Turn the God-given ideas into reality with His power.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:48.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

Scott Belsky, an American entrepreneur and author said, “Most ideas are born and lost in isolation.”

God gave a mission, and besides, He gave brain to implement the mission. God uses the brains rooted in the Bible to entertain and fan His ideas and words. It has the divine power to keep people from perishing. The Word of God, the Bible, never changes. It is settled in heaven forever. We should never alter it in any fashion. However, God gives new ideas to fulfill His mission and fan His hidden truths in and through His children. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” With God-given ideas and visions, the people thrive and flourish.

A penniless monk whose name was Martin Luther sparked the protestant reformation, which changed the face of western culture and civilization. We commemorated the 500th anniversary of that amazing idea rediscovered from the Bible’s pages by a then-unknown man and the consequent changes it initiated and implemented in the year 2017. The idea that God ignited in Martin Luther still shapes the life and thinking of western culture and the whole world. When Thomas Jefferson, the founding father of the Declaration of Independence, said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” he was echoing the idea and vision of Martin Luther. 

Every North American is touched by this idea when we think about the freedom of religion, separation of church and state, freedom to study and teach the Bible, freedom of speech and public education, and the list goes on.

God always moves His stone powerfully by the illumination of His ideas in His people’s minds. Biblical ideas of great men of God changed the world throughout the pages of history. Christian schools in India and other Asian countries, spreading of Gospel are other examples. God opens the eyes of ordinary people like you and me and gives us an idea and vision from the Scripture to run with.

A divine idea birthed in Nehemiah’s heart while listening to the plights of the people in Jerusalem who were living in great trouble and disgrace. The Spirit of God moved him. First, he confessed his and his household’s sins and interceded for the suffering Jewish people. Even king Artaxerxes, whom he served, noticed the idea that is burning inside Nehemiah. God, who gave the idea, also divinely ordered the congenial circumstances and support to implement the concept. Nehemiah left the palace job and arrived in Jerusalem to build the wall for the Jewish people. It was not an easy task. It was challenging due to severe opposition from enemies. With God’s wisdom and strength, he implemented the idea and finished the work of the Lord.

God gave an idea to Ezra when Judah returned from their 70-year Babylonian captivity. The wall was built. However, people were still broken, distressed and hopeless without any vision for the future. They desperately needed God’s help and direction from the pages of the Torah with which they lost connection by this time. It was a unique task. Who would do it? Ezra got the idea that God placed in his heart. The idea of building people with the Word of God came as an unstoppable passion from God. He set his heart to seek the Scripture, study it, do it and teach it to the people who needed spiritual direction. (Ezra 7:10). As usual, spiritually hungry people rallied around him to listen to the Torah because of the hunger and thirst for God. People listening to the Torah bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. As they listened to the Word of God, people had been weeping. A true revival began, and people did not perish. The idea and vision God gave to Ezra kept them from destruction and perishing. (Nehemiah 8:5-9).

Beloved, what is the idea and vision God gave to you? What did you do with it? I hope you are not burying it under the ground. It may not be big like Billy Graham’s. However, it is still God’s idea and has divine sovereign power behind it.

Yes, your idea is unique, and it is a God-given vision. It has the potential to change the people around you and the world. Turn that to reality with His help. Do not ignore what God placed in your heart. Do not look to people’s approval of your idea. Look to God and move forward boldly, leaning on the strength He grants.

“Father in heaven, help me to take the idea and move with it with your divine help and power. All my good thoughts and visions come when I come home to you by accepting Jesus as my savior and Lord. I believed Jesus died, buried, and rose again for my sins. I invite him to my heart. I request to forgive my sins and shortcomings. May I be a channel for your vision to be fulfilled when I live here on this earth? I surrender my life to you now.  In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”