this marvelous field.

 
The man was terribly thin and emaciated. He looked like someone out of a concentration camp. He started to harvest the wheat but it was pitiful. He could barely cut a few stalks. Still, he persisted.

 
Again the cycle of light and darkness occurred. As it did a subtle change began to take place. The man began to develop muscles. His stroke became surer and more effective. He began to sweat and get dirty. Soon he was pushing the sickle through the wheat with an incredible force. The stalks were being harvested in great number. In the end of the vision he looked like a gladiator.

 
To me the vision was self-explanatory. The first section dealt with those who came to the Lord's table to eat from His Word and gifts of grace but did not apply themselves to the purpose for which they were fed. They remained at the table never ceasing to eat in spite of their obvious condition of obesity. Finally the very thing that was meant to give them the energy for the work God had for them did just the opposite. They fell asleep in their gluttonous state and became even incapable to eat.

 

The second section of the dream was about the work God intends for us to do. The effect of applying himself with the harvest was wonderful to the harvester. He remained steadfast in the beginning when it seemed he was making no real progress and had such a little effect. The discipline of work in the field gradually began to change him. Finally he was totally effective. The food he ate turned into muscles. He was completely alert to his task.

 
As I meditated on this vision I realized it was really the mandate of every Christian:

 
Mark 16:15 (KJS) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

 
The true destiny of any Christian is fulfilled in doing God's will. That will involves many things including eating from God's table. Physical eating which is not used to produce work in our bodies produces obesity and slumber. So also spiritual eating without spiritual work produce the spiritual equivalent to obesity and slumber.

 
Isaiah 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

 
Many Christians believe that going to church, hearing sermons, listening to teachings, watching Christian T.V., Going to Christian entertainment even reading the Bible are the main activities of the kingdom life. The vision gives a picture of what the Bible clearly teaches about this. Those who participate in these things without having the focus of gathering the harvest simply grow fat, lazy and finally fall asleep:

 
The converse is true. God created us to be physically active in work. When we are, our bodies become strong and healthy. The man who was harvesting is the promise for all who will apply themselves to the work God has destined them. They will experience the wonderful increase of physical strength, endurance and skill in the harvest.

 
Many want to be made instantly into gladiators for God but the reality is that it will be the thin, emaciated weaklings that choose to press into the work of God who will become the gladiators. This is so counter to what so many people seem to think life in the Lord is. Because we are taught so much about the supernatural way God does things we can begin to believe if we have meager results in our work that we must not be following God's will. This can so easily set us up for discouragement and failure when we are actually in the center of His will and purpose.

 
Acceptance of the task and pressing on made the man. His unwillingness to quit eventually gave him incredible ministry effectiveness. But first he was tested by the days of small beginnings. We tend to think that we will arrive fully matured and have no period of preparation in which we see little of effectiveness or fruit.

 
The second vision is clear........ it is the doing of God's will is our purpose of life. It is doing it that brings the transformation in our being. It is the practice of our ministry that turns us into effective servants of God.