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Heavenly vision is like stepping into a planetarium and looking up to see the colossal, limitless, magnified realities of outer space.
To keep the heavenly vision means to focus on Me above all. It means to put the things of the spirit before the things of the flesh. It means reminding yourself why I took on human form and suffered and died for you so that I could redeem you, understand you, and forever forgive, heal, and protect you.
It means putting My Word first in your life and believing and acting on its truth. It means stepping into the temple with Me for quality focus and spiritual feeding. It means claiming My promises no matter how you feel or what your physical surroundings are like.
It means looking to Me and refusing to give up. The best way to keep the heavenly vision is to keep your eyes stayed on Me—to look to Me. That is the essence of keeping the heavenly vision—keeping your eyes focused on Me.
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An athlete who is training in the hopes of reaching the Olympics must keep that vision, that goal, ever before him. He has the “Olympic vision,” and this gets him through every rough and grueling workout or practice. This makes the lack of time off, the fatigue during the day, the times when he gets little sleep at night, a nonevent.—Because that goal, that vision, becomes more important than any temporary pang of today. In order to survive those years of training, that goal has to be worth it—it has to be worth everything to him. And once he decides that it is, then he needs to fight to remain focused on that goal and to keep that vision before him at all times.
Decide if My Word and My promises for the future are worth laying aside other things in order to obtain that prize. Then, once you've decided, fight to keep that focus, that vision, ever before you.
Many of you have already made those decisions; but now comes the period of tenacity and determination when you fight to not lose focus.
What are some practical things you can do to keep the heavenly vision?
—Fight for your temple time with Me. This is the most effective way to be renewed and to stay reminded of My heavenly vision.
—Obey My Word regardless of how you feel.
—Praise Me often; praise Me consistently. Praise makes My vision come alive to you. Praise opens your eyes to the heavenly vision so that reaching for it, aiming toward it, and fighting for it comes that much easier for you. The vision becomes more real to you, which makes your desire to go after it even stronger and more effective.
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The heavenly vision, as Paul put it, means “pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.”1 It means making My will—My high calling—your goal and purpose in life. It's what you're pressing for, eager for—fulfilling My will, to the point that you consider it the prize. Not just a prize, but the prize, everything you could ever want in life!
And just as Paul said, it's “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Those are key words, “in Christ Jesus.” You find this high calling through Me—through looking to Me, through living in Me. This high calling is ultimately the calling to live for Me. Your aim in life is toward Me, which means you must be looking to Me. You must keep your eyes on Me in order to reach your goal—My goal—for you.
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You keep the heavenly vision by making those choices that bring you toward Me—the finish line. It's like a runner racing around a track: The runner can only head where he's looking. If he's looking to the finish line, then that's where he'll end up. But if his eyes are focused on other paths leading off the track, then he won't reach the goal.
If you want to keep the heavenly vision in your race of life, then focus on Me, the author and finisher of your faith, of your life course. Keep the vision by staying focused on Me, making those decisions that you know will lead you to a fuller life in Me.
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Having a strong connection with Me in spirit will help you hold that heavenly vision before you.
You can strengthen this connection through times with Me in the Word. You strengthen your spiritual focus through focusing on My power. You gain this stronger link through faithfulness, obedience, and forward movement. You keep the vision strong by becoming better acquainted with Me as your Husband.
The keys to keeping this vision are found through doing those things that bring you closer to Me; those things that enhance your faith and encourage your spirit; those things that merge you with the spiritual realm and bring the spirit more to the fore in your life. This is how you keep the vision. This is how you stay connected. This is how you will run with patience the race that is set before you—and win!2
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Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
"He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."—Revelation 21:1–73
Originally published 2006. Updated and republished April 2013.
Read by Jerry Paladino.
1 Philippians 3:14.
2 Hebrews 12:1.
3 NIV.
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