Winter 1989
The Necessity of Having a Vision
Wade E Taylor

"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land" Isaiah1:19

To be "willing" means that we have an active desire for the working of the Lord within our lives. To be "obedient" means that there is a consistent, willing obedience to His workings within us. This results in our receiving inner strength that leads to new plateaus of spiritual understanding and experience.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" Proverbs 29:18. When we have a vision of there being much "land" to possess, beyond the initial experience of our salvation, our capacity for God will be greatly enlarged.

As our capacity for God is enlarged, we will be increasingly enabled to possess this land, as we "walk in the Spirit." This will enable us to "weave" the garment that qualifies us to come into the presence of the King.

The result of our willing obedience is expressed in Rev 19:7-8. (NASB): "For the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should array herself in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints".

Now she is ready to come into the presence of the King. "The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework" Psalm 45:13-14a.

Two different garments are mentioned in Scripture. The first is the garment of salvation, which we freely receive at the time of our Salvation. The second is the garment of the overcomer. This garment must be woven by us through our willing obedience.

"If any man will come after me, LET Him,". The responsibility for the weaving of this second garment is upon us. This garment is woven through our on-going obedience to Him as we take up our cross by exercising our will in choosing His ways and allowing Him to complete the work.