Where there’s limited vision, there’s limited provision.

God will not provide where there’s no pursuit.

When Abraham called God “Jehovah Jireh” – which means “The LORD Who Provides” – the literal meaning of the Hebrew word for Jireh is “to see” (Genesis 22:14).

It’s the same word used to describe when God created the Earth and “saw” that it was good.

His vision led to his provision.

Prophets in the Old Testament were called “seers”. The Hebrew word for “seer” comes from the same word that was used to describe God as Jehovah Jireh.

What the prophet saw, God provided.

In order to get God’s provision, it was important to first seek God’s vision.

We’ve carried the same idea into our English language.

The English word for “provide” comes from two Latin words that literally mean:

• “Pro-” – to come before, prepare, or make way for something
• “Videre” – to see

Together, “provide” literally means “to make way” for “something that has been seen”.

If provision is stagnant, it’s worth asking yourself how resolute you are in the vision.

Is it vague? Is it hazy? Can you only sort of see it through a mental cloud?

Visions are outcomes, not detailed plans.

You don’t need all the facts, but you do need a destination.

If you can’t see it, it might be time to seek after it.

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Matthew reminds us to seek the Kingdom of God first, then provision comes. (Matthew 6:33)

The Kingdom of God is union with Jesus. (John 17:21, John 15:4)

And union with Jesus comes with revelation – which is vision. (John 14:21, John 10:27, John 16:13, James 1:5, Isaiah 30:21)

Union leads to vision which leads to provision.

It makes sense when you break it down.

Without vision, we’re wandering aimlessly.

And wandering aimlessly is unproductive and wasteful.

So why would a good God pour resources into aimless, wasteful wandering?

When the Israelites were wandering in the desert, he gave them very simple provisions – manna every day.

In fact, they complained about the provision so much that they missed the fact that they had rejected the vision.

If you remember, the vision was the Promised Land – which was flowing with milk and honey and fruit.

They reached the Promised Land within a couple of years of leaving Egypt, but because they failed to see the vision, they wandered.

And because of their wandering, their provision was limited.

Which leads us back to this:

Where there’s limited vision, there’s limited provision.

God doesn’t bless short-sightedness.

Proverbs 29:18 tells us where there is no vision, the people will cast off restraint.

The word for vision here means mental sight or revelation from God.

The word for “cast off restraint” means to let loose of the boundaries of an ordained covering.

When we stop seeking vision, we’re letting go of the intended provision.

We suffer from short-sightedness.

In 2 Peter 3, the apostle Peter addresses short-sighted people:

He says, ‘They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he [Jesus] promised? […] 

Then he says, “But they deliberately forget […]’”

They abandoned the vision because they had forgotten God’s faithfulness to see them through what seemed unlikely.

And in doing so, they rejected the provision of hope, joy, and peace along with the tangible provisions needed to get them through to the destination.

So if you find yourself lacking, it might be worth asking if you’re still on track.

Are you seeking his voice?

And are you laying down selfish ambition?

If so, provision is coming.

If not, it might be waiting for you somewhere else.