“… the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward”. Genesis 15:1
Vision moves us forward. Vision empowers. Those who follow their vision are driven to make it their reality.
Making the word of the Lord vision and reality is what Jesus did. Abram did the same. God’s blessing manifests itself to those who live to see God’s word become reality. Bringing heavenly vision to earth is accomplished through God’s Spirit. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth” John 4:24. Worshiping God in Spirit is essentially bowing to God’s word until His word is fulfilled. We do not set the agenda for God. We make no demands. It is God who appears. His apparition for Abram came in the form of confidence just as happened to Jesus’ followers on the Day of Pentecost. They also made no demands, they followed and obeyed what they had seen and believed.
This is the essence of worship. Jesus said the pure in heart would see God (Matthew 5:8).
Do you think those who ran out onto the streets worshipping God on the Day of Pentecost saw God? Did they catch a vision of God on that day, or did He manifest his Presence by His Spirit in their praises and in their jubilant confidence that demanded their tongues catch fire with the praise to the greatness of who God was and what He was intending to do for all of mankind because of the obedience of Jesus?
Obedience ought to be the result of love. God loves. God is love (1 John 4:16). And because God is love, He will be obedient to fulfill His word, by His Spirit. He will be what He says He is: “thy shield” (confidence, boldness), “and thy exceeding great reward” (making real His word and promises).