Keep the Vision Alive

On a hazy day about nine years ago, I stood on Mount Nebo. You may remember it as where God gave Moses a view of the Promised Land before he died. 

"Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him the whole land, from Gilead as far as Dan; all the land of Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Manasseh; all the land of Judah, extending to the Mediterranean Sea; the Negev; the Jordan Valley with Jericho—the city of palms—as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.”  (Deuteronomy 34:1-4)

As I stood at the top with digital strategy leaders from around the world, I felt a little disappointed. “On a clear day, you can see the Jordan River Valley, Jericho, and Jerusalem from the top of this mountain,” our guide said. Due to the weather that day, we couldn’t see much of anything. 

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses held onto a promise yet to be fulfilled. It was a vision that motivated them and gave them hope. None of them saw that vision realized, but they trusted in God’s faithfulness, and the vision was realized. Moses passed the staff of leadership on to Joshua, who led the Israelites into the land to possess it. 

The vision of the Promised Land motivated God’s people to keep moving forward. Some days, they were full of joy, and their faith was tangible. On other days, they grumbled and doubted the vision would ever become a reality. While their attitudes waivered, the vision never did. God created us and never forgot that “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained” (Proverbs 29:18a). He provided vision so they wouldn't lose heart and lose focus on His good plan. 

He has given us the vision of the throne room of heaven that is being filled as we persevere in helping to fulfill the Great Commission. Some days, we can sense that the vision is becoming a reality with each missional gap that is reached, each life that is transformed, and each disciple who begins to take steps of faith to multiply online. On other days, our strategies seem fruitless as audiences don’t seem to respond, websites get shut down, or our equipment gets stolen. We question whether our efforts are in vain. 

Let me assure you, they are not. God will accomplish the vision, and He will use you to help accomplish it!

Standing on Mount Nebo with Digital Strategies leaders, my attention shifted from the hazy view of the vision God gave to Moses, and it turned to the clear vision that God gave to us as brothers and sisters around me from countries such as Singapore, Argentina, New Zealand, Nigeria, Canada and more. We came together to pray for the vision God gave to us. That vision was being fulfilled in our midst and would continue through us as we returned to our countries to do the work of using digital strategies to fill the throne room. 

It is such a powerfully clear vision that continues to motivate me. Whether we’re standing on Mount Nebo or connecting via email, you play a critical role in motivating me and others in the network. Let’s hold fast to the vision of making Jesus and His mission accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime, so that the throne room of heaven continues to be filled with people from every missional gap! 

Together with you,
Cheryl

The vision of DS can sometimes drift up into the stratosphere for me and become a lovely but nebulous hope. We want to help everyone in our scope to be just one click away from the kingdom, and I love the vastness of that vision, but I can find it hard to empathize with “everyone.” 

The best way I know to bring it back down to earth and keep it alive for me personally is to take a close look at the “somebodies” right around me. How can our DS tools meet them where they are right now? 

I think of people like my neighbor, Jamie, who works long shifts as a nurse in an intensive care unit. We only manage to sit down for a chat once a month—and when we do, she shows a tentative curiosity about my faith. But I can’t wait to send her the digital journey we’re building about the spirituality of the Camino, where she’s going this summer. I can imagine her watching it on her break in the middle of the night shift. 

Or I think of Hannah, a new believer from my church, who recently had a powerful encounter with the Lord as she helped us with some content my team is working on. We pray that the video she made will impact each person who watches it. While making it, she was greatly encouraged and had her faith built up in a unique way. 

And I think about Vanessa, one of our most prolific digital mentors, who is passionate about talking to others about Jesus. A chronic illness has confined her to her home in rural Northern Ireland. Still, through The Mentor Ministry, she listens with compassion, prays diligently and shares winsomely about Jesus multiple times per week with hurting people around the world. 

When I take time to look closely at the people around me who are discovering Jesus, growing in their faith and being sent out to share the gospel from wherever they are, it helps me to lift my eyes and remember that behind every click, video view and journey completion is someone else’s neighbor and friend who is being offered a unique opportunity to experience God’s kingdom. We praise God for the chance to play a part in their journeys.

There is temptation all around us, and Satan would love nothing more than to keep your eyes fixated on anything but God and His mission. Years ago, I read “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis and was most struck by the conversation in the art gallery about church and distractions. If the demons couldn’t keep the man out of church, they wanted to fill his head with anything but what the pastor was preaching. 

For many of us, the season of raising support is a time when we need to keep the vision alive. It’s tempting to be distracted by difficult things and the patience it requires. We might also envy a secular job and the steady salary that comes along with it, especially when the money isn’t coming in or the job itself is getting difficult. These are just a few distractions that occur during the process.

Instead of looking at “what ifs,” I remind myself to look at what God has already done. At my first staff conference in 2017, I stood in a field looking at the crowd and started weeping. These people all loved Jesus and His mission so much that they were willing to raise support to be part of completing the Great Commission. Every single one would have stories of how God showed up when they thought He wouldn’t—stories of going from death to life and watching others do the same. 

I never want to forget what it felt like to look at the crowd that first night and be amazed by God’s work through His people. I was so grateful to be a part of it.

When things are hard or the money isn’t coming in, I remember how it felt standing in the field. It’s also a good reminder that so many have gone before me. God has shown up. Anonymous envelopes have been left on my step. I’ve opened my inbox and found Large Gift Notification emails. Prayers from those I didn’t know would say exactly what I needed to hear. People gave when I never thought they would.

God is faithful in a million little ways, and when we stop to remember even a few of them, it helps us refocus on the mission at hand. The tough things at work seem small to the Shepherd who owns cattle on a thousand hills, the One who is leading us beside still waters.