By Tom Shanklin

I was speaking with a friend recently about the upcoming year when suddenly the thought flashed through my mind, “20/20 in 2020.” I believe that the Lord is calling us all to have 20/20 vision in this coming year.

Just think for a moment about how important our eyesight is to everything we do—whether it be driving a car, swinging a bat, or learning algebra in a classroom. The same is true in the spiritual realm. As the Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish… (Prov. 28:18, KJV) When we lack vision or revelation, we flounder about, accomplishing very little. This is a year to open our eyes and see the great potential that lies before us.

Spiritual vision begins when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 MEV) But vision must not only be obtained, it also must be maintained. When we fall into loose living and fail to progress spiritually, our eyes once again become darkened, and we lose our way. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) When we continually chose to follow Jesus and His will for our lives, we will have light on our path and know where to go and what to do. As Susan told us in her article last month, “Obey and don’t stray” in 2020.

Seeing God’s Greatness

2020 will be a year of great opportunities, but we must have our eyes open to see them. Remember, when the 12 spies went up to promised land, 10 came back with an evil report. Only two had the spiritual vision to say, “Let’s go up at once at possess it. For we are well able to overcome it.”

The 10 spies were living in the past. They had a slave mentality and could not see the greatness of God in their situation. As a result, they spent the rest of their lives going around in circles, accomplishing nothing. The Lord is saying, “Let go of the past and begin to walk in the new day. There is grace to walk in the new day, not to walk in the old.”

We too can become slaves to the past. It can be past failures or even past successes. Our thoughts can even hold us captive to a past move of God, whether it be 100 years ago or last year. This is a new day with a fresh anointing. We must walk in the new day, forgetting the things that are past. We must take the lid off of our thinking in order to apprehend the great possibilities in the new day.

I once preached a new year’s message called, “It’s a New Day … If You Want it to Be.” I believe God is always fresh, always speaking new ideas, showing us new horizons. But too often we are stuck in the past, comfortable with what we know and can see … or have seen … with our natural eyes. We must have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying in the new day. We need to come up into a higher place in order to have clear vision. 

Seeing What the Father is Doing 

Jesus said, “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, likewise, the Son does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does. And He will show Him greater works than these so that you may marvel. (Jn. 5:19-20 MEV)

If we want to move into the greater works that God has ordained for 2020, we are doing to have to DO what we SEE the Father doing. We are going to have to stay connected with Father God in order to do the works of Jesus.

Jesus has many great plans for His Church in this coming year, but we must position ourselves correctly to move into these plans. As Daniel the prophet says, “They that know their God shall do exploits.” It’s time for us to really KNOW God and move into the great exploits that He has for us in 2020.

Seeing the Abundant Harvest

This year, because of unusually wet conditions during the growing season, some of our ministry partner farmers still have crops in the fields at this late date. We are praying for them! We don’t want to see the harvest go to waste. How much more must we be diligent to pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He would send laborers into the harvest of souls so that it is not lost?

Today, a great harvest of souls is sitting in the fields waiting to come to the Lord. Jesus died for them and rose again that they might have eternal life. Jesus said, “… lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.” There is a great harvest all around us, but all too often we cannot see it because we are focused on other things.

When our eyes are on the wrong things, we cannot see the harvest. If we are caught up in our own problems or theological debates or political wranglings, we could miss the opportunity for the greatest harvest of souls that the world has ever seen. We must regain our focus. We must see the people all around us who are ready to come to Jesus.

I believe that 2020 is ordained by God to be a year of great harvest. May we must be attentive to the Lord of the harvest as He calls us to go forth into the ripened fields. May we say with a willing heart, “Here I am, Lord, send me!”

A New Year’s Prayer

Father, I thank you for the opportunities in this new year. I believe in your ability to give me victory. I believe in what Jesus has done through His death and resurrection and I confess Jesus as Lord of my life. Open my eyes to your greatness and to what you are doing today. Help me to see the great harvest all around me and to see the needs of people I come in contact with every day. You are living in me and you are more than enough to meet every need. Here I am Lord, send me, in Jesus’ name. Amen.