Moses led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt through the wilderness on the one way to the land that God had promised them. They wandered in the desert for forty years and just as they reached point where they would cross the river into this promised land, Moses died. Joshua was appointed to take Moses’ place Joshua and led the people across the river, ready to take possession of it. However the land wasn’t empty and they not only needed to possess this land, but to fight to retain it.

They needed to drive out their enemies. As Joshua camped near Jericho contemplating his plans and strategies he looked up and saw a man facing him with sword drawn. Joshua confronted him and asked whose side he was on and in response the man told him that he was the Captain of the Lord’s army. Hearing this Joshua fell on his face and asked, “What do you want me to do?” He was told to take of his shoes because he was standing on holy ground.

Why did this man appear to Joshua? Joshua was about to undertake a major challenge for God and he needed a vision that would be sufficient to prepare him for the task. He was about to embark on a military campaign – he needed to know that Lord’s army was with him. Like Joshua before we take on any mission for God or new initiative, we too need a vision of him that is sufficient for the task he sends us on.

In Isaiah 6, God revealed himself to Isaiah, In Ezekiel 1 and 8, to Ezekiel and in Revelation1 and 4 to the apostle John. In each case the vision each person received was appropriate to the task they were to perform. Like these and other men and women God has called us in to the land of promise, the Kingdom of Heaven. He has given us a commission – go into the world making disciples, enter the harvest, share the good news. But we cannot hope to accomplish this mission without a revelation of God. We can plan, strategise and theorise, we may even see some success. We can adopt spiritual disciplines, pray, read, give, fellowship and serve. We can pump ourselves up with self-motivation, the 7 keys to success the be-happy attitudes and the power of positive thinking. But without a vision of God, our successes won’t be sustained and we will find ourselves once again in the wilderness hopping from hilltop to hilltop scanning the horizon for some way forward.

The only way Joshua could face his enemies was for God to reveal himself to him. The only way Isaiah and Ezekiel could preach was to see God first, the only way John could prophecy was to have a vision of Jesus. Unfortunately for many of us our only experience of God is hearsay. We have heard of the revivals, God’s blessing and miracles. We may even have seen them – but they are always someone else’s. Job had this same experience. He was a righteous man and suffered because of his righteousness, yet his experience of God was based on hearsay – until God spoke out of the whirlwind (Job 38). After God revealed himself Job could say “Before I had heard about you but now I have seen you for myself” (Job 42:5). Is your knowledge of God based on hearsay, or have you seen him for yourself? Have you delighted in the testimony of others as you go from hilltop to hilltop or have you had your own revelation of him?

When Joshua saw the Captain of the Lord’s army he fell down at his feet and asked ‘what do you want me to do?’ When Isaiah saw God he confessed his sin, when Ezekiel received his vision he fell down and worshiped, John fell down as though dead. In each case their response was recognition of God’s holiness and their uncleanness. All they could do was worship.

As you seek God, expect him to reveal his holiness and your need. Expect to recognize your inadequacy, and then rejoice that Jesus has reconciled you to him and that you can approach this Holy God. The vision we need today is a vision of a Holy God who allows us to approach him though Jesus and then to show us that aspect of his character that will prepare us for the mission he calls us to. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God to you – then respond to him in worship.